The thing is, while Iâm sure you could scrape up a few people whoâd be willing to just float by on a guaranteed minimum income? For most people the choice to work would be a no-brainer. âHmmm. I can get by on 33k a year, or I can take that part time job and make 48k⊠enough to move to a better apartment, maybe take the family on vacation. Sold.â Hell, most people would want to work simply because it gives one a sense of dignity and something to do with oneâs time. (Speaking as someone whoâs been unemployed, on extended sick leave, etc. in her time, the boredom and sense of isolation that comes with not having a job is almost as bad as the humiliation of having to depend on other people for oneâs survival.)
And with this system, part-time jobs and ânon-skilledâ jobs would be much more readily available because nobody would need to work two or three jobs just to stay afloat!
Which would ALSO mean that employers and customers couldnât shamelessly exploit employees the way they can today, because if losing a job werenât necessarily a financial disaster, more people would be willing to walk out on jobs where they werenât being treated with dignity.
And if this also applies to students (and it should) then student loans would become much less of a problem, and fewer people would flunk out of school because of having to juggle studies and work.
Far fewer people would be forced to stay with abusive partners, parents or roommates because they couldnât afford to move out.
And the thing is, all those people who suddenly had money? Theyâd be spending it. Theyâd be getting all the stuff they canât afford now - new clothes, books, toys, locally-produced food, car repairs - and with each purchase money would flow BACK to the government, because VAT, also income tax.
The unemployed and/or disabled wouldnât need special support any more - which would also mean the government could fire however many admins who are currently engaged in humiliating - *cough* making sure those people arenât getting money they donât deserve. Same for medical benefits and pensions. And Iâm no legal scholar, but I somehow imagine less financial desperation would lead to less petty crime, and hence less need for police and security everywhere?
TL;DR Doomie thinks this is a good idea, laughs at those who protest.
2087
romaincrisis
turnnoffyourmind
titsay
theartofmadeline
