In this post the author discusses reasons for adopting a basic income, focusing on a possible implementation in Australia. Momentum is building for a basic income in Australia, and the author is optimistic it could help safeguard Australians from automation and protect them from poverty.
“Cold, Hard Cash: How does free $800 every month sound?”, Newsabe, 2016.
Thoma’s article discusses this year’s World Economic Forum in which serious discussions were held on what society can do to prepare ourselves for technological unemployment. In his article, Thoma mentions a basic income as one such avenue to ensure a basic standard of living for all.
Mark Thoma, “What happens if robots take all the jobs”, CBS News, 21 January 2016.
Wohlforth provides a historical and current look at the Alaska Permanent Fund and all of the advantages it has brought to Alaska. Wohlforth talks through Governor Jay Hammond’s initial decision to enact the Permanent Fund Dividend and highlights how the dividend has helped Alaska achieve the lowest income inequality level in the United States. While some politicians have tried to repeal the dividend, Wohlforth references the massive political backlash that unfolded when such politicians tried to go after the sacred cow in Alaskan politics. Overall, Wohlforth’s article provides a thorough understanding of Alaska’s Permanent Fund Dividend that acts as a basic income.
Charles Wohlforth, “Alaska’s dividends help make us equal and protect our common wealth”
In early February, members of Unconditional Basic Income Europe (UBIE) attended the launch of a new European movement for democracy named “DiEM25” and key speakers like Katja Kipping from the German Left Party and Caroline Lucas from the UK Greens called for a basic income to be one of the key demands for the new movement. Many of those in attendance agreed that UBIE and DiEM25 shared many of the same goals and a basic income could go a long way toward securing social citizenship and a life of dignity for every European.
Read the full press release here.
Kangas’s slideshow, shared by Dylan Matthews from Vox, lays out the plan for the Finnish basic income experiments that should start in 2017. The pilot will last two years and will explore different models like a full basic income, a partial basic income, a negative income tax, and others.
Olli Kangas, “Experimenting Basic Income in Finland”, SlideShare, 7 December 2015.
