by Andre Coelho | Dec 18, 2015 | Research
Robots for good. Credit to: 3D Printing Industry
Machines are getting better and better at performing work that was or still is performed by humans. This article starts with Stephen Hawking’s thoughts on the issue, which are that without proper wealth distribution, society will become a distopia in which an elite will have everything and all the rest almost nothing. Conor Lynch argues that, although current social developments show higher and higher inequality, nothing is for certain, which means that current capitalism could give way to a new social paradigm where basic income plays a central role.
Conor Lynch, “Stephen Hawking sobre el futuro del capitalismo, la desigualdad…y la Renta Básica” [“Stephen Hawking on the future of capitalism, inequality…and the basic income”], Sin Permiso magazine, October 26th 2015
by Andre Coelho | Dec 16, 2015 | Research
Credit to: Sinpermisso
Julio Aguirre discusses the basic premises for conditional grants to alleviate poverty (conventional welfarism), very popular in Spain in the past few years, which contrasts with the more progressive and integrating basic income. According to Julio, basic income, being unconditional and universal, will generate the necessary material conditions to provide for real liberty in people’s lives.
In Spanish:
Julio Aguirre, “Más allá del asistencialismo: El ingresso ciudadano universal y las condiciones materiales para la libertad” [“Beyond welfarism: Basic Income and the material conditions of freedom”], Sin Permiso magazine, November 2, 2015
by Andre Coelho | Nov 27, 2015 | Research
The material conditions of freedom is an updated version of an earlier book (published in 1999) called El derecho a la existencia (The right to existence). This is a comprehensive volume about Basic Income (BI), dealing in a detailed fashion its definition(s), related theory, discussions about work, welfare, BI financing and typical criticisms of BI. Although dated from 2007, the volume is now accessible online.
Daniel Raventós (trans. Julie Wark), The material conditions of freedom, Pluto Press, 2007
by Andre Coelho | Nov 22, 2015 | Research
Credit to: Sin Permisso
Daniel Raventós, Jordi Arcarons and Lluís Torrens make the case for basic income, which they justify as more rational, more efficient and socially desirable than guaranteed jobs (from Izquerda Unida
) and the plan of income guarantee (from Podemos). This is put forward in a recently published article on the Sin Permisso
magazine.
Jordi Arcarons, Daniel Raventós, Lluís Torrens, “El “trabajo garantizado” de Izquierda Unida y el “plan de garantía de rendas” de Podemos contra la pobreza: unas propuestas muy pobres” [“”Guaranteed jobs” from Izquierda Unida and “Plan of income guarantee” from Podemos, against poverty: two very weak proposals”], Sin Permisso, November 1st 2015
by Toru Yamamori | Nov 16, 2015 | Research
by Toru Yamamori | Nov 15, 2015 | Research
Richard Murphy and Howard Reed, ‘Financing the Social State: Towards a full employment economy‘ (pdf), the Centre for Labour and Social Studies, 2013.
Murphy and Reed recommend the implementation of an unconditional basic income in the U.K., in this policy paper. Murphy has been one of economic advisers for Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Labour Party.
