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RE: UBI: Unemployed funding the 1%

in #politics7 years ago

The entire point of UBI is to reduce government control. The current system is much potential for Kafkaesque scenarios. You could do away with income transfers altogether but that would be the worst of all worlds.

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I wish a lot more people had experience applying for government benefits. It is the right of citizens to access these supports - we have paid for them to be available! When more people see how the needful are treated by the system, support for this idea would increase dramatically.

We have recently had our first experience applying for benefits since leaving school over two decades ago. They don't like to make it straight forward. The idea that anyone on welfare is just lazy and bludging the system is laughable. Anyone bludging the system can't be lazy and would have to be quite talented, because it's not any easy task.

Unfortunately I don't think government wants reduced control, which is why I wouldn't trust UBI implemented by them. The way the economy works at the moment has money and power flowing in one direction. I don't think the people benefiting would want to relinquish that. If they implemented a UBI I'm sure they would find a way to do it which gives the biggest benefit to them.

You've taught me a new word today. Kafkaesque. I'd not heard of Franz Kafka before. Not entirely sure I want to read his work after looking him up! Have you read any of it?

Unfortunately I don't think government wants reduced control, which is why I wouldn't trust UBI implemented by them. The way the economy works at the moment has money and power flowing in one direction. I don't think the people benefiting would want to relinquish that. If they implemented a UBI I'm sure they would find a way to do it which gives the biggest benefit to them.

UBI is far superior to any alternative in terms of empowering the recipient of benefits. If you do away with income transfers altogether, you'll end up empowering the powerful even more.

You've taught me a new word today. Kafkaesque. I'd not heard of Franz Kafka before. Not entirely sure I want to read his work after looking him up! Have you read any of it?

Yes. The Trial by Kafka was an anxiety-inducing read. Metamorphosis was no picnic either.