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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
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday October 15 2018, @08:37PM (1 child)
What happens when politicians promise they'll raise it to 20%? Or 90%?
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Tuesday October 16 2018, @02:39AM
Depends how unequal the income distribution is, and how many people feel that promoting a strong work ethic is more important than putting a few more dollars in their own pocket. The less unequal the income distribution, the smaller the number of people who have to be willing to vote "work ethics" to tilt the balance towards a lower UBI.
Considering that the entire Republican party has largely dedicated itself to convincing working-class people to vote against their own financial best-interests, I'm not overly concerned that it's a terribly difficult thing to accomplish.