Contest for Free Entry to Steem Basic Income plus two SBDs.
Hello Steemit, been on the platform a bit over a month now and have yet to do a contest. So here it is. I want to join the Steem Basic Income project, and as their rules say I need to sponsor somebody, send over one Steem, then we are both in. So I thought I would run a contest to choose a person to sponsor. I will also throw in two SBD’s. I will also give two SBDs to the second-place winner.
So just to be clear:
First prize: free entry to Steem Basic Income plus two SBDs
Second prize: two SBD’s
Altogether four SBDs I’m giving away, a little less than the money you see in the picture for this post I know.
Your Task
Write in three sentences or less why you think a universal basic income is a good idea. You can write why you think it’s a bad idea if you want to, but you probably won’t win because it is my contest and I think it’s a great idea! Unless you write something really convincing.
I will go first. ‘I think improving artificial intelligence and robotics is going to take over a huge number of jobs. I know in the past that new innovations usually created more jobs than they eliminated, but I’m not convinced that is going to be the case this time. Unless we want to see the world’s first trillionaires standing on top of a pile of the unemployed we need a universal basic income. ‘
Feel free to write funny answers, serious answers, about your families, your countries or yourselves.
Write your answers in the comments, I will pick the winners on this Sunday, 13 May.
Update Sunday 13 May
Time to announce the winners of the competition.
It was difficult for me to choose the winners, a lot of people entered and there were many good answers. Here are the criteria I used to choose the winners:
Criteria 1: Stick to the three sentence limit. There were some very well written longer answers, but for awarding the prizes I only considered the ones within this limit.
Criteria 2: Make strong arguments including some more original ones that most people didn’t think of.
Criteria 3: Answer is well written and structured, author obviously put some thought and effort into it.
Here are the two answers I chose:
Second place was the15minutementor
‘With the Internet-Of-Things coming, and with the further use of robotics, I see two things need to happen: a) either individuals will need to own robots, responsible for their maintenance for a share of their output, or b) individuals will need an universal income based on the output of machines. However, individuals still need to pursue a passion; otherwise, they will fail to contribute to the arts, humanity, or the benefit of themselves. The power to earn any type of income empowers man to invent, learn, and better his community.’
The winner was agmoore
‘The temptation is to start with a moral argument, but this appeal has never been persuasive to those at the top of the income stream, so we have to address self-interest (of the wealthy). Gross inequality destabilizes governments (see: French and Russian Revolutions), and leads to economic stagnation. A Universal Basic Income will put money in consumers' hands, thus fueling the economy and encouraging civic order.’
Hope you enjoyed the competition. I plan to run some more in the near future, prizes will be a little increased next time. If you are interested, please subscribe to be notified!
I won a contest two months ago and the reward was a @steembasicincome and that was my first time of seeing us, I was curious and goggled it out and was amaze at the Innitiave behind it, this idea pays you for life for the work done on Steemit, Minnows are fed there daily bread with this little income for life.
This also encourages many to contribute more to the Steemit community, it inspires you to write and above all makes you also to think of other ways you can help the community, if someone could think of @steembasicincome then you all can think of another greater things for all mankind.
If we don’t need to fight for survival we can devote more time to creating useful things and building a community. I’m also really happy to see this on Steemit.
Having a universal basic income is a great start to ensuring equality and equity in all aspect finances. If we all earn the same flat rates, there won’t be societal differences and as such societal vices such as crimes will be eliminated.
A lot of crime occurs because of poverty, that's for sure
Besides what you mentioned regarding AI and automation taking jobs away, it is a great priority of any nation to ensure priority to peace in the region. So rather than accumulating wealth, a universal basic income to all common citizens will avoid unrest in the countries.
This reminded me of the French Revolution. The Royal family spending the country's money on decorating their palaces while average people were starving
I was just thinking about this on my ride home today so I am happy to put some thoughts about this on paper.
I do not think a universal basic income is a good idea; I think it is a necessary change to the way we are doing things now. I think there needs to be a restructuring or perhaps an influx of new companies across all industries which are not for-profit, but for-the-people; profits would be spread across workers and communities where they operate. My school district where I'm from is going thru extreme budget difficulties right now as are districts across the country, and residents of my city are still complaining that our property taxes are too high, which they are very high. So where are we going to get this money from? Why doesn't the local Walmart and other businesses that operate in the city help with the schooling and infrastructure of the city they are making record profits in. I agree that more taxes are bad for those who earn for little, but for a cooperation, it is not a person who you are hurting. Maybe the executives, but fuck them. They need to spread the wealth, that is where the money can come from. If Walmart doesn't want to contribute to local schooling and infrastructure than force them to leave somehow legally so mom and pop stores can take its place. This is just an idea I had today, but I am absolutely sure that there exists a system where we can truly be FREE. America represents freedom. Freedom to what, work like a slave and still not be able to make it? This needs to change and I believe strongly that we need to take after Robinhood and take matters into our own hands. It is us against them. Wealth and greed go hand in hand and that mentality needs to change.
I know its more than 3 sentences, I already tried to enroll in steembasicincome but never received anything yet or a confirmation I can recall so I'm not really sure how that works.
I have a vision of somehow innovating a UBI outside of the government, with contributions from all and contributions to all, so we all can live the life we want to, without having to work menial or degrading jobs because we are forced to. In a system where these degrading jobs were only filled by people that WANTED to be there, they would be forced to pay much much more. I don't think someone scrubbing toilets should make $7.25 an hour while some guy in a desk gets to sit on reddit for 5 hours a day getting paid $30 an hour. It should be the opposite.
Walmart is actually a great example. The Walton family (which owns Walmart) is worth $170 billion. Meanwhile thousands of people in the same country are dying from lack of healthcare. I’m a believer in capitalism, but that situation can’t be the best way of doing things. This one family could almost finance a universal basic income in America by themselves!
It is surely not the best way of doing things. I watched a great documentary call The Four Horsemen the other day I highly suggest it.
@flyyingkiwi - Thank you for the contest. UBI is an interesting topic deserving lots of debate. Here are my 3 lines below -
“A lot of crime is committed out of need or necessity, UBI would help eliminate this, making our lives safer. In a world of rising and falling, and sometimes collapsing economies, UBI would help to stabilize economies by providing a constant source of citizen/consumer value-flow back into the economy, a form of value re-cycling. UBI would assist to elevate the human mind and spirit to seek higher good, because when people have little or nothing, they are reduced to anxious struggles to survive, and have little time or motivation to consider the wider world and the future of coming generations.”
I think that the economic argument for UBI ( the way it boosts an economy through increasing consumer spending) might in the end be the strongest argument, as everyone benefits from it, even those at the top.
Thank you for the feedback. My thoughts as well, everyone benefits.
It's a good thing. But the question is can it be done. In poor countries like mine it's never possible.
True. It can only be implemented when a country is rich enough. If artificial intelligence and robotics does continue to improve at current rates, more and more countries will reach a level of wealth where it is possible.
I think that #steembasicincome is a great way to support artist , authist & all creative folks out there, providing content for steem.
With the Internet-Of-Things coming, and with the further use of robotics, I see two things need to happen: a) either individuals will need to own robots, responsible for their maintenance for a share of their output, or b) individuals will need an universal income based on the output of machines. However, individuals still need to pursue a passion; otherwise, they will fail to contribute to the arts, humanity, or the benefit of themselves. The power to earn any type of income empowers man to invent, learn, and better his community.
The need to earn a living provides everyone with a sense of purpose to some degree. If you take that away some people will respond by becoming lazy, unmotivated and unhealthy. It’s a major argument against a universal basic income. One answer is as you said, finding a passion to pursue. That does require some initiative however.
I think that Universal Basic Income would help many people - especially the ones who just starting their adult lifes, to help them easier find their way to happy life, because they could spend more time educating and making decisions what they would like to do in life, they also wouldn't affect so much stress and insecurity related to forced job / unwanted work / employment took from them by more effective robots.
I believe that, as a result, this may not only increased willingness to work and self-development, but also reduce social inequalities, which could result in a greater flow of funds, and thus to the economic growth of the country 👍🔝👌
However I consider, that such additional income should be adequately monitored so that it does not trigger or strengthened bad behaviors in society.
Good point about having the extra security early in life. I think it’s good for young people to take a year off after university and go travelling or something like that. A lot of people don’t get the chance to do that because of pressure to find a job.
Yeah, you're right. Such a trip can be very educative too, because travel broadens our horizons. But it would also help people who for various reasons can't count on the support of their family. I think that thanks to #UBI people could live calmer and happier lives.
Universal Basic Income is a great idea because everybody alive should have access to food and shelter.
Agreed. Some countries do have social systems that provide those things but most don’t.