[2ndDivisionVet]

Reparations by another name.

[80skid]

Soetoro all most pulled it off.

[dfwgator]

Ever hear of inflation?

[Fai Mao]

If I build a factory that is automated to save money and am then taxed at a rate that would allow for redistribution of wealth to workers I didn’t hire then why automate?

[lee martell]

Even the Swiss rejected such a plan of Universal Basic Income. I believe this was last year.
Expect to hear more about it, if we get a Dem President. as they run out of freebies in one area, and create them in another.

[clearcarbon]

"UBI is a system of wealth distribution in which the government provides everyone with some money, regardless of income. "

Unless you have unlimited amounts of income, what happens when you try to do this while allowing unlimited immigration; and what happens to your precious environmentalism, bozo?

[right way right]

Utopia will be so awesome.
We will all get paid in back-rubs.

Pass the bong Obama! People believe this demon.

[seastay]

Hard to believe somebody this stupid could be president

[Pontiac]

Hardly a new idea.

Negative Income Tax .

[dasboot]

Upside: free money!!!

Downside: I become a useless eater.

[BenLurkin]

“There’s a Communist living in the White House”

[Pontiac]

Critics say giving people free money that isn't conditionally attached to work violates the ideal of earning your living.

Some UBI advocates, on the other hand, say the system provides an even stronger American luxury: freedom.

They say it unshackles people from having to make compromises in how they live just so they can survive.

What kind of Freedom is it where your life is dependent on the government?

Are you really unshackled when the government provides your life sustenance?

If you are not providing for your own living through your own efforts and talents if every bite of food that passes your lips is provided to you from the confiscated labor of another man are you a slave or a slaver?

[Valpal1]

This idea was written about by Isaac Asimov in one of his Robot short stories.

AI and robots may very well transition the world from the economy of scarcity to an economy of surplus. Technology makes fewer workers necessary every year.

[weston]

This is just Obama showing off his latest boner.

[Secret Agent Man]

Why work?

In fact, why pay for anything?

[lastchance]

If it replaces the current welfare system it would be a good thing. Also it has to be a set amount that does not increase if you are not working. I’d like to think such a policy would mean that the push to increase minimum wage to the point that people are simply priced out of the job market would stop. But I doubt the Dems and their Union base really care if the job market is closed to a great many people.

[Pollster1]

This is one of the most terrible things that could be done to the poor. It’s fundamentally racist and would by far hurt blacks the most. That’s probably why liberals and socialists support the idea.

[CrazyIvan]

It’s not free. You “earn” it by voting Marxist.

[Bullish]

How did this tool ever rise above janitor?

[Organic Panic]

Anyone here remembered how the statists pilloried Bush for tax cuts that “couldn’t buy a pair of $600 shoes?”

[Cronos]

While I disagree a lot with Obama, on this matter that we will be discussing UBI more and more over the next couple of decades, he is correct. Why?

• Automation, standardization, componentization to the cloud is only going to exponentially increase over the next 4 years
• This is inevitable - all routine jobs -- whether manual or not -- will be automated.
• All the people who promise to bring factory jobs back to the USA are dreaming. Those jobs are gone forever -- not to China, but into ether: the factories may come back to the USA, but the jobs will be automated.
• About retraining people -- this isn't a solution as only I would think 10% of students have this ability. Even in the wider world where routine jobs are automated, 80% of people can only do this type of a job. I don't believe we can help them when jobs get automated, I don't believe they can be re-trained. And even among current students, the same pareto rule -- 80% will be useful for no job.
• This is not reparations as a good chunk of the people who will be jobless will be white -- and old white people
• The savings rate in the USA is pitiful
• Deflation and zero or negative interest rates means that Defined benefits pensions are going to go bankrupt
• at the same time people are living longer -- so people who saved for 10 years of retirement, will live for 25 years of retirement at the very same time that their pensions will be losing money due to zero/negative interest rates

The UBI has one big advantage -- it will keep the masses quiet. This is nothing more than the "bread" in bread and circuses -- the "circuses" is television -- the number of people addicted to that is incredible, I also include Hulu etc. subscribers. These people are Amusing themselves to death

If you have UBI, you keep the 47% to 80% of people with no job, no prospects quiet. They gets their money and their entertainment.

There are other positives also

1. Lesser chances of people lying to get on medicaid etc. - everyone gets this, so less checking up on welfare chears
2. Lesser administration on welfare -- you just give everyone a cheque for X every month, irrespective of anything elsePerhaps even a simpler tax code?

On the negative side,

1. this ends up creating people with zero motivation,
2. more despair
3. more mindless tv-zombies
4. more irreligion -- people worship the state that gives them food for mind and body (but not for soul)

Basically there is a lot to talk about and there will be more and more clamouring for UBI. I'm not convinced either way right now, but I do wonder what happens to the 47% to 80% of people who are going to be redundant for the future...