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Re:We're officially launching UBI by shkkmo on Wednesday November 15, 2017 @01:29PM (#15706347)
The post I was responding to wasn't citicizing UBI, but rather criticizing this specific type of program which DOES inject money into the local economy from outside doners.

> And if solving economic problems were as simple as "just take more money from the rich people and give it to the poor people," this problem would have been solved centuries ago.

When in history have we tried anything like UBI? How can we know if it works if we have never tried it?

Re:We're officially launching UBI by moduspol on Wednesday November 15, 2017 @01:34PM (#15706395)
We've provided subsidies and guarantees to try to help poor people and manipulated markets with predictable results countless times. In the US, higher education loans and urban housing are modern day examples of this.

UBI isn't inherently different. It's trying to pretend you can manipulate a market with no detrimental side effects, but it's been tried many, many times.

Re:We're officially launching UBI by shkkmo on Wednesday November 15, 2017 @01:51PM (#15706605)
The whole point of UBI is that markets are being manipulated as INDIRECTLY as possible. You aren't subsidizing people to not work (unemployment benefits), subsidizing people to work (minimum wage), subsidizing particular goods (housing, education loans) or inflating demand for a specific set of goods (food stamps).

You seem to be of the opinion that nothing can be done to eliminate poverty, so why even try?

Re:We're officially launching UBI by moduspol on Wednesday November 15, 2017 @03:59PM (#15707710)
I disagree. It may not be targeted to an industry, but it is a colossal subsidy that will greatly affect markets in a lot of ways.

Plenty can be done to eliminate poverty. I'm confused why you would think large-scale involuntary wealth redistribution is the only way.

Re:We're officially launching UBI by shkkmo on Wednesday November 15, 2017 @04:28PM (#15707992)
> it is a colossal subsidy that will greatly affect markets in a lot of ways

It is, by definition, not a subsidy since it does not target a subset of economic sectors.

> Plenty can be done to eliminate poverty.

Name one means of eliminating poverty without wealth re-distribution or subsidies. The only ones I know of involve sterilizing, deporting, killing or otherwise demographically elminating poor people.

Re:We're officially launching UBI by moduspol on Wednesday November 15, 2017 @04:37PM (#15708061)
It will absolutely subsidize the industries most likely to gain from poorer people having more money. The yacht and high-end watch industries will not benefit while housing, auto, and entertainment industries absolutely will. This is basic common sense.

Nobody's eliminated poverty yet, so it may be impossible. We do have ways of fighting it, though, which can (and does) include charitable giving (note: voluntary) and economic development of areas.

Re:We're officially launching UBI by NeuNeurosis on Wednesday November 15, 2017 @04:29PM (#15708000)
Just to point out this program is not involuntary. All the funds so far as I understand it, have been generated voluntarily.
Re:We're officially launching UBI by moduspol on Wednesday November 15, 2017 @04:37PM (#15708070)
Right--sorry. For clarity's sake, I was referring to actual UBI. For these studies (as far as I'm aware), it's voluntarily collected money from outside the area.