&gt; For examples of the atrocious consequences of &quot;basic income&quot; divorced from free markets, see the Soviet Union, East Germany, Red China<p>What are those atrocious consequences?  For Russia? First satellite in space?  First man in space?  Or do you mean for the PRC, run by the standing committee of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China?  Which is currently the second largest economy on earth (in some measures the first)?<p>What are those atrocious consequences?  If you want to mention eggs broken along the way, remember to mention those of the US (extermination of the Indians, slavery, company towns etc.) or England (from the siege of Drogheda to Amritsar), Germany (Sieg Heil!?) and so forth...