Posted on 01/02/2017 10:56:17 AM PST by Olog-hai
Finland has become the first country in Europe to pay its unemployed citizens a basic monthly income, amounting to €560 ($587), in a unique social experiment which is hoped to cut government red tape, reduce poverty and boost employment.
Olli Kangas from the Finnish government agency KELA, which is responsible for the country’s social benefits, said Monday that the two-year trial with the 2,000 randomly-picked citizens who receive unemployment benefits kicked off Jan. 1.
Those chosen will receive €560 every month, with no reporting requirements on how they spend it. The amount will be deducted from any benefits they already receive.
The average private sector income in Finland is €3,500 per month, according to official data. …
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
So, if you work off the books in Finland you get $587 in beer money? Cool!
So, if you work off the books in Finland you get $587 in beer money? Cool!
Let me guess:
Another scheme to pay “migrants” to outbreed their citizens?
OOPS!
The result in one tribe I have some knowledge of is that the Native kids rarely even graduate from high school. The girls start having kids in their teens, which adds to their income. It doesn't have the positive effect these socialists think it will.
They can probably assume a steady percentage of welfare cases. Might save money in the long run on beauracracy and overhead. Recent immigration problems aside, this is a controlled experiment. Glad it’s them trying it first though, and not us.
It’s only an experiment with 2,000 Finns for 2 years.
You probably have to speak Finnish to apply for the assistance and that is no easy language to learn.
Not sure why you think all Finns are on drugs or booze.
Finland is not part of Scandinavia.
Ever since the Soviets took them over in 1939, the Finns have done bizarre things. Maybe Putin should declare their freedom again.
A guaranteed income is probably better than the current welfare system with a gazillion govt employees living off the government poverty industry. But the massive goverent employee system must be ended with it. As well as ending all other government subsidiaries; food stamps, free this free that, which keeps the socialists in power. A simple system based on income tax return, direct deposited monthly. Otherwise this massive government welfare poverty industry system will just continue to grow and empower the socialists in politics.
If anyone thinks the welfare system can just be ended by politics with the massive unemployment numbers we have and the coming robot implementation of all employment sectors is dreaming.
Finns are Asiatics, not Scandinavians, but people glancing at the map think all four peninsulas are Scandinavian.
Automating technology makes it unavoidable. Driver-less tech can get rid of all transport operators in the next 2-3 years. That is 5-6% of the workforce right there.
[Driver-less tech in the next 2-3 years]
Driver-less tech is 200 years in the future. You may wish to begin reading about science.
Nuclear fusion is 20 years away, again and again.
Every sci fi movie is off by 100s of years.
Driver-less tech is not even proven feasible yet.
From the article: “the selected persons would continue to receive the 560 euros even after receiving a job”
This is an experiment where the money goes to 2000 randomly selected citizens. They keep getting it even if they get a job. Currently many people there and here in the US do not accept work that causes their unemployment benefits to be diminished.
In Texas you can earn a certain amount without losing unemployment benefits, so the money can serve to help someone who is underemployed as well.
The biggest problem with money from the government (after government incompetency) is that it is almost always means-tested.
What would happen if the only qualification for any government benefit is that you are a citizen?
While that alone would not eliminate government waste, it might go a long way.
“Driver-less tech is 200 years in the future. You may wish to begin reading about science.”
Try 10 years.
Today, there are ports where shipping containers are unloaded and sorted with zero human intervention. It’s 100% automated.
Robotics, AI, and similar technologies are getting pretty close to, and in some cases have exceeded, many sci-fi predictions.
The biggest obstacle to self-driving cars being on the road immediately is not even road conditions. It is human drivers.
This is NOT even a technological challenge. That part is 98% solved, door-to-door. It is a regulatory challenge to accommodate human drivers.
As Elon Musk said, eventually, human drivers will be illegal.
Where do you see horse-drawn carriages on the roads today?
Since most socialists are in favor of “abolition of the family”, a preponderance of teen births out of wedlock is “positive” to them.
Nope; Musk is wrong.
Even if it never becomes illegal, a car with a driver's interface may not be available to buy. Or operator's insurance would be $1000 per month. Either way, the effect would be the same.
Then nobody would buy those cars.
I prefer manual transmission vehicles. So do lots and lots of other people. But we are getting older and fewer cars every year offer the feature. Kids today don’t learn on them. Very soon they will be gone.
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