Andrew Murphy Davis is a young producer of documentaries and network news, who has started The Millennial Project. This project has been developing since 2015 and aims at “activating a unique millennial voice in American politics”.
Andrew, as the main driver behind The Millennial Project, has recently taken an interest on basic income, and released a video about it. This video was accompanied by an article, which defends that the main reason universal basic income (UBI) is nowadays widely discussed and has spurred interest from several public figures, politicians and the wider public all around the world, is related to artificial intelligence. Although this view has been contested, for instance by prominent researchers and basic income activists like Guy Standing, it is a fact that basic income is now ever more present in today’s globalized social debate.
In this short four-minute video, basic income is presented in general terms and contextualized within a reality of growing automation and advances in technologies that “are threatening to put millions of Americans out of work”. This reality has brought fears to many policy makers, predicting skyrocketing unemployment figures, igniting interest for this “once defunct idea of guaranteeing everyone a modest cash income as a basic right”.
Very good video, however, a UBI is not a “basic right”.
Capitalism works extremely well to encourage innovation, economic growth, and efficient resource allocation. The problem is that competition requires that participants have at least basic resources to effectively enter the market. In this sense, available resources cannot be utilized as completely as possible.
The current safety-net is flawed, because “benefit cliffs” dissuade individuals from reaching their full potential, among other problems. Our tax code is too complicated and laden with special gifts for the well connected.
A UBI paired with a simplified tax code will get the most out of capitalism, and while it will probably not reduce income inequality, it can assure that those at the bottom receive a larger share in the benefits of growth.
Income inequality will increase, because of global trends including: AI, communications, networks, financial leverage, and globalization, which will continue to favor those at the top and those with ownership.
Everyone has the rights to the basic needs of life. The Capitalist system works well for those overstuffed avaricious multinationals and their contrivances and manipulation of the political process.
What type of person wants to see any other person struggling through life because there aren’t enough jobs or because they weren’t born with a silver spoon in their mouth??
This capitalist system does not have enough control measures on the filthy rich.
They use the figure millions of jobs being lost when in fact it will amount to billions in a few short years.
Dear Rob,
There have been studies published on this but yes, there is much uncertainty about this.
Best,