Basic Income Research Proposal
Basic Income is often proposed in conjunction with cutting basic social services &amp; welfare payments, thus achieving a net gain for the government. This seems to make it attractive to both the neoliberals and the neosocialismés, but I believe this is a terrible mistake that will have the exact opposite effect to what its supporters intend - there will be <i>more</i> poverty and debt slavery, not less. (Methodology debates aside, I generally think both sides want people to propser &amp; be happy).<p>My proof is by example through thought experiment: I&#x27;m a grad student who has a bicycle accident. Without free gov healthcare I now must go into debt to either the hospital or a lender (medical purchases are just one example of an essentially non-negotiable expense). Perhaps I already had other debts, but somehow now my interest payment + living expenses payments are more than my basic income, otherwise known as the normal life of a grad student in todays society anyway - in my case BI didn&#x27;t work. This is just one example of how easy it is to slide back into poverty with such a system, it could occur slower and over a few generations but sooner or later poverty is back. We just pushed the goal posts back a little bit.<p>Instead I believe we should leave our dealings with money to the marketplace, but should definitely act as a society to provide a good life for all citizens by seeing that their basic <i>needs</i> are met. Make free public housing that all citizens have a right to ask for. Provide basic but nutritious food to the populace, for free. Encourage free markets and capitalism, but see that the basic needs of every citizen are met - and perhaps a little power in the marketplace i.e. money is also a basic need, but its still only one of many. &quot;If they didn&#x27;t already exist, people would think public libraries were the most radically extreme socialism&quot;.<p>For these reasons, the growing popularity of BI is worrysome to me. It&#x27;s just neoliberalism made pallitable by a once-in-every-few-generations wealth transfer.