[Craig Axford]
SUMMARY: This article states that a universal income would diminish rather than expand individual autonomy. The author argues for “focusing on the liberation of mutual aid” and returning to the development of lodges, fraternities and other civic organizations to escape careerism.
Ryan Calhoun, “The Universal Basic Income: Another Tool for Disciplining the Poor”, Epoch Times, March 23, 2014
Finally, an intelligent and creative anti-BI piece. This article provides an excellent explanation as to why a means-tested guaranteed income cannot stay unconditional, but it confuses universal entitlements with welfare. Yes, working people do resent that people on welfare get money without working. But they do not resent that people who do not work get to go the library for free, get police protection for free, or get a pension when they get old, because they get all of those things as well. A means-tested minimum income could fall prey to the problems in this article. But if the working person knows they receive the same basic income as the non-worker, but they choose or are lucky enough to work and earn more, why would they clamor for conditions on the same basic income that they themselves receive?