The guaranteed minimum income is one of the few socialist ideas I can't disagree with. The argument in my mind goes something like this.
Socialism is bad because something is taken from one person and given to another person. Real attempts at socialism have failed because it takes things from people, and some people don't like that. Historic improvements in production and labor have caused prices to drop. Further improvements to production and labor will cause prices to drop further. Labor improvements will continue by replacing people with robots. Further improvements to labor from robots will be past on to the consumer and business owners. When prices approach zero, improvements to labor will only go to owners, not labor or consumers. At this point, a guaranteed minimum income could make sense because the labor taken comes from the robots, which would not care.
If the Swiss pass the guaranteed minimum income, then I would only agree with it if it took into account the contribution robots and automation have caused in the displacement of labor, and the value each person should receive should be based on that amount. I'd also have to include a reduction of the number of hours in the workweek due to the improvements in production and labor.
One thing I don't like about the guaranteed minimum income is that the voting bodies will try to make it 100% of the minimum cost necessary to cover living expenses. In my opinion, it should be viewed more like a dividend on improvements of production and labor. That dividend could be 103% of the minimum cost necessary to cover living expenses, or it could be 3%. It should not be correlated with a cost of living. Doing so would result in taxes on other people.
That's a pretty good list, but the commentary indicates an aversion to freedom which is very, very depressing. Unless of course the site has become a hotbed of trolls.
The guaranteed minimum income is one of the few socialist ideas I can't disagree with. The argument in my mind goes something like this.
ReplyDeleteSocialism is bad because something is taken from one person and given to another person. Real attempts at socialism have failed because it takes things from people, and some people don't like that. Historic improvements in production and labor have caused prices to drop. Further improvements to production and labor will cause prices to drop further. Labor improvements will continue by replacing people with robots. Further improvements to labor from robots will be past on to the consumer and business owners. When prices approach zero, improvements to labor will only go to owners, not labor or consumers. At this point, a guaranteed minimum income could make sense because the labor taken comes from the robots, which would not care.
If the Swiss pass the guaranteed minimum income, then I would only agree with it if it took into account the contribution robots and automation have caused in the displacement of labor, and the value each person should receive should be based on that amount. I'd also have to include a reduction of the number of hours in the workweek due to the improvements in production and labor.
One thing I don't like about the guaranteed minimum income is that the voting bodies will try to make it 100% of the minimum cost necessary to cover living expenses. In my opinion, it should be viewed more like a dividend on improvements of production and labor. That dividend could be 103% of the minimum cost necessary to cover living expenses, or it could be 3%. It should not be correlated with a cost of living. Doing so would result in taxes on other people.
ReplyDeleteThat's a pretty good list, but the commentary indicates an aversion to freedom which is very, very depressing. Unless of course the site has become a hotbed of trolls.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Voting,
ReplyDeleteJesse Ventura and Howard Stern for President 2016.
What is your opinion Cappy?
"Does your ideology believe that humans are inherently weak?"
ReplyDeleteSorry that's dead-true. People are inherently weak, but only through things like experience & adversity are they made strong.