Jacob T. Levy. Image source: Cato Institute
[Craig Axford]
SUMMARY: This blog post raises concerns about the feasibility of keeping a unconditional basic income guarantee unconditional for very long.
Jacob T. Levy, “A worry about basic income”, Bleeding Heart Libertarians, March 18, 2014
Will unconditional basic income solve Europe's problems?
[Craig Axford]
SUMMARY: This article contends that technological and economic changes have prevented Europe from solving its unemployment crisis. The continent has a glut of highly skilled and educated workers, but few places to put them. According to the author, an unconditional basic income would enable Europe to utilize its largely untapped human potential in ways it currently cannot, and with growing attention being paid to inequality, it may be getting to close to giving it a try.
Matthew Timms, “Will unconditional basic income solve Europe’s problems?”, World Finance, March 18, 2014
[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
We need not fear him. Photograph: Getty Images.
[Craig Axford]
SUMMARY: With technology increasingly taking the place of unskilled workers in particular, this article argues a basic income guarantee offers a way to provide a universal safety net that will enable us to adjust to the changing relationship between capital and work. The Swiss, the author claims, may be the first country to demonstrate adopting a BIG may be politically feasible.
Raphael Gray, “Learning to Live With Machines: We need to take the idea of a universal basic income seriously”, New Statesman, March 26, 2014
Barbara Jacobson discusses basic income guarantee with World Finance
[Craig Axford]
SUMMARY: In this brief interview Barbara Jacobson, one of the organizers of the European Citizens’ Initiative, explains why a basic income guarantee is good for society as a whole, not just for those struggling to survive on a low income.
World Finance, “Unconditional basic income ‘will be liberating for everyone'”, Youtube, March 24, 2014.
