Futurology

2497 readers

55 users here now

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

A three-year UBI study done in Germany shows that a guaranteed monthly check increased labor market exploration and increased work satisfaction. (www.pilotprojekt-grundeinkommen.de)

submitted 1 day ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

105 comments fedilink hide all child comments

(page 3) 5 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago (38 children)

I understand how this works in small groups, the price of bread isn't going to go up if only a few people are richer.

I do wonder how this works for everyone.

I'm all for a more equal society, but I'm just not sure about UBI having the desired effect

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I buy a loaf of bread every week, you buy a loaf of bread every week. We get ubi. Do we buy 2 loaves of bread every week with the extra income? I hear this every once in a while and don't understand what makes the price go up.

For housing I can see it, because so many are going without right now or renting and demand will climb with extra buying power. In my eyes that just means we need more built, and a higher price with proportionally less impact might encourage that building

As income inequality keeps climbing, the current system does much worse, with most of the buying power incentivising production of what only the wealthy can afford. Taking some of their buying power and giving purchasing agency to those who don't have it would incentivise production of things they would want instead. Vote with your wallet but the vote is more fair

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (11 children)

Well the baker, knowing that everyone has twice as much money, puts his prices up because he knows the market can bear it. That's the way I reason it. Same with the landlord.

The only way I see that not happening is if the gov't literally fixes the prices of certain goods, which is already half way to a planned economy.

Or the government itself enters the food/housing market and competes against private firms with cheaper alternatives, forcing the firms to reduce their prices.

load more comments (11 replies)

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If you want to switch a whole nation to UBI you'd probably want some market rules extra as well, to smooth over the transition period.

Why don't we have fixed prices for absolute essentials right now? There no unmanageable reason any farmer should earn any less over it, and we don't really want unchecked capitalism governing our prices of bread/milk/eggs/whatever your essentials are.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago (8 children)

Yeah, that's kind of what I'm thinking -- with the extra step of, why bother with UBI at all, and why not just go for a completely planned economy.

Yes, a bit like China, and no it doesn't have to be so authoritarian.

load more comments (8 replies)

load more comments (36 replies)

load more comments