Join the Fight for Universal Basic Income in the Age of Automation

[Vic Viper]

Basic Income America - Fighting for a bright future in the age of automation
[link removed - mod]

A massive automation unemployment crisis waits just a few years away and already a great many Americans are unable to find work or languish in low pay jobs they are overqualified for. On top of that, inequality is worse today than it was during medieval times. Universal basic income is the only long term solution to these problems and many others we will face in the years to come. It has been proven to eliminate poverty, improve productivity, social cohesion, and mental health, decrease crime, and increase entrepreneurship. This is a realistic policy whose time has come.

The US almost got a universal basic income in the 1970's and Alaska already has a small one today. The fantastic technologies of automation could create either utopia or dystopia depending on the policies we pass in the years ahead. What we are fighting for is a bright future in the age of automation, one resembling those depicted in scifi works such as StarTrek. To get there we will need not only technology, by also policy. Our goal is to push universal basic income into mainstream US politics by the 2020 presidential election by rallying the American precariat into a powerful coalition for basic income advocacy.

If you are interested in getting involved, here is a link to our Discord server: [link removed - mod]

Let me know if you have any questions about universal basic income or our group and I'll answer them in this thread.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I can think of two big whoppers right off the bat:

- How do you deal with, as the Honorverse calls them, "Dolists"?

- More importantly: Who's gonna PAY for all this?

 

[SolarisOne]

A Type II civilization (like the Federation) has no problem "paying" for it, since they can harness the energy of stars and they have machines that can produce almost any material thing one would ever need. Hell, even a Type I civilization (one that has full command of all resources and energy of one planet) could pull it off. Easily.j

Alas, we aren't even on the original Kardashev scale at all (or we're considered Type 0 on the more modern version.) As of now, we're drowning in too much population and not enough resources. Even if you redistributed the world's wealth, it wouldn't be enough. Not to mention that, in certain places, there will never be enough political will to even try.

In fact, there's a strong possibility that idiot politicians of certain nations are going to do everything in their power keep us from ever even reaching for higher status on the Kardashev scale. Hell, even if the rest of the world said "screw you" and decided to work towards it on their own, I could see a time where they are advanced and certain nations have fallen completely behind.

/rant

 

[Relayer1]

Who's gonna PAY for all this?

Someone's got to.

With the reduction in work available, either most people will be working a day or two per week and sharing jobs or there will be massive unemployment.

With jobshare, employers won't want to pay a full salary for part time hours. With unemployment, there's no income at all.

The result of this is that without money to spend, demand for goods collapses. Populations fall into poverty and business, instead of boosting profits by cutting staff costs, find themselves customerless and insolvent. Money ceases to circulate and the economy collapses.

The only ways around this are for all jobs to be shared and full salaries paid for part time hours, OR government pays a universal basic income to everyone, paid for by taxation on business which, after all, depends on it to survive.

Capitalism. Over.

 

[DimesDan]

It seems to be working out ok in Finland (at least I think it is Finland) but is it possible the richest country in the world (that still can't implement a free at service health care system for all its population) could implement this, not a hope.

 

[Australis]

Capitalism. Over.

And we'd, like, miss it.

The big secret to UBI is training people to live within it, until we become a post-scarcity society. And even then, don't get greedy.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

until we become a post-scarcity society. And even then, don't get greedy.

Pigs will fly before either of those things happen (especially the latter).

 

[Australis]

@Mr. Laser Beam Sadly, I fear you're right.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Hello @Vic Viper , and welcome to TrekBBS. Just to let you know, solicitation/recruitment posts such as this are not allowed by our board rules. I have removed the links from your post because of this. I am also going to close this thread, since it appears to be started only for the purpose of recruitment of our members.

If you wish to start a general thread on the benefits of Universal Basic Income, without the solicitation/recruitment components, that should be acceptable.

Also, it is sometimes acceptable to include an unobtrusive link in your signature, but please note that is at the discretion of the board administrators.

Thank you for your understanding.