Re:Universal Basic Income and the threat of tyranny
by dragonwriter on Tuesday October 10, 2017 @05:40PM
(#15445541)
> I would assume the burden of proof to be on you (and supporters of UBI) to prove that opposite will happen and people won't just slack off once their basic necessities are covered.
Most people who have the opportunity now don't slack off once their basic needs are covered, though the marginal effort needed to go beyond that is greater than it would be with a UBI. It is UBI opponents who are positing something contrary to all human experience in arguing that people in general would stop seeking improvement in material condition if the marginal cost of that beyond basic survival were reduced by UBI, so I think the burden is on them to, at a minimum, a rationale for believing that to be the case.
Though dealing with concerns like this (which, rational or not, are clearly significant) is among the many reasons why I think a gradual phase-in of universal income, gradually phasing out means-tested safety net programs, is better than trying a radical transition.
Most people who have the opportunity now don't slack off once their basic needs are covered, though the marginal effort needed to go beyond that is greater than it would be with a UBI. It is UBI opponents who are positing something contrary to all human experience in arguing that people in general would stop seeking improvement in material condition if the marginal cost of that beyond basic survival were reduced by UBI, so I think the burden is on them to, at a minimum, a rationale for believing that to be the case.
Though dealing with concerns like this (which, rational or not, are clearly significant) is among the many reasons why I think a gradual phase-in of universal income, gradually phasing out means-tested safety net programs, is better than trying a radical transition.