by Karl Widerquist | Dec 15, 2013 | News
A Bank vault with several hundred thousands dollars worth of coins inside is on sale (at a negotiable price) to benefit Generation Basic Income. The organization used the coins in a demonstration last October when it delivered signatures on a petition calling for a referendum on basic income in Switzerland. The group hopes that the sale of the contents will raise money for the campaign for basic income in Switzerland and around the world.
Two stories on the bank vault for sale are online:
The Daily Mail, “A safe investment! Swiss bank vault goes on sale… complete with EIGHT MILLION coins worth £270,000,” The Daily Mail, 29 November 2013.
RT Network, “8,000,000 coins for sale: Auction call for genuine Swiss bank vault,” RT Network, November 29, 2013.
Committee members for the initiative “CHF 2,500 monthly for everyone” (Grundeinkommen) open rolls of five cent coins in the old vault of the former Schweizerische Volksbank in Basel October 1, 2013.(Reuters / Ruben Sprich)
by Karl Widerquist | Nov 30, 2013 | Research
Taking inspiration from the Swiss referendum, this article argues for BIG in India, claiming, “the idea is to help the poor and ensure that government intervention is minimized.”
LiveMint & The Wall Street Journal, “A universal basic income for all Indians.” Hindustan Times, November 25, 2013.
Illustration: Jayachandran/Mint for the Hindustan Times
by Yannick Vanderborght | Nov 26, 2013 | Research
ABSTRACT: Since the launch of the referendum on an Unconditional basic income (UBI) in April 2012 a lively debate is being held on the possibility of a society with UBI. The proposal to introduce a basic in- come without means-testing receives strong support as well as strong opposition. How can this be explained? Recently, a study run by a master student at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland and a research group based at ETH Zurich tried to answer this question. The results of the online survey show that there is a link between an individual’s position towards the UBI on the one hand, and his/her understanding of justice and his/her personal life goals on the other hand. Supporters of the UBI consider equality in society important, whereas non-supporters of the UBI tolerate inequalities between individuals if they are based on personal achievement. With regard to life goals, supporters rate community and personal growth as more important than non-supporters who rate wealth and image as more important. However, both supporters and non-supporters report intact social relationships and personal growth as their most important life goals.
In German with summaries in English, French and Italian.
Ketterer, H., Bossard, E., Neufeind, M., Wehner, T. “Gerechtigkeitseinstellungen und Positionen zum Bedingungslosen Grundeinkommen. [For and against the unconditional basic income: a matter of differences in justice attitudes and life goals?]” Zürcher Beiträge zur Psychologie der Arbeit Zürcher. Issue 2, 2013
by Karl Widerquist | Nov 23, 2013 | News
A recent Swiss petition drive has mandated a national referendum on a Basic Income. Parliament will have more than a year to craft the wording and call for a vote. An entirely separate petition drive has called for limiting CEO pay to no more than 12 times the lowest pay in the company. The vote on this issue will happen this month. Although the two petition drives in Switzerland were entirely separate, and to some extent competing, a new petition drive in the United States had combined the two proposals, calling for both limits on CEO pay and a basic income guarantee.
The proposal is online at: https://act.rootsaction.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=8734
Roots Action
by Karl Widerquist | Nov 20, 2013 | Research
This article begins a rather philosophical discussion of basic income with the following, “What if America were to scrap all its anti-poverty programmes—welfare, food stamps, unemployment benefits, the works—and replace them with an unconditional basic income (UBI) for everybody? Even in a Congress beset by less extraordinary levels of dysfunction, the idea would have little chance of becoming law. It’s fun to theorise, though. And if Switzerland approves a referendum to send all of its citizens $2,800 a month, the debate will have a fascinating new reference point.”
The Economist, “The check is in the mail: A government-guaranteed basic income,” The Economist, Nov 19th 2013.
The AP via the Economist
