Clive Menzies -BBC
SUMMARY: The BBC asked four writer to discuss what we should do to renew the capitalist system. One of them, Clive Menzies, argued that the system has become unequal because of priviledged ownership of natural resources, which should be reversed by a Citizens Dividend (a basic income financed by resource and rent taxes). Clive Menzies is a political economist with a background in business and investment management. He founded the Critical Thinking research project at the Free University and is a member of the Occupy London Economics Working Group
Clive Menzies, “Viewpoints: What should capitalism do?” BBC News, 26 May 2014.
“Private capture of the value of land, resources and other commons (such as water, the radio spectrum, genes, nature and knowledge), gifts from nature (or God), the value of which is communally created. The value of these must be shared for the good of all to fund public services and an unconditional citizens dividend.”
I believe the resource values should be solely for the unconditional citizen dividend. If the money is used to fund public services, there will be hardly anything left for a citizen dividend. The Alaska Permanent Fund is a good example. Most of the resource value goes to the state expenses. The Alaska citizen dividend is good, but not enough for even a “basic” income.