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A comment on Trends that will create demand for an Unconditional Basic Income. Parent comment

Re:Trends that will create demand for an Unconditional Basic... by mncolinlee on Thursday July 11, 2013 @04:27PM (#6028985)
Most of us have a representative system of government, not a purely democratic system. The problem with your thesis is that reality has not presented many examples where deep cuts have not been enacted. Austerity and Social Security cuts are common from elected politicians.

The parent idea reminds me of a certain system advocated by Thomas Paine, the famous American revolutionary who came up with a more liberal ideal of Social Security which offered every child a natural inheritance on coming of age. He suggested this in addition to subsidies for old age. Ironically, this is the same guy Tea Party members love to quote when they disparage taxes.

His pamphlet, Agrarian Justice, is well worth a read.

http://www.ssa.gov/history/paine4.html

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Re:Trends that will create demand for an Unconditional Basic... by jerf on Thursday July 11, 2013 @04:44PM (#6029099)
"Austerity and Social Security cuts are common from elected politicians."

Because a non-trivial percentage of the population wants them, whether or not you agree with them. Who's going to vote to receive less money?

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Re:Trends that will create demand for an Unconditional Basic... by chez17 on Thursday July 11, 2013 @05:56PM (#6029527)
That's like asking why are taxes above 0%? There are plenty of rational people who understand what it takes to have a successful modern society. Looking at the current US feelings on money and welfare, do you really think that if this was done we would err on the side of too much assistance? I would bet it would be barely livable at first.
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Re:Trends that will create demand for an Unconditional Basic... by ahoy on Thursday July 11, 2013 @05:09PM (#6029246)
Plenty of people, if it also means their tax rate becomes lower. Or anyone who makes enough money that their tax burden is greater than the UBI.
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