This article argues that the most logical way to address the harm from vested interests that are seriously impeding our ability to make positive social, economic and environmental change is by implementing a universal livable income.
It’s online at:
https://www.livableincome.org/avestedinterests.htm
This article discuss BIG, its growing political momentum in Germany, and the difficulty of getting it onto the mainstream political agenda.
Online at:
https://www.clubofamsterdam.com/press.asp?contentid=864
In this recent article, published in the commentary section of the National Post, Canadian Senator Hugh Segal writes about income security, which he considers to be the elephant in the room of the debate surrounding employment insurance reforms.
Segal also highlights the income security issues inherent in government transfer programs and equalization, the Quebec student protests, and working-age poverty rates. As a way forward, the article suggests that the premiers’ Council of the Federation in Canada should consider launching their own initiative on income security which could lead to a more open discussion about income security, poverty and solutions to these unaddressed issues. Senator Segal also suggests a discussion about a basic income floor that could obviate other government programs that he asserts are unbalanced, expensive, and unable to address the root causes of presenting issues.
This article is online at https://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/06/10/hugh-segal-governments-cant-ignore-income-security-forever/
In this article published in World Without War, D. R. Thompson proposes several ideas to replace the existing ideas and systems all of which support capitalism and benefit few. Thompson suggests creating a centrally planned, cooperatively managed, separate from federal government, transparent, and citizen owned Cooperative Central Bank that will finance BIG and infrastructure on which freedom and innovation will flourish. The author argues that BIG should replace social welfare and unemployment money so that people will have a choice to be employed or not. Thompson basis this argument on the fact that the developing technology is already replacing human work and the end result does not need to be poverty for the unemployed. For the financing of such an initiative, the author recommends money that will be taken from the physical infrastructure such as public lands and assets.
This article is online at: https://www.worldwithoutwarbook.com/article-01.html.
In this article published in Natural Finance, Pascal J. argues that giving social dividends to citizens would benefit society and economy alike. Social dividend is a variation of basic income given to citizens to meet their basic needs. According to Pascal, this will bring a nation to equal partnership in which its revenue will be tax income from its members. Also, this system would allow wealth to be redistributed more broadly through taxes and social dividends, which will bring more money with future sales. At the same time, this would break the cycle of making poor people poorer and rich people want to save more by making more people credit worthy to buy things they want and spend more. Other advantages of social dividends that the author lists is making democracy more democratic as everyone will be receiving the same benefit, eliminating the need for youth to work more to benefit the old, allowing poor people to keep their official work without being couth in the social welfare benefit trap, and reducing the need for underground criminal activities.
This article is online at: https://www.naturalfinance.net/2012/06/imperative-need-for-social-dividends.html?spref=tw.
In this article, published in New York Times: The Opinion Pages, Tim Kreider argues that in the 21st Century America everyone is busy and this is considered to be a good thing. However, according to the author this is a self-imposed business that gives people an illusion of thinking that they are useful and society needs them. This is nothing more than an illusion and Kreider as a solution to this problem offers the answer of Arthur C. Clarke: to give everyone a basic income so that no one feels forced to work and have more free time. Kreider remarks that life is too short to spend all of it working. He also believes that there should also be plenty of time to enjoy life and engage in pleasurable activities that give people incentives to be happy.
This article is online at: https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/the-busy-trap/.