Making the news today....

[WesD]

7 hours ago, BrendanTreeFeller said:

If you believe the daily mail you'll believe anything

Where did I say I believed the daily mail?

 

More to the point can you show me where I referenced the DM?

 

thanks. 

[Vespasian]

9 hours ago, scotspine1 said:

 

Same. Let's leave it at that. It'll never happen anyway. 

Funny thing is, I think it will..   Not sure how much it might be, but I'm sure its coming in the not to distant future...

 

 

[Mark Bolam]

Sounds like a workshy scroungers dream.

 

I'm sure it would be extremely popular.

[Lucan]

15 minutes ago, Mark Bolam said:

Sounds like a workshy scroungers dream.

Then you've not understood it

 

Money for nothing: is Finland's universal basic income trial too good to be true?

 

[Mark Bolam]

I've never understood Communism.

[difflock]

Communism is simply the politics of Envy and Jealousy, all dressed up in Utopian cloths.

Which instead of asking how some manage to better themselves, choose to blame them for bettering themselves, rather than the impoverished writer, therefore a confiscation of their wealth would make everything "right".

Right!

[Lucan]

2 hours ago, Mark Bolam said:

I've never understood Communism.

Clearly

 

"Finland’s trial was launched ... by a centre-right, austerity-focused government interested primarily in spending less on social security and bringing down Finland’s stubborn 8%-plus unemployment rate. It has a very clear purpose: to see whether an unconditional income might incentivise people to take up paid work."

Edited February 20, 2018 by Lucan

[the village idiot]

I think it's important to take on board that we have to do something.

 

Our current system is simply not going to work once the number of available jobs is dramatically decreased. Like it or not, the system will have to change.

 

Automation will create high levels of extra wealth for the few that are fortunate enough to be in a position to impliment it, whilst simultaneously removing the option to work standard jobs from millions of people.

 

If we don't find a way to spread the wealth created by these new technologies, and keep roofs over people's heads we are in deep doo doo.

 

You can leave moral ethics off the table if you like and view something akin to UBI as a necessity for maintaining a society in which it is at all desirable for an individual (however wealthy) to live. 

 

Yes, some people who are genuinely lazy will get their basic needs met for free, but this will be a relatively insignificant price to pay when you consider the alternatives of sticking with a system not fit for a coming new reality.

Edited February 20, 2018 by the village idiot

[TIMON]

I think it's important to take on board that we have to do something.
 
Our current system is simply not going to work once the number of available jobs is dramatically decreased. Like it or not, the system will have to change.
 
Automation will create high levels of extra wealth for the few that are fortunate enough to be in a position to impliment it, whilst simultaneously removing the option to work standard jobs from millions of people.
 
If we don't find a way to spread the wealth created by these new technologies, and keep roofs over people's heads we are in deep doo doo.
 
You can leave moral ethics off the table if you like and view something akin to UBI as a necessity for maintaining a society in which it is at all desirable for an individual (however wealthy) to live. 
 
Yes, some people who are genuinely lazy will get their basic needs met for free, but this will be a relatively insignificant price to pay when you consider the alternatives of sticking with a system not fit for a coming new reality.

Bring back National Service!!!
Works for Sweden (and Israel)

[onetruth]

Re: universal basic income.

 

It's a radical policy, not necessarily a leftist one, though.  Robots and computers are going to replace people in so many jobs over the next quarter century, I think it is very probable that most governments are going to adopt something like ubi.  It would certainly simplify the administration of benefits, tax collection and whatnot, but that is perhaps overstated as automation will continue to make all bureaucracy less expensive to administer.  There will still be wealth generation from what is (physically) produced, but it will be less labour dependent.  The solution will be to figure out a way of taxing the corporations generating the wealth, and redistributing it to the populace.  

 

Someone above described it as a dream for lazy people.  It might be (aren't they already supported?), but it will also allow so many more of us to produce art, music, entertainment; care for the sick, elderly, lonely; spend more time raising our children; spend more time expanding our minds.  

 

It's not a socialist pipedream but it would serve society if more of us do not have to dedicate so much of our lives to chasing the paycheque we need to get through the next week.   Loads of "ifs", I know.