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What if the government guaranteed you an income?
CNN ^ | April 14, 2014 | David R. Wheeler

Posted on 04/15/2014 3:42:42 AM PDT by kingattax

First, the bad news: Even if the economy improves, middle-class career paths will continue to disappear as globalization and technological innovation render more jobs obsolete.

Now, the good news: The fear, stress and humiliation caused by unemployment (and underemployment) can be alleviated with a simple solution.

And now, the even-better news: This simple solution is starting to find backers on both sides of the political spectrum.

A monthly cash payment to every American, no questions asked, would solve several of our most daunting challenges.

It's called a basic income, and it's cheaper and much more effective than our current malfunctioning safety net, which costs nearly $1 trillion per year.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: communism
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To: kingattax
"The concept of a basic income is not entirely abstract. Several countries, such as Brazil, have achieved notable success with their programs, lifting many people out of poverty. In countries like India, nongovernmental organizations are experimenting with pilot programs in specific areas, with promising results so far."

Seriously? The United States of America should emulate Brazil????????

"Brazil tackling child prostitution for World Cup"

21 posted on 04/15/2014 4:42:41 AM PDT by Sooth2222 ("Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of congress. But I repeat myself." M.Twain)
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To: dforest

For criminals, flouting the rules of society is the point. Positive incentives would have no effect on them. That’s why we have law enforcement and prisons for such people. Some people will never make it in society because they don’t want to be responsible. They need to be locked up. A basic income program is for law-abiding people who want a better life for themselves and their families.


22 posted on 04/15/2014 4:43:47 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: kingattax

Why stop at a free “basic” income? That’s such a puny concept! Instead, let’s make everyone RICH by giving a trillion dollar coin to every adult in the U.S. Then we’d all be rich! And no one would ever have to work again! Since we’d ALL be RICH!

Myself? The first thing I would buy is a pony. And a jet airplane. Oh, and then I would buy the Mona Lisa. And the Broncos. Gosh, I just LOVE being RICH! And not having to work!

BTW, the trillion dollar coins could be made from a base metal like nickle, so they would be cheap to make, and a few extra ones could be minted for the government itself, so taxes could be completely eliminated and yet government could still perfectly function and be debt free to boot! It’s such an elegant solution I don’t know why it hasn’t been implemented yet!


23 posted on 04/15/2014 4:48:43 AM PDT by catnipman (Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!)
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To: kingattax
Even if the economy improves, middle-class career paths will continue to disappear as globalization and technological innovation render more jobs obsolete.

Bullscat right out of the gate! Globalization means an increase in jobs to meet demand in places that didn't previously have something. Further, technological innovation means we need fresh, new minds to adopt, adapt, and innovate new products.

This kid is a leftist flunky. Sadly, I think this is what we should expect in the coming decades as today's youth take on jobs and put the socialist mindsets they learned in high school and college into effect.

I despite liberals.

24 posted on 04/15/2014 4:50:50 AM PDT by rarestia (It's time to water the Tree of Liberty.)
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To: catnipman

“What if the government guaranteed you an income?”........

I’d be on welfare!


25 posted on 04/15/2014 4:51:05 AM PDT by DaveA37
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To: dforest

“With nobody working, nobody producing and making product, how can you guarantee anything?”

Machines are lowing the man hours required to produce. People who own and produce the machined operations are becoming rich.

So what do you do with all the “extra” people who can only do manual labor? You either kill them or you house them. With abortion and welfare, we are doing both.


26 posted on 04/15/2014 4:51:15 AM PDT by varyouga
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To: kingattax

Ridiculous and stupid. Choose the amount to give each person. Say $30,000. Now 30,000 is the new zero. Prices will rise to eat up the new-found money. The amount will have to be raised because of rising prices. Now prices will rise again, and the amount will have to be raised again.

This, like all liberal policies will fail, and liberals will demand a strengthening of the failed policy, which will again fail, leading to a new demand for a strengthening.

Liberals are incapable of seeing the futility of their policies.


27 posted on 04/15/2014 4:56:58 AM PDT by I want the USA back (Media: completely irresponsible traitors. Complicit in the destruction of our country.)
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To: varyouga

OK my friends: What if you had to work a VERIFIABLE 40 hours per week? Those people keep the economy moving-not those construction types that go on unemployment 6 months a year. Anyone working behind a counter on their feet for 40 hours would appreciate recognition for having ‘skin in the game.’


28 posted on 04/15/2014 4:59:26 AM PDT by DIRTYSECRET (urope. Why do they put up with this.)
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To: varyouga

What makes you think this would get rid of abortion and welfare?


29 posted on 04/15/2014 5:01:37 AM PDT by dforest
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To: DIRTYSECRET

Just have congress debate the bottom income EVERY year. Start out with cutting out entire departments and divide the savings among the low income types. Anyone who works less than 40 hours per week can be left out. Offer them 8 hours a week(minimum wage) as Guardian Angels on Saturday nights. The incentive is to find those 40 hours.


30 posted on 04/15/2014 5:04:10 AM PDT by DIRTYSECRET (urope. Why do they put up with this.)
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To: DIRTYSECRET

And what if there is no demand for everyone to work 40 hours a week?

They do create artificial demand by marketing useless junk to people but it is an unnecessary expense of resources.


31 posted on 04/15/2014 5:04:34 AM PDT by varyouga
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To: dforest

It wont.

I said the only options are continue some kind of welfare state or kill them.

Nobody will outright massacre them, so killing is done by encouraging abortion.


32 posted on 04/15/2014 5:07:36 AM PDT by varyouga
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To: varyouga

Well then, this idea of a guaranteed income would do nothing at all to make matters better.

It really is a dumb idea.

A guaranteed income would never be enough to please anyone. Especially those who will never manage thee money they are given.


33 posted on 04/15/2014 5:16:50 AM PDT by dforest
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To: Gaffer

Welfare recipients make roughly 44,000/year. How much more does he want to pay them?


34 posted on 04/15/2014 5:18:08 AM PDT by demshateGod (The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.)
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To: dforest

The only possible argument for this is that it would be far more efficient and less expensive to operate than our current 137 overlapping and redundant welfare programs.

Ultimately some charlatan is going to get him or herself elected on a promise to recreate the WPA.


35 posted on 04/15/2014 5:19:10 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Gaffer

“...they will be coming for your 401K, your IRA, your ROTH IRA, and your savings.”

..And your property. To sell it to the Chinese.


36 posted on 04/15/2014 5:22:07 AM PDT by demshateGod (The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.)
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To: All


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37 posted on 04/15/2014 5:25:08 AM PDT by musicman (Until I see the REAL Long Form Vault BC, he's just "PRES__ENT" Obama = Without "ID")
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To: Buckeye McFrog

I think it would turn into the same thing we would be getting rid of. It would solve nothing.


38 posted on 04/15/2014 5:25:14 AM PDT by dforest
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To: kingattax

I don’t support this, but actually it would be a substantial improvement over what we have now. It would be vastly more efficient than the ridiculous, convoluted welfare state bureaucracy. It’s not really that different from the ‘rebate’ portion of the FairTax, just larger in size. Of course, with our budget it could only function if all other welfare, Medicare, Social Security, etc., were abolished in its favor.


39 posted on 04/15/2014 5:29:07 AM PDT by Sloth (Rather than a lesser Evil, I voted for Goode.)
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To: kingattax

Wow....great idea....

I’d buy myself 10 phoney SS numbers and get 10 incomes...

I’m rich.....

/ S


40 posted on 04/15/2014 5:29:17 AM PDT by Popman ("Resistance to Tyrants is Obedience to God" - Thomas Jefferson)
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