Re:Amazon axes 16,000 jobs as it pushes AI and efficiency
by WalterBright on Wednesday January 28, 2026 @08:46PM
(#46804621)
The math doesn't work out for UBI.
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Re:Amazon axes 16,000 jobs as it pushes AI and efficiency
by cptroot on Wednesday January 28, 2026 @11:05PM
(#46805693)
Would you like to elaborate why the math doesn't work out? An article explaining your position would be nice, but I'd settle for some broad gestures.
Re:Amazon axes 16,000 jobs as it pushes AI and efficiency
by WalterBright on Wednesday January 28, 2026 @11:44PM
(#46805891)
342,000,000 people in the US. Multiply by $10,000/yr.
Cost of UBI: 3,420,000,000,000
Where is $3.5 trillion going to come from?
Re:Amazon axes 16,000 jobs as it pushes AI and efficiency
by izacus on Thursday January 29, 2026 @07:37AM
(#46809362)
From cancelling pointless military projects?
Re:Amazon axes 16,000 jobs as it pushes AI and efficiency
by WalterBright on Thursday January 29, 2026 @10:03AM
(#46811136)
The entire defense budget is $874b.
As I remarked, the UBI math doesn't work.
Re:Amazon axes 16,000 jobs as it pushes AI and efficiency
by jack_h on Thursday January 29, 2026 @04:00PM
(#46816514)
UBI would be pure deficit spending which would basically double it. Our interest is already the #2 federal outlay at $1 trillion (defense is #5 last I heard) and we're already in fiscal dominance. So the end result is UBI would trigger much higher inflation which would make those UBI checks worthless.
Re:Amazon axes 16,000 jobs as it pushes AI and efficiency
by boh144 on Thursday January 29, 2026 @09:13AM
(#46810463)
From corporate profits, which should be rising from labor cost cutting? Ultimately if the pie is growing and accruing to a few organizations, then either we create new wealth transfer mechanisms (progressive tax codes being one such previous example) or become a feudal society, which will probably stagnate.
Re:Amazon axes 16,000 jobs as it pushes AI and efficiency
by joquarky on Wednesday January 28, 2026 @09:08PM
(#46804829)
UBI will become at least as complicated as federal taxes. Perverse incentives will creep in.
Re:Amazon axes 16,000 jobs as it pushes AI and efficiency
by WalterBright on Wednesday January 28, 2026 @10:05PM
(#46805245)
Paying people to not work will never work.
Re:Amazon axes 16,000 jobs as it pushes AI and efficiency
by stonogo on Wednesday January 28, 2026 @10:35PM
(#46805485)
It's working in the farm bills for a hundred years.
Re:Amazon axes 16,000 jobs as it pushes AI and efficiency
by WalterBright on Thursday January 29, 2026 @02:23AM
(#46806885)
Paying people to not work accomplishes what?