Finland's result on its UBI experiment: people don't shirk work. And it increases trust, health & wellbeing

submitted by Orangutan from thealternative.org.uk

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[–]Vigte 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Truthfully, I like the idea - I really do - people deserve some help after everything they've been through last 19 years - but it just won't work long-term within the frame work of Darwinian Capitalism.

Lots of articles also talking about how it isn't as great as it seems. There hasn't been enough time to analyze the results, plus the test wasn't long-term enough. Plus the test's publicity and attention may have staved off some of the ill effects - in hopes it happening, let me explain:

In the end the UBI level off at 1$ more than poverty and all the prices will increase, because of a "market flush with cash".

5$ buys you 5, 1$ items.

Suddenly everyone has 6 dollars, an increase of 20%. What are the odds business will hike prices 25% minimum? Quite good I would say - especially for items that people MUST have: food, medicine, etc.

5$, 5, 1$ items 6$, 4, 1.25$ items

As such your 5$ that bought you 5 items, turns into 6$ buying you 4 items.

Now keep in mind this kind of "leap stage" from 5 items to 4, may not occur EVERY "minimum wealth increase" (be it UBI or min. wage increase, etc), but it WILL happen inevitably. Anyone who has seen min-wage increase in their area can attest to this.

Until inflation and unregulated mark up are addressed, this will only lead to more severe exploitation of the population for the profit of "business", just like everything else in this world.

To make it appear good, you probably won't see any of the price increase scam in this experiment (on purpose) - let it become "law" and see how fast that changes, when business is free to fuck you, 21st century style.

I'll eat my own beard if I'm wrong.

[–]JasonCarswell 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Yes and No.

UBI needs to be about much more than just markets, economies, employment, etc etc etc. It needs to be a full spectrum system and it needs to be embraced fully and there need to be protections from naysayers and exploitation, not to mention future cut-offs.

UBI needed to be implemented yesterday everywhere on Earth, but it's also potentially a trap.

UBI in the USA is impossible if they can't even "afford" to provide universal health care like every other civilized nation. Shame.

[–]Vigte 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Exactly - it can be "utopian" or a trap - if implemented today by the people in charge, it'll be a damn trap.

Besides, before even considering UBI, (good people) would have to figure out what a dollar is worth anymore, a country needs to accurately get its M0, M1, M2, M3 sorted the fuck out and figure out a replacement for GDP - then it can start implementing policy.

Until then, obligatory