Quote:
Originally Posted by blankall
I don't think anyone is claiming that specialist doctors, who earn $200-$500k/year will simply stop working and collect UBI. The issue is with people earning $30k/year, with little ambition. Are they going to continue to work 40 hrs/week, when they can earn $25k/year for doing nothing. You then end up in a situation where you have to pay people at the bottom rung more and more.
The cost of labour in society is already a huge hurdle for small businesses. If they have to compete with a UBI, that's simply going to drive many out of business. As the profitability of working or owning your own business decrease, many simply will stop doing it. You end up with a race to the bottom, which has plagued every single attempt thus far at introducing socialism.
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On your first point, this just perpetuates the myth that people on the bottom rung are unambiguous or unmotivated, which is wrong, and definitely ignores an incredibly wide range of circumstance and luck.
On your second point, this would likely have the opposite effect. Small businesses don’t have to compete with UBI, they reap the benefits of it. It will improve small businesses as a lot more people with be able to AFFORD working for small local businesses instead of big corporations that pay a few dollars more. UBI would stimulate local economies big time. And hey, if you’re worried about small businesses, what exactly do you think AI automation is going to do for ma and pa shops? Because “keep them in business” ain’t it.