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RE: Mark Zuckerberg: Free Money for Everyone (A Mark Dice Roast!)
Hi mobbs, thanks for the reply. I think there is enough evidence to show that socialism does not work - and universal income is simply socialism. And doesn't happiness come from an improving life - how can your life improve under a 'universal income' system - it can't. It will go backwards . SK.
It seems like that would be the case, but the evidence goes the other way.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/2017/0301/Guaranteed-paycheck-Does-a-basic-income-encourage-laziness
I mean, it's not actually socialism. People often demonize socialism, like currently in the UK with Corbyn becoming prime minister, Bernie Sanders as President, but that's not what they are doing. They take socialist values that work best in a democratic society - Health care, education, higher minimum living standards. I think in a thriving society, a minimum living standard that is higher than 'homeless and might as well be dead', is only going to encourage people to go higher. They are in a position of security and can focus more on goals and ambition rather than selling things off to pay for food for their kid. And this is exactly what people tend to do.
Along with the evidence above, anecdotally, my sister, who has struggled to survive most her life but now, diagnosed with a health disorder, has a more sustainable amount of welfare money. What happened next? She looked for volunteer work first, then she went to college and now she's preparing to either work full time in pharmaceuticals or go to University to study medicine and neuroscience of some sort. She could never do that if she stays asleep 14 hours a day because it helps her feel less hungry when she has no money for food.
It's probably the case that we aren't ready for it just yet, even America and Switzerland, but I think it's an inevitable part of societal progression. Zuckerberg is just thinking ahead
I am confused by your second sentence re the prime minister and president.
Setting this aside, I appreciate what you are saying mobbs and the personal example gave. However in the end someone else is paying for me - and this is socialism. So let me now quoting another UK Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher in saying...
"The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money."
SK.
Yeah it's a famous quote. But again, it's not really socialism in any way that we don't already live. That's what tax is. We pool money together via tax and it goes towards what we need. This idea is just pushing that idea a little further when we are wealthy enough. We already have welfare, for example.
By UK prime minister, I mean, Jeremy Corbyn who is campaigning to be prime minister currently, is always 'accused' of being a socialist, because he wants things like 'free education', 'improve the national health service' 'more police on the streets', 'higher minimum wage'. It's simply making better use of the tax being paid already, it's not forcing everybody to convert to communism.
Anyway, I see a lot needs to be ironed out with the idea too, so I guess only time will tell. Good discussion!
There is already enough tax money coming into the system in the U.S. to be able to pay for a universal basic income for people here. All we have to do is refocus the money away from killing civilians in the Middle East to helping people here at home.