&gt; Not at first.<p>Not <i>ever</i> unless the economy gets incredibly more productive.<p>&gt; Also: Suppose we become unable to support the UBI for some reason and have to reduce it. How many cities burn as a result? Or do we just not reduce it until society keels?<p>If we can&#x27;t support it, it will reduce itself -- not in nominal terms, of course, but the fact that we can&#x27;t support it means that it will will drive inflation, which will reduce the real value of the set level of basic income.<p>As long as UBI isn&#x27;t pegged to inflation, setting the level too high is self-limiting.<p>&gt; I want to see this work at a smaller scale before I would even remotely support recklessly experimenting with the largest economy in the world with such a fundamental change.<p>The smaller the scale the less well its going to work; it makes more sense to try it at a lower level displacing fewer existing programs than to do it at a smaller scale.