Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by martyb on Monday October 15 2018, @05:18AM   Printer-friendly
from the perpetual-motion dept.

Think of it: The government prints more money or perhaps — god forbid — it taxes some corporate profits, then it showers the cash down on the people so they can continue to spend. As a result, more and more capital accumulates at the top. And with that capital comes more power to dictate the terms governing human existence.

UBI really just turns us from stakeholders or even citizens to mere consumers.

Meanwhile, UBI also obviates the need for people to consider true alternatives to living lives as passive consumers. Solutions like platform cooperatives, alternative currencies, favor banks, or employee-owned businesses, which actually threaten the status quo under which extractive monopolies have thrived, will seem unnecessary. Why bother signing up for the revolution if our bellies are full? Or just full enough?

Under the guise of compassion, UBI really just turns us from stakeholders or even citizens to mere consumers. Once the ability to create or exchange value is stripped from us, all we can do with every consumptive act is deliver more power to people who can finally, without any exaggeration, be called our corporate overlords.

No, income is nothing but a booby prize. If we're going to get a handout, we should demand not an allowance but assets. That's right: an ownership stake.

https://medium.com/s/powertrip/universal-basic-income-is-silicon-valleys-latest-scam-fd3e130b69a0


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by c0lo on Monday October 15 2018, @02:12PM

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Monday October 15 2018, @02:12PM (#749035) Journal

    That's missing the point though...What's important is that you felt *within yourself* that your life has meaning and purpose.

    (consider the context: " Merely existing isn't enough. People need purpose in life and pride in themselves and their achievements.")
    That's exactly the point: in reality most of the people are passing through the life with, statistically speaking, little consequences - their "achievements" are almost inconsequential for the world.

    However, as almost are "going through life just content of going through life", makes from this a thing something that actually keeps this world going.
    In other words "merely existing" is not to be dismissed as worthless, even if the individual "achievements" are so trivial that one may discount any of them from the bigger picture.

    Welfare and UBI take that away for many.

    Because those many are chasing something meaningless - whatever they "achieve" is weakly dependent on whatever wealth they can accumulate their entire life.
    Just ask TMB if he needs millions to go fishing or to fight "dick niggers" with regex-es on S/N.

    --
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +1  
       Interesting=1, Total=1
    Extra 'Interesting' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   3