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RE: My Response to the Atlantic's The Curse of Econ 101
Excellent. I think the same. The labour market is no different from any other market in that it requires at least two parties to disagree on the value of the commodity (time, labour) and agree on the price (wage). If unfair wages exist, it's because people agree to work for those wages. However, if you're desperate to eat, you may have no choice. If there was a universal basic income, anyone entering a contract of employment would be completely voluntary and not out of desperation. Though I may have a simpleton's understanding of a complex problem.
This is, indeed, the crux of the problem. A UBI done via the blockchain might help solve this. I don't trust governments to manage programs like this. If work was about getting more beyond the basics of what you need, work would be much more voluntary. Unfortunately, we as a species continually change our expectations and what we consider "basics" for survival. It's not just food, shelter, clothing, and a means of transportation. Now it's healthcare, Internet, a nice TV, eating out once in a while, etc, etc.