by Andre Coelho | May 11, 2016 | Opinion
So the basic income implementation process in Namibia was halted1. Is that surprising?
After an amazing effort by minister Zephania Kameeta to get a basic income implementation program for Namibia up to the (minister) council, it was just swept away and replaced by a program intended to alleviate poverty through economic growth. The progressive approach was replaced by the traditional economic orthodoxy of endless growth and continued inequality. This program, named “Harambee Prosperity Plan”, also includes the creation of a food bank and grants for young people conditional on participation in this food bank and a few other community activities.
Let’s not forget that Namibia was one the few places on Earth where a basic income experiment was actually carried out (at Otjivero), and with excellent results. Among the positive results were better nutrition, clothing, and transportation, more savings and a rise in entrepreneurship. You could now be thinking: Ok, so they tried basic income in a pilot project with excellent results, and they had a minister who was a champion of the basic income who could take it on to national-level implementation. So what’s stopping them now? The answer seems simple, but it is also hard to deal with.
The answer is this: big corporate interests need poverty. And it so happens that Namibia has plenty of poor people2. In a recent essay, a tentative connection was established between poverty (in economic terms) and the refusal/denial of the South African government to test for basic income, let alone implement it at the national level. Basically, the argument entails that government officials deny the proven advantages of basic income, delaying its development, to protect corporate interests. These interests profit massively from the cheap labour that a mass of helpless poor people can provide.
The economic structure of Namibia, as related to income, is not much different from the South African, as can be seen in Figures 1 and 2. The similarity is striking, hence the same unwillingness of the Namibian political elite to try out the implementation of basic income, despite all the theoretical and proven practical advantages it provides for the people.
Figure 1 – The spread of households within the income distribution in South Africa, 2008
Figure 2 – The spread of households within the income distribution in Namibia, 2015
A clear image starts to appear. In these countries, poverty is an asset for big industry, which has, to a great extent, bought political power. So what can be done about it? Well, two things can happen: poverty-dependent corporations automate up to a great extent3, and/or Namibians put pressure on their elected officials – through democratic processes – to get basic income implemented, despite the corporate grip on regime politicians. The first one is highly probable, and so we will be watching a fading interest of corporations in financing political power, since with mechanical machines and Artificial Intelligence they can get their way even without resorting to poor human labour. The second one, less likely but entirely possible, may grow from the first one, when political leaders get less engaged with corporate power – and although remaining eager to please them, no longer have the same financial incentive, thus becoming more susceptible to democratic pressures.
Anyway, automation may actually not be a deterrent but rather a spark for some sort of basic income implementation. We seem to be facing a win-win situation for basic income: automation and/or democratic pressures will guarantee that basic income becomes a reality in the next few years in Namibia, and elsewhere. At this point, only ruthless autocratic power can dismiss it and keep it away for much longer. The time for change has come.
More information at:
Claudia and Dirk Haarnann, 2015. “Relief through cash: impact assessment of the emergency cash grant in Namibia”, July 2015
Claudia and Dirk Haarnann, 2015. “Piloting basic income in Namibia – critical reflections on the process and possible lessons”, Paper delivered at the 14th Congress of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) Munich – 14-16 th September 2012
André Coelho, “On why basic income has not yet been deployed”, Basic Income News, 17th March 2016
Notes:
1 – At the beginning of April 2016, the Namibian president presented his state of the nation address as well as the “Harambee Prosperity Plan”, which focuses on combating poverty by the creation of jobs through economic growth, plus the introduction of a food bank.
2 – According to the Republic of Namibia National Planning Commission “Poverty and deprivation in Namibia 2015”, the account for poverty is that 26,9 % of the population lives under the official poverty line.
3 – According the report “Technology at work v2.0”, it is estimated that in countries like Ethiopia the risk of job automation covers 85% of all jobs in the coming decades (other examples like China and India rate at 77% and 69% of automation risk, respectively).
by Andre Coelho | May 10, 2016 | News
Jorge Silva, from PAN, at the event
On the 16th of April 2016, ISCTE – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa hosted an event called “de’Bater de Frente – RBI e Sociedade Civil” (Discussing face-to-face – Basic Income and Civil Society), which joined together activists from RBI Portugal (a BIEN Associate) and several civil society associations, as well as representatives from two Portuguese political parties.
In the event, which lasted for four hours, presentations were made by João Paulo Batalha from TIAC (Transparência e Integridade Associação Cívica (Civil Association for Transparency and Integrity)), Miguel Dias from the LIVRE political party, José Anacleto from OPE (Movimento Outro Portugal Existe (Another Portugal Exists Movement)), Luís Miguel Dantas from PROUTugal and João Miguel from Reagir Social. Also, the Pirate Party (although not formalized in Portugal) and PAN political party were represented by Nuno Cardoso and Jorge Silva, respectively.
Each speaker from each association presented their views on basic income and their particular way of looking at social reality, issues that got plenty of debate time. Although particular views may have differed, it seemed clear that basic income, as a general concept, was welcomed by most present. Closing the session, basic income activists Dario Figueira and António Dores situated the previous presentations within a larger framework, allowing each of these associations to include the promotion of basic income within their own activities, while also organizing events with each other, widely spreading the debate and information about basic income into a true grassroots movement .
More information at:
In Portuguese:
Youtube, “(de)Bater de Frente RBI”, Rendimento Básico
by Andre Coelho | May 1, 2016 | Opinion
Jobs in security are on the verge of obsolescence. Security jobs usually refer to night watchers, guards, soldiers, intelligence officers, police officers and so on. Armies, police, security companies and related industries employ millions of people worldwide, wielding vast amounts of power and influence on society and the natural world. However, and in spite of that, they are doomed. Why? Because people want to be happy and, on the verge of global societal breakdown, are beginning to understand that their happiness is linked to everyone else’s and that this positive state of being is so much better than the ever present fear, uncertainty and isolation. Happy people tend to be fraternal, cooperative and empathetic (and their happiness reinforced by these behaviors), which in the long term means there will be no need for “security” jobs, as we know them today. Much of the violence, war and conflict in the world today stems from the pure need for maintaining these “security” structures, which are ridden with a mentality of war, mistrust and distorted notions of what security means for most people.
But what is a security-specialized mega-entity, which employs dozens of thousands of people (for example the US Army), to do when people seem oblivious of their past importance and meaning and simply do not value them as much (if at all)? It tries to survive. And that may mean resorting to unconventional, radical approaches, such as covertly instigating conflict or actively promoting or supporting entities or actions which lead to scarcity, inequality and fear among people (which are powerful instigators of conflict and violence). That is their mantra as survival strategy goes. But guess what? The worldwide arrival of the basic income is imminent.
Not a novelty in itself, the basic income is arriving now with a renewed strength, strongly linked to values of peace, equality and freedom. Freedom to pursue happiness, to have a share of what should be shared resources, to connect more deeply with other fellow human beings and the natural world. The basic income, besides helping to liberate millions of people from directly and indirectly imposed slavery, also gives a bright opportunity for those strapped to the “security” business to abandon it, now that their hearts are no longer aligned with its associated roles. With less critical mass, fewer incentives and fewer individuals with a war-prone mentality , security entities will crumble.
Now I am not saying many innocent people who are employed by these entities deserve to be miserable – the idea is to protect them from collapse by systems such as the basic income and allow them to finally start doing what they really believe in with their lives. However, only dramatic transformations in our society (which stem from changes at the personal level) will eliminate security entities as we know them. Jobs in security are about to end and that is – given new and refreshed social approaches like the basic income – great news.
by Andre Coelho | Apr 27, 2016 | News
Júlia Pinheiro and guests António Fernandes, António Dores and Florbela Oliveira. Credit to: SIC.
In this 30 minutes talk show, Júlia Pinheiro, a well-known TV host in Portugal, interviews António Fernandes, Basic Income activist at RBI Portugal, and António Dores, sociologist. Economist Florbela Oliveira takes on the skeptic’s role in the conversation, which entirely surrounds basic income, including its definition and implications. After António Fernandes presents basic income as a concept, Florbela questions its financial applicability (who pays for it), and António Dores clarifies that, according to a viability study already developed for the Portuguese situation, it is the beneficiaries themselves who pay for it, through a simple solidarity wealth redistribution scheme.
More information at:
Queridas Manhãs (show by Júlia Pineiro), “Rendimento Básico Incondicional”, SIC, 3rd March 2016
by Andre Coelho | Apr 15, 2016 | News
As expected, European Central Bank (ECB) president Mario Draghi’s visit to Lisbon on Thursday 7th April was welcomed with protests. First at Palácio de Belém (the official presidential premises), and later that day at Largo de São Domingos.
A few dozen protesters were present, answering a call from the political party Bloco de Esquerda, as well as activists from Basic Income Portugal, who held a banner with “QE for the People” written on it.
“QE” stands for Quantitative Easing, which designates the ECB’s stimulus programme by which it injects 60 billion euros per month into financial markets. As a reaction to this programme, more and more are defending the alternative idea of “QE for the People” which is being promoted by a coalition of organisations across Europe. The idea basically consists in redirecting the ongoing money creation of the ECB towards the real economy, for instance as a citizens’ dividend.
Protests have been spurred around the ECB’s QE policy because it has exclusively benefited the financial system (mainly banks), and not those more in need of it, the general population. Draghi has shown an interest in the policy of “QE for the People”, as if money was being (metaphorically) thrown out of a helicopter. However, no such policy has yet come to be, and it would, in effect, mark a reversal of all past ECB monetary policy.
Draghi was invited to Lisbon by the recently elected President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
More information at:
In Portuguese: Sputnik, “Lisboa protesta contra Europa [Lisbon protests against Europe]”, Sputnik Sociedade, April 7th, 2016
Rendimento Básico Portugal Facebook page.
