Steven Shafarman has just published a new book titled “Basic Income Imperative”. The sub-title points to some of the expected results of basic income implementation, according to him: peace, justice, liberty and personal dignity. Shafarman, author of three other books (Awareness Heals, Healing Politics and We The People), defends the basic income concept in this new book, in an approach centered on the individual. “What do you want for your kids and grandkids?”, “What will you do with a basic income?”, Can you see how this might lead to rapid progress on the issues you care about, like hunger, homelessness, health care, education, democracy, social justice, climate change or peace?” are some questions the book poses, and hints at possible answers, looking further into the future.
In Basic Income Imperative, after a presentation of the basic income concept, precedents are also described, such as the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend. It goes on with explaining how it could be implemented, and what it could represent as a changing factor to political landscapes. According to Shafarman, a life member of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN), basic income may be a key policy to achieve “meaningful progress on health care, tax reform, global warming, immigration, national security, and other issues”.
More information at:
Steven Shafarman, “Basic Income Imperative: for peace, justice, liberty and personal dignity” (on Amazon)
Basic Income Imperative book website
Remove most of the welfare programs, and replace Social Security with a private IRA which people could invest how they see fit, or spend as a UBI when needed, or use for collateral on a mortgage, etc. would prevent people from having children for receiving welfare… which is the core of why we need to reform welfare, in addition to inevitable future automation. The welfare system is not to help society so much as it is to create hundreds of thousands of jobs for the administrative worker who has no skills beside paperwork. A UBI has to be done in terms of welfare and pension reform so it doesn’t sound socialistic, and should be a small amount, about $500 USD/month, in order to get bi-partisan support. Everyone between 21 – 65 getting $500 a month would cost 1.3 trillion per year. Once it’s proven to reduce crime and improve the economy, then it can be expanded.