by Josh Martin | Jun 18, 2014 | Research
[Josh Martin]
SUMMARY: Pilkington’s article covers many of his objections to the basic income guarantee (BIG). While he appreciates the buzz the BIG is generating right now, he sees many potential issues including labor shortages and immigration policy dilemmas. Instead, he recommends a Jobs Guarantee program as a replacement for the BIG.
Philip Pilkington, “Money for nothing”, Al Jazeera, 6 June 2014.
Milton Friedman supported a BIG for all Americans. Source: Al Jazeera
by Karl Widerquist | Jun 17, 2014 | Research
SUMMARY: “Giving taxpayers $250 per month, reducing carbon emissions and boosting the economy. This is what the future could hold if the United States imposed a revenue-neutral carbon tax on fossil fuel production.”
Mike Ludwig, “Report: A Carbon Tax That Would Create Jobs, Cut Emissions and Put Money in Your Pocket.” Truthout, 12 June 2014.
More than two dozen major American corporations, including the five oil giants, are preparing to pay climate-related taxes such as The Motiva refinery, pictured here, co-owned by Shell in Port Arthur, Texas, April 2, 2013. (Photo: Michael Stravato / The New York Times via Truthout)
by Karl Widerquist | Jun 17, 2014 | Research
SUMMARY: This article address the question of how difficult it is for most people to pursue entrepreneurial activities. It concludes by arguing for a Universal Basic Income, “If everyone had access to a guaranteed income which would be sufficient to ensure food and rent, then you would empower innumerable people to take the risks necessary to chase their startup dreams, and push forward on them relentlessly until they succeeded, or at least exhausted their own confidence. You would empower the exploration of ideas which may seem crazy, but also might just change the world. … No human has ever made it all on their own. We are a social species, and we depend on each other for everything. Let’s accept that fact and empower as many people as possible, and make the world a better place for everyone.”
Shane Greenup, “Surviving as an entrepreneur.” Shane’s Soapbox, Jun 11, 2014
by Josh Martin | Jun 17, 2014 | Research
[Josh Martin]
This post examines the common objection to the basic income that people will spend the cash on alcohol and cigarettes. The article discusses a new paper from the World Bank that found that transfers are not consistently used for alcohol or tobacco.
Dylan Matthews, “More evidence that giving poor people money is a great cure for poverty”, Vox, 7 June 2014.
It turns out that the problem of people not having enough money is solved by giving them more money. (Photo courtesy of GiveDirectly)
by Karl Widerquist | Jun 16, 2014 | Research
Abstract: This article traces present-day policy debates on precarious employment to the nineteenth century. Liberal and paternalist versions of state authority emerged as responses to early capitalist development, and precariousness was an issue that contributed to the differentiation between them. The author argues that these connections with the bases of state power help explain why radical alternative approaches [such as basic income] find it so hard to get a hearing in mainstream political circles.
Bill Jordan, “Authoritarianism and the precariat.” Global Discourse: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Current Affairs and Applied Contemporary Thought, Volume 3, Issue 3-4, 2013, pages 388-403
by Josh Martin | Jun 16, 2014 | Research
[Josh Martin]
Coppola dissects issues in the tax credits system in the UK, claiming that it fails to reflect the flexibility of the labor market, especially for self-employed individuals. Coppola then goes on to say that the Universal Credit will not make things any better and that the ideal solution would be a universal basic income.
Frances Coppola, “Hounding the Poor“, Pieria, 30 May 2014.
Source: https://www.pieria.co.uk/articles/hounding_the_poor
