mischats @mischats-blog1 - Tumblr Blog

The whole “you have to earn a living” rhetoric is really toxic. Have we considered that maybe, in 2015, basic needs like housing, food, and medicine don’t really need to be “earned” but should, in any reasonably industrialized country, be guaranteed?

les-sacrifies

Oh my god, you spoiled little shits…

“What if people didn’t die because they are poor?”

“OMG you’re so spoiled!!!”

????

You guys don’t understand the kind of economic transformation this world would have to go through for that to happen. Until that magical day (never) comes, get a grip on reality. There’s a difference between thinking poor people deserve to die because they’re poor, and being tired of paying for the healthcare of others when some of us who ARE working for a living can’t even afford to pay for it ourselves.

So you dont think poor people should die for being poor.

You’re just okay with it happening because you are too complacent with the current exploitative and broken economic system to discuss and advocate for anything different?

Let’s see you come up with the economic break through that will suddenly rewire the system and change all of humanity and then fully implement it throughout the world in different economic and social structures. Well?

I didn’t say there was anything wrong with it but people need to take a dose of reality every once in awhile.

The wikipedia article on Basic Income.

The Reddit for Basic Income

Basic Income.Org

Thinking Utopian: How about a universal basic income?

The Economic Case for a Universal Basic Income (Part 1 of a series)

How Universal Basic Income Will Save Us From the Robot Uprising

Basic Income, which is pretty awesome, in fact. You should read up on it.

In fact, some economists theory that a Basic Income system could be cheaper than current welfare systems under the right circumstances. AND studies suggest that systems like this IMPROVE economic activity and LOWER inflation.A study of a pilot project implemented in 2008 and 2009 in the Namibian village of Omitarafound that economic activity actually increased, particularly through the launch of small businesses, and reinforcement of the local market by increasing households’ buying power.[source]

In studies of the Mincome experiment in rural Dauphin, Manitoba in the 1970s, the only two groups who worked significantly less were new mothers, and teenagers working to support their families. New mothers spent this time with their infant children, and working teenagers put significant additional time into their schooling.[source] A final report was never issued, but Manitoban economist Evelyn Forget conducted an analysis of the program in 2009 which was published in 2011.[source][source] In addition, those who continued to work were given more opportunities to choose what type of work they did. Forget found that in the period that Mincome was administered, hospital visits dropped 8.5 percent, with fewer incidents of work-related injuries, and fewer emergency room visits from car accidents and domestic abuse.[source]Additionally, the period saw a reduction in rates of psychiatric hospitalization, and in the number of mental illness-related consultations with health professionals.[source][source]

“In 1982, Alaska began providing a partial basic income annually to all its residents. Until the first dividend, Alaska had a higher rate of inflation than the rest of the United States. But ever since the dividend was introduced, Alaska has had a lower rate of inflation than the rest of the United States. A partial basic income was also provided in Kuwait in 2011, when every citizen was given $4,000. Fears of increasing inflation were rampant, as Kuwait already had high inflation. Instead of bad inflation getting worse, it actually got better, decreasing from record highs to under 4 percent.”[source]

So, ya know. There’s all that.

And no, we can’t INSTANTLY force implementation of this system anywhere or everywhere. But we can, ya know, point out and discuss that our current system is deeply flawed and harmful, and try to bring awareness to better alternatives.

So I didn’t know about that and that’s pretty cool. I was referring more to the top comment of:

“What if people didn’t die because they are poor?”

“OMG you’re so spoiled!!!”

?????

Right?

So, I made a post that said “Hey, wouldn’t it be great if like, people’s basic needs for survival were guaranteed”

Then some ass nugget called me spoiled.

To which I responded with that snarky “?????” comment.

I’m not sure what part of that is confusing you.

People shouldn’t die because they are poor.

Because people often assume that the working people not wanting to pay for other’s Healthcare equates to us saying they should die because they are poor. Because the fact of the matter is we don’t live in that kind of situation. So to those who are willing to go out and earn their livings, yeah, people on the internet saying the things we pay for should just be given can be seen as a little spoiled. Again, that whole reality thing. I’m not sure which part is confusing you.

Because THIS is the reality: The system that we currently have LITERALLY kills people. This “if you can’t work, can’t work enough, can’t find work that pays enough, get injured and sick or have a child and have to stop working or reduce your work load, or work and have too many expenses then you are at risk of dying” is a system that KILLS PEOPLE.

And we shouldn’t just be okay with that. And pointing out that this is fucked up doesn’t make anyone spoiled. It’s a moral obligation to our fellow human beings. Jesus christ.

jenniferrpovey

And the fact that we can’t fix it overnight doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to nudge the world, in baby steps, towards a system that assumes plenty rather than one that assumes scarcity.

And it starts with the toxic rhetoric that poor people are just “lazy” and need to be threatened with death so they’ll better their lives. That giving people “handouts” makes them dependent and incapable of work.

Second to that is the “I shouldn’t have to pay for anyone else” rhetoric.

BOTH of these ideas are being propagated by rich conservatives who benefit from the current system. They know they can’t keep working poor and middle class people from realizing that there is no reason for anyone in our society to be homeless, hungry, or clothed in rags other than to prop up the system.

So they’re trying to brainwash us into thinking the system is okay because well, we need to punish people for being lazy. (In the past, it was drinking too much, and a lot of the rhetoric around drugs also goes into this).

Those of us who are “willing” to go out and earn our livings is part of that toxic rhetoric.

It ignores the basic fact that the amount of labor needed to sustain our civilization is dropping, that there is not enough work to go around.

Here’s the thing, though.

In the current system, we give the means of survival to people who can’t find work, or who can’t find work that pays enough to cover childcare.

In a basic income system, we give it to everyone.

In the current system, we give healthcare to people who can’t afford to pay for it.

In a single payer system, we give it to everyone.

So?

Nobody would be being given what you have to pay for.

People who didn’t work would get enough money to cover food, clothing, shelter and communications (because internet access really isn’t a luxury any more).

People who did work would, you know, get more than that. The incentive would still be there, but it would be a positive incentive “If you want a new computer this year, you need to go do some work” or…whatever it might be that you want that isn’t basic survival.

#econ

I’m watching the Republican debate and Trump oh m y go dddd

“I’ve been in politics my whole life, just on that side.” *points to audience*

Yeah Trump I’ve been a doctor all my life just on that side *points to the patient waiting room*

I can’t f ucking believe. Rand Paul called him out on insulting people for petty things, like a middle schooler, and Trump’s response.

“I don’t recall ever attacking you on your looks, and there’s a lot to talk about there.”

????????????????

“Trump you insult people on superficial things.” “No I don’t also you’re ugly.”

He unironically suggested we let ISIS and Syria kill each other off

Is this–Is this Jurassic World?!?

Donald Trump drinking game: take a drink every time Trump answers a complex, important political question with–

The world doesn’t respect Obama

The world doesn’t respect America

We need to be great again

I’d do it but I don’t wanna die. Someone else take me up on it.

“I respect women.” –Donald Trump

“Look at that face. Would anyone vote for that?” –Donald Trump, about the one woman Republican candidate.

How did this callous lizard man crawl out of the swamp and slither into a suit. Who let this melty slug flop its way onto stage. Isn’t there security at these things?

“I want to build a wall. We have a lot of really bad dudes in this country. They’ve got gangs all over the place.”

I know 12-year-olds more politically informed than this.

“We have to have assimilation! In America we speak English!!”

-lies down- -lies down and cries- -rocks back and forth crying-

Trump, aiming to be surgeon general “Disease is bad! We have to go back to a time when disease wasn’t ravaging this country! Obama let disease happen. I won’t stand by and let Obama turn American into this!”

Trump, aiming to be a Supreme Court judge, “Lawlessness is ravaging this country! Crime is so high! We need to stop judges from letting illegal things happen! Obama did this.”

Trump, aiming for any highly specified and vitally important position, “Vague general angry statement! Blaming Obama! More vague angry noises! I hate women!”