@scottsantens
Pessimist view: if UBI comes into being under the current economic régime, the wealthy and their hordes will find a way to distort the economy in such a way as to devalue both the economic value of UBI and to gut the services (UBS) that must be part of a more egalitarian scheme. Anything that interferes with control and with shareholder value must be blunted, broken and trashed.
#inequality

@scottsantens You're not wrong.

The problem is that, at least here in America, we as a population see cruelty as a feature, not an unfortunate side effect.

And that's going to be a huge hurdle for UBI, but I hope I see it in my lifetime.

@scottsantens I agree with the concept of UBI, but it doesn't address the venality of the 'Establishment'. If the 'Workers' take home more, 'Capitalism' requires - yes, you read that right; requires - the Establishment to charge more for rents for the land they own, and products and services from the companies they own because they see no reason to communicate business 'secrets'. So 'they all cleave 'more' from the total, even though the total might be greater.

@scottsantens "yes, but people who can't work wouldn't be starving then, so we can't do that." - Every rightwing cunt on the planet.

@scottsantens All it'll cost is a small amount of the hoards of various dragons who could easily lose it and never miss it. But it's their hoard they say, all theirs.

@scottsantens It would do nothing but transfer public funds to the very rich, as rents increased, other prices increased, and de facto "sign it over" practices spread.

There is no way forward that is not eternal chattel slavery as the (possibly indirect) possession of an oligarch OR the utter and comprehensive destruction of great private wealth, world-wide.

Once we've done the later, we can have UBI. But not before.

@scottsantens
A pre-emptive response to a likely counter+opinion: "But then no one will want to work".
Some, but mostly just the ones that won't or can't work now. And basic income will ALLOW some others to work, such as people who now can't afford child or dependent care or who can't afford transport to a job. Or who don't have an address for paperwork or a home where they can shower and rest enough to hold a job. It's mych harder to work if you are very very poor.

@scottsantens Unfortunately politics always seems to get in the way huh? Great idea though!

@scottsantens in a sane world absolutely, except the deathcult plan is to kill as many people as possible to hope to survive in a post-climate world. #Malthusian theory is not new, but it is the majority thinking amongst the psychopaths 1% that have pillaged half of the world’s wealth. The only way for them to continue living with their privileges is to wipe out the rest of us. Unless we treat them for the threat that they are, we are doomed.

@scottsantens People also miss the entrepreneurial facet. Think of all the startups that have a better chance to succeed because the founders aren't struggling to find enough money to eat. If just a fraction of those succeed and become viable businesses, there is a net economic gain and even more ROI.

@scottsantens
Eradicating poverty and breaking the #bullshitjobs cycle would also take all the steam out of far-right extremism.