I actually think universal basic income is a very flawed idea from a leftist perspective.
It is effectively a capitalist compromise that still puts all of the asset holders in immense positions of power. The only difference now is they effectively are governmentally enforced as those positions of power. It will make the wealth disparity exponentially worse.
The answer to our wealth disparity is to put power in the hands of the average person.
Having the mass majority of the population trapped in jobs that pay just enough that they put up with it, while giving away all their time and energy to a corporation is exactly why the average person has no power. They’ve had the will drive to force real change sucked out of them.
UBI is a mechanism that can help them take back their time and energy to affect real change.
The answer to our wealth disparity is to put power in the hands of the average person.
Average voter: “Ugh, all the power and responsibility is too much work. Can’t we just elect someone that takes care of all of this for us?” Congress/parliaments are born. “Ugh, keeping track of all these politicians and their policies and waiting for them to enact laws is too slow and tedious. Can’t we just elect some sort of super politician that promises to take care of all our problems quickly?”
If the labor force could opt out of the rat race because they didn’t have to work, then they gives them immense power especially considering what they have now. Of course the necessities would have to be controlled in a not-for-profit manner so that you can’t just have some land baron that adjusts the cost of rent and food upward to ensure it eats up all the UBI, same with utilities/internet/etc.
But for consumerist goods that people want because they enhance life, if people could realistically withhold their labor unless the capitalist offered equity etc in industries that produced those things, you would quickly see the power of the leaders of those industries wane significantly.
Yes. All the free market economy guys are making assumptions about efficient markets and infinite choices, but none of that is true. But the reality is laborers don’t even have the ability to leave a shitty job even with alternatives available, like just interviewing would use up a precious sick day or cost them hours of wage.
For most jobs in the US you’d be burning a sick day and losing hours of wages. Most jobs in the US do not pay you for sick days, they just don’t use that as an excuse to fire you.
I actually think universal basic income is a very flawed idea from a leftist perspective.
It is effectively a capitalist compromise that still puts all of the asset holders in immense positions of power. The only difference now is they effectively are governmentally enforced as those positions of power. It will make the wealth disparity exponentially worse.
The answer to our wealth disparity is to put power in the hands of the average person.
Having the mass majority of the population trapped in jobs that pay just enough that they put up with it, while giving away all their time and energy to a corporation is exactly why the average person has no power. They’ve had the will drive to force real change sucked out of them.
UBI is a mechanism that can help them take back their time and energy to affect real change.
Average voter: “Ugh, all the power and responsibility is too much work. Can’t we just elect someone that takes care of all of this for us?” Congress/parliaments are born. “Ugh, keeping track of all these politicians and their policies and waiting for them to enact laws is too slow and tedious. Can’t we just elect some sort of super politician that promises to take care of all our problems quickly?”
If the labor force could opt out of the rat race because they didn’t have to work, then they gives them immense power especially considering what they have now. Of course the necessities would have to be controlled in a not-for-profit manner so that you can’t just have some land baron that adjusts the cost of rent and food upward to ensure it eats up all the UBI, same with utilities/internet/etc.
But for consumerist goods that people want because they enhance life, if people could realistically withhold their labor unless the capitalist offered equity etc in industries that produced those things, you would quickly see the power of the leaders of those industries wane significantly.
Yes. All the free market economy guys are making assumptions about efficient markets and infinite choices, but none of that is true. But the reality is laborers don’t even have the ability to leave a shitty job even with alternatives available, like just interviewing would use up a precious sick day or cost them hours of wage.
For most jobs in the US you’d be burning a sick day and losing hours of wages. Most jobs in the US do not pay you for sick days, they just don’t use that as an excuse to fire you.