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Finland Launches Basic Income Experiment With Jan. 1 Cheques for Those in Pilot Project

posted by on Wednesday January 04 2017, @10:48AM   Printer-friendly
from the now-we-wait-and-watch dept.

Phoenix666 writes:

Basic Income is a subject that regularly surfaces in Soylent discussions, so here's a story about Finland's impending experiment with it:

Finland has become the first country in Europe to pay its unemployed citizens a basic monthly income, amounting to 560 euros ($587 US), in a unique social experiment which is hoped to cut government red tape, reduce poverty and boost employment.

Olli Kangas from the Finnish government agency KELA, which is responsible for the country's social benefits, said Monday that the two-year trial with the 2,000 randomly picked citizens who receive unemployment benefits kicked off Jan. 1.

Those chosen will receive 560 euros every month, with no reporting requirements on how they spend it. The amount will be deducted from any benefits they already receive.

The average private sector income in Finland is 3,500 euros per month, according to official data.

Also at The Guardian and swissinfo.ch.

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 05 2017, @06:12AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 05 2017, @06:12AM (#449672)

    I'm tired of debating with the idiots of this site. It pains me because you're not actually an idiot, just stuck in a narrow minded belief system because you think you've "figured out" the world. The problem with all human "figuring out" is that we're pretty terrible at seeing our own presumptions, hindsight is 20/20, etc. There are people who actually study these social problems yet you are able to come up with a simple answer when you haven't really studied the problems and haven't even lived in the conditions you describe. It takes effort to keep your mind from running on its existing thought patterns, until you can accomplish that and broaden your mental horizons I bid you good day.

  • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 05 2017, @06:21AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 05 2017, @06:21AM (#449677)

    It pains me because you're not actually an idiot, just stuck in a narrow minded belief system because you think you've "figured out" the world.

    Nope, not nearly. Runaway1254 is actually an idiot, and he hasn't figured out anything. His VCR is still blinking. When his wife goes to play bingo, he believes her. He actually thinks he served in the navy! No, stupid, uneducated, delusional, racist, Fox News listener and Breetfart reader. As dumb as they come. That's our Runaway! And correct, there is no point to debating him.