This blog shows how basic income has been dismissed both for being utopian and for being not utopian enough. The author, Peter Frase, is an editor at Jacobin and a Ph.D. student in sociology at the CUNY Graduate Center.
Peter Frase, “Curious Utopias,” Jacobin, May 14, 2013.
Getty Images
[Craig Axford]
Arguing the current safety net is a “messed up” tangle of confusing and poorly managed programs, Rich Smith endorses the basic income guarantee (BIG) as a means of both starting over and eliminating poverty. Citing Alan Sheahen’s recent book on the subject, Basic Income Guarantee: Your Right to Economic Security, Smith agrees it’s an idea whose time has come.
Rich Smith, “A Radical Fix for the Social Safety Net: Replace It All With One BIG Idea,” Daily Finance, October 3, 2013-10-12.
Cobe Nelson, 7, and his mother, Nikki Gray, at their townhouse in Victoria. Ms. Gray is hoping the government will help low-income households struggling to make ends meet. (ARNOLD LIM FOR THE GLOBE AND MAIL/ARNOLD LIM FOR THE GLOBE AND MAIL)
[Craig Axford]
In 2010, a Canadian House of Commons committee on poverty released a report recommending a guaranteed basic income for every Canadian with disabilities. In Quebec, a task force also recommended a basic income guarantee of $12,000 for each of the province’s citizens. In Canada, home of the Dauphin, Manitoba experiment, the BIG idea has receives some support from across the political spectrum.
Erin Anderssen, “To end poverty, guarantee everyone in Canada $20,000 a year. But are you willing to trust the poor?”The Globe and Mail, November 19, 2010 (updated August 23, 2012).
The initiative aims to have a minimum monthly disposal household income of CHF 2,500 (US$ 2,700) given by the government to every citizen living in Switzerland -Reuters
As reported recently on BI News, following a successful petition initiative, Switzerland will hold national referendum to vote on basic income. The referendum has received significant attention in world news media, including the following articles:
Alice Baghdjian (author) Denis Balibouse (reporter), and Gareth Jones (editor), “Swiss to vote on 2,500 franc basic income for every adult,” Reuters, October 4, 2013. Reposted by MSN: https://news.msn.com/world/swiss-to-vote-on-dollar2800-monthly-income-for-all-adults?stay=1
VIDEO: “Cash Bern: Swiss may grant unconditional income for all” Ruplty TV
VIDEO: “Switzerland: Parliament forced to debate basic income for nationals” Ruptly TV, Oct 3, 2013: Enno Schmidt, founder of Generation Basic Income Initiative, talks through the aims of the unconditional basic income initiative.
Max Rivlin-Nadler, “Swiss to Vote on Guaranteed $2800 Monthly Income for All Adults,” Gawker, October 5, 2013.
Common Dreams staff, “Swiss Showing the World How to Take on Pay Inequality” Common Dreams, Saturday, October 5, 2013. This story includes photos and embedded video.
Ivan Botoucharov, “The Abolition of Poverty in Switzerland: A Template for Europe?” One-Europe, 04 Oct 2013
Anna Edwards, “Streets of Basel paved with gold: 15 TONS of five cent coins are dumped on city’s streets as protesters demand a basic minimum income for every Swiss household,” The Mail Online, 4 October 2013. This story includes pictures of how the coins were assembled to be dropped during the demonstration in Bern.
Jameson, “Swiss to Vote on Whether to Give a $2,800 Monthly Income to Every Citizen,” ClassWarfareExists.com, 5 Oct 2013.
VIDEO: “Swiss prepare to vote on basic income,” Belfast Telegraph.
Richard Cook, “Swiss in Forefront With Basic Income Proposal,” Global Research, 6 October 2013.
AUDIO: Aaron Schachter [Interview with Karl Widerquist], “$2750 a month for every adult, guaranteed? Switzerland’s considering it,” PRI’s The World, Producer: Emily Files, October 14, 2013.
Ronald Blaschke, “Kroatien: ‘We are incredibly happy here and celebrating,’” Netzwerk Grundeinkommen, 16 October 13
VIDEO: Rubin Report, “Switzerland Might Guarantee A $2800 Monthly Income for All Adults,” The Rubin Report, Oct 14, 2013.
Adam Taylor, “Switzerland Mulls Giving Every Citizen $2,800 a Month,” Business Insider, Slate, Oct. 19 2013.
Ivan Botoucharov, “The Abolition of Poverty in Switzerland: A Template for Europe? The success of a ‘Basic Income’ campaign in Switzerland provides momentum to an equivalent EU initiative.” One: Society, Democracy, Europe, 04 Oct 2013.
Josh Eidelson, “Rather than savage cuts, Switzerland considers ‘Star Trek’ economics: Switzerland will vote on giving every adult in the country a $2,800 check every month. How would that work?” Salon.com. Friday, Oct 11, 2013.
If you know of more articles on the BI referendum in Switzerland, please leave the publication information and link in the comments section. If it’s in a language other than English, please indicate what language it’s in.
Activists pile 8 Mio five-centime pieces, one for each citizen in Switzerland, into a bank vault -EPA
[Craig Axford]
Fulfilling One Of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dreams: A Basic Income Guarantee -International Business Times
In this recent post in The Hill, Alan Sheahen reminds us that a basic income guarantee (BIG) is not a new idea. Dr. Martin Luther King advocated for it writing in 1967 “I am now convinced that the simplest solution to poverty is to abolish it directly by a new widely discussed measure: the guaranteed income.” In 1969, a Presidential Commission voted 22-0 in favour of the concept, and in 1972 the Democratic Party included BIG in its platform. Sheahen argues it’s time we revisited a basic income guarantee. “The U.S. is a wealthy nation…A basic income guarantee would establish economic security as a universal right.”
Allan Sheahen, “Fulfilling One Of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dreams: A Basic Income Guarantee,” International Business Times, August 20 2013 1:51 PM
Reprinted as: Allan Sheahen, “America needs a basic income guarantee” The Hill, August 21, 2013
[Craig Axford]
In this post in Pieria, Tom Streithorst outlines the history of ‘creative destruction’ that has enhanced productivity as new technologies replaced workers in both the fields and the factories. He argues agricultural and factory workers alike could once count on moving into new good paying jobs created by emerging technologies, but now rapid automation and the decline of the labour movement is leaving many lucky to find lower paying jobs in the service industry. A basic income guarantee could raise our standard of living and give employees greater leverage with employers while also presenting an opportunity to rethink our collective relationship with work.
Tom Steithorst, “Creative Destruction, Basic Income and the Jobs of the Future” Pieria, August 7, 2013
Creative destruction, basic income and the jobs of the future -Pieria