by Craig Axford | Nov 27, 2013 | Research
Giving new meaning to "the check's in the mail." (Courtesy Shutterstock)
[Craig Axford]
In this opinion piece, Keith Wagstaff states that Switzerland will be the first developed nation to adopt a basic income guarantee (BIG) should voters there approve it. If that happens, Wagstaff argues it may force other countries, including the United States, to begin giving BIG another look. Though this is an approach that draws support from both the right and the left, according to the author, it would be impossible to get a BIG proposal through the current Congress.
Keith Wagstaff, “Why the US government should send you $3000 for doing nothing”, The Week, November 14, 2013: https://theweek.com/article/index/252828/why-the-us-government-should-send-you-3000-for-doing-nothing
by Karl Widerquist | Nov 26, 2013 | Research
Skidelsky
British Politics and Policy at LSE, “Five minutes with Robert Skidelsky: ‘Capitalism is a means to an end, the end being lifting humanity out of poverty in order to enable it to lead the good life,’” British Politics and Policy at LSE, November 7, 2013.
by Karl Widerquist | Nov 26, 2013 | Research
This article discusses the extremes of global wealth inequality and connects the issue with basic income and related policies.
Tax Justice Network via Our Kingdom
Stuart White, “Citizen ownership: the lost radicalism of the centre?” Our Kingdom, 8 November 2013.
by Yannick Vanderborght | Nov 26, 2013 | Research
ABSTRACT: Since the launch of the referendum on an Unconditional basic income (UBI) in April 2012 a lively debate is being held on the possibility of a society with UBI. The proposal to introduce a basic in- come without means-testing receives strong support as well as strong opposition. How can this be explained? Recently, a study run by a master student at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland and a research group based at ETH Zurich tried to answer this question. The results of the online survey show that there is a link between an individual’s position towards the UBI on the one hand, and his/her understanding of justice and his/her personal life goals on the other hand. Supporters of the UBI consider equality in society important, whereas non-supporters of the UBI tolerate inequalities between individuals if they are based on personal achievement. With regard to life goals, supporters rate community and personal growth as more important than non-supporters who rate wealth and image as more important. However, both supporters and non-supporters report intact social relationships and personal growth as their most important life goals.
In German with summaries in English, French and Italian.
Ketterer, H., Bossard, E., Neufeind, M., Wehner, T. “Gerechtigkeitseinstellungen und Positionen zum Bedingungslosen Grundeinkommen. [For and against the unconditional basic income: a matter of differences in justice attitudes and life goals?]” Zürcher Beiträge zur Psychologie der Arbeit Zürcher. Issue 2, 2013
by Karl Widerquist | Nov 25, 2013 | Research
Matthew C. Klein, “Why Work If a Machine Takes Your Job?,” Bloomberg, Nov 13, 2013.
If this is what the future looks like, who is going to have a job? Photographer: Vladimir Weiss/Bloomberg New
by Karl Widerquist | Nov 25, 2013 | Research
This article briefly surveys the history of the basic income idea from the early Islamic period to modern Switzerland.
Brian Merchant, “Guaranteeing a Minimum Income Has Been a Utopian Dream for Centuries,” Motherboard, November 15, 2013.
From Flikr via Motherboard