I love this thoughtful article on gnosticism and modern alienation from nature.
I am a member of the American Solidarity Party. There are many things I like about it. One thing that makes me uneasy though is that some people really like some out there ideas about the economy and how to fix things. Every once in a while someone raises the idea of how wonderful a Universal Basic Income would be. I just thought it sounded too pie-in-the-sky to me. First of all, I think it simply can't happen financially without us going into debt even more than we are already. And then, here's an article by Damon Linker about why it just isn't tenable.
Oh man. I should have saved another article on Georgism vs. Distributism. Georgism freaks me out because it is premised on the fact that no one owns land but it should be 'held in community.' However, I don't understand how to hold land in community without it being de facto held by the government, which to me sounds too much like communism and the state owning the means of production, which is basically land! I love that people in the ASP are thinking about all this stuff. And I love that they are looking at radical ways to solve the problem of poverty, but I do think they can get a little out there and be more ideological than actually practical.
Aside from this, the discussion on the registered members facebook page is the most intellectual and civilized place on facebook. These are my people! The care, they think, they refuse to be led by the nose. They are active in trying to lead good, moral lives in the community. It is a vibrant and hopeful place. Check it out! Your hope in humankind will be redeemed! Of course, you have to be a registered member. There is an unofficial facebook page. But if you like what you see, you can decide to become a registered member (which I think means officially joining the party.)
I confess I am increasingly leaning towards the idea of a basic income and will be very interested to see how it works out in places that decide to trial it. I dont think it would stop people working, but would help people to work less and more flexibly and would share the work around more fairly. I think the nature of work is changing and will continue to change to the point where radical changes of some sort will have to be made in the future. Given that the US can't manage universal healthcare UBI isn't likely to be an option there, but I think it is more feasible in Europe where there is already a more effective welfare safety net. Not certain about it and can certainly see arguments against, but intrigued by the possibilities.
ReplyDeleteHow do you do it without increasing the national debt though? You'd have to tax people so much so that you can give them not that much of an UBI. I just don't think it works mathematically.
ReplyDeleteGah! Just typed a long reply and lost it! The Green Party here have costed it and think it can be done by replacing all existing state benefits (pensions, unemployment, disability, tax credits etc) and scrapping tax allowances. People would also pay more tax on earnings. The basic income would be just barely enough to live on. Most people would choose to work to top it up, but would have more choice and flexibility - to work shorter hours for less money, to be a SAHM, to risk setting up a new business, to go back into education in mid-life and retrain. I find it hard to see how the traditional employment patterns will be viable as more things become automated, and I think we need to be thinking seriously about how to avoid an ever widening gulf between haves and have-nots. Basic income may not be the solution, but I the think the potential advantages make it worth consideration.
ReplyDeleteThis is the Green Party costing and explanation of how they would implement the policy in the UK. It may or may not be viable - I have no idea what holes there may be in the plan. https://policy.greenparty.org.uk/assets/files/Policy%20files/Basic%20Income%20Consultation%20Paper.pdf
ReplyDeleteI do think there is a basic disconnect by raising taxes on income but then encouraging people to work less by providing them a UBI! Also, if bigger chunks are taken out of income via taxes, that by itself will discourage working more. I think the idea is basically unfair in its attempt to be fair! Some people really do need help and they should have a safety net, but people who are not in need of the safety net shouldn't be getting other people's tax dollars so that they can live a more carefree life. I think UBI's heart is in the right place but I think it can't work practically. I think people will still need those special services, like unemployment, disability, etc because the UBI isn't going to be able to cover everything.
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