VIDEO: Switzerland Basic Income Mountain of Money Performance
VIDEO: TheLipTV, “Switzerland Basic Income Mountain of Money Performance” YouTube Oct. 17, 2013.
Jillian Steinhauer, “An Artist’s Plan to Get Everyone in Switzerland Paid”
Jillian Steinhauer, “An Artist’s Plan to Get Everyone in Switzerland Paid,” Hyperallergic, November 13, 2013.
A woman dressed up as the Swiss Helvetia signs the basic-income popular initiative (via Facebook).
Joshua M. Patton, ‘Would Switzerland's "Income for All" Proposal Work in the United States?’
Swiss demonstration as they delivered of signatures for basic income
Joshua M. Patton, ‘Would Switzerland’s “Income for All” Proposal Work in the United States?’ Opposing Views, November 13, 2013
Annie Lowrey, “Switzerland’s Proposal to Pay People for Being Alive”
“Take one income, please.” -Illustration by Kelsey Dake, the New York Times
News of the forthcoming Swiss referendum on the Basic Income proposal continues to make inroads in the popular press; this time across the Atlantic where The New York Times features this important political moment in a positive light. The article runs through the manifold arguments in favour of the idea, elaborates on the different types of proposal that could come into being (i.e. unconditional/means tested), how it appeals both to left and right persuasions, and charts its historical roots both in North America and elsewhere. Significantly, the author recognises its potential and how it could make sense in the United States too (i.e. helping to address its current social ills such as stagnant wages, high and stubborn long term employment): ‘If our economy is no longer able to improve the lives of the working poor and low-income families, why not tweak our policies to do what we’re already doing, but better — more harmoniously? It’s hardly uplifting news, but minimum incomes just might be stimmig [‘coherent, harmonious and beautiful’] for the United States too’. More importantly still, the author senses the idea may just sneak into the Swiss system. Such a hunch reflects a discernable quickening and intensification of the momentum gathering behind the Basic Income proposal.
Annie Lowrey. “Switzerland’s Proposal to Pay People for Being Alive,” The New York Times, November 12, 2013.
SWITZERLAND: Citizen’s initiative formally accepted
[Original by Enno Schmidt & Daniel Straub, translated by Joerg Drescher]
Today [November 8, 2013], the Federal Chancellery of Switzerland announced that the citizen’s initiative for an Unconditional Basic Income has been formally accepted. It stated that after the validation of the signatures on 4 October, 126,408 valid signatures were submitted. Thus, the Federal Chancellery of Switzerland confirms formally: There will be a national referendum [on Unconditional Basic Income].
Now, the Federal Council will consider Basic Income and prepare a report on it. This will take about one year. Afterwards there will be a debate in the parliament. The national referendum will follow in two to three years. The question is: Should each person in the country receive the financial basis for a living unconditionally?
Source (in German):
Enno Schmidt & Daniel Straub, “Volksinitiative zum Grundeinkommen formell zustande gekommen,” grundeinkommen.ch, November 8, 2013: https://www.grundeinkommen.ch/volksinitiative-zum-grundeinkommen-formell-zustande-gekommen/
