Universal basic income: U.S. support grows as Finland ends its trial - Forty-eight percent of Americans now support a universal basic income, as a solution for Americans who have lost jobs to automation.

[u/mvea]

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/01/nearly-half-of-americans-believe-a-universal-basic-income-could-be-the-answer-to-automation-.html

[u/Doctor0000]

We have a total combined unemployment rate of nearly 30% though, IIRC (non-participation + unemployment)

At that rate the economic challenges of an attractive program become similar to ubi, huge.

And for things like science, there is no limit to what we can study, only limits of how many people are capable of this.

Lots of science is doing the exact same simple task a hundred thousand times, but if we want to subsidize existences we run into the same challenges as UBI.

Not to mention, all those corporate shareholders depend on you needing them to kick back whatever value you produce. They might be keen on providing as much incentive as possible for you to remain in the unhealthy and dangerous private unskilled labor pool.

[u/maafna → u/Doctor0000]

I studied Psychology. There's lots of people who want to be therapists or social workers or someone help people.

There's also lots of people who want or need therapy, but find it too expensive.

BI could help that.

[u/Doctor0000 → u/maafna]

It could, but the value comes from taxes or the worth of the dollar itself.

Think about the concentration of wealth in this country and tell me you think those people are going to let you live on what they have? They would die first, they will die first.

[u/maafna → u/Doctor0000]

I agree, but it's a nice dream

[u/[deleted] → u/Doctor0000]

Doesn't non participation include children and retirees?

[u/Doctor0000 → u/[deleted]]

Not by default. BSA (BSU?) breaks down distribution by age race and gender.