I can&#x27;t take this seriously.<p>&gt;(Questions about how a program like this would affect overall cost of living are beyond our scope, but obviously important.)<p>No, that&#x27;s not just &quot;obviously important&quot;.  It&#x27;s practically the <i>ONLY</i> thing that&#x27;s important.  If basic income raises the cost of living to the point where it negates the effect of having it, then basic income is meaningless.<p>Here&#x27;s your study.<p>1) Bring one piece of candy into an elementary school class.<p>2) Ask all the kids what they&#x27;ll do to get that piece of candy.<p>3) They&#x27;ll pretty much do anything.<p>4) Next, bring bags of candy into another elementary school class, give one bag to each student.<p>5) Now brandish a piece of candy and ask what they&#x27;ll do to get it.<p>6) They&#x27;re pretty much ignoring you at this point.<p>Money has no value without scarcity and work has no value without ownership of it&#x27;s rewards.<p>Basic income makes money less scarce and (to pay for basic income) steals from people who work.