ovid

ovid, 6 days ago

They've also got a lot of politicians in their pocket because when those pols are out of office, they'll get a cushy board role or lobbying position if they're willing to vote the right way while they're still in office.

But those are the obvious problems who make the news. What about the vast majority of people? People like us who need to have food, clothing, and shelter? We're a less obvious problem. 2/9

ovid, 6 days ago

For many of us, higher gas prices are an annoyance. For a single mother of two who needs her car to get to work, higher gas prices could lead to unemployment. Thus, the "Gilet Jaunes" (yellow vests) protests across France. Demand for fuel is, in the short run, inelastic.

Thus, one of the strongest tools against climate change is taken off the table, right?

Not really. That single mother doesn't want fuel. She can't feed fuel to her children. She can't pay the rent with it. 4/9

ovid, 6 days ago

When French President Macron introduced higher fuel taxes, it was with a laudable goal that if petrol/gas costs more, people will drive less. However, that misses out a key point from economics: it assumes the demand for petrol is elastic. For example, if the price of ice cream is twice as high, people will buy less. The demand for ice cream is thus elastic. However, the demand for insulin is inelastic because if you need insulin and don't get it, you risk death.

But fuel for your car? 3/9

ovid, 6 days ago

She can't clothe anyone with it.

If that single mother had food, clothing, and shelter guaranteed, regardless of whether or not she could drive, that would change the entire climate debate. Macron could have raised those taxes and the real complaints of the people would largely be moot.

Enter #UBI. It's not a perfect solution because no UBI solution I've seen is a replacement income. But now you have a choice. 5/9

ovid, 6 days ago

You still have to work, but UBI is enough, with even a small income, to meet your basic needs.

Or for some, they could pool resources and share a small house. Not great, but imagine more communal living, where you and your extended family and/or friends are there to help the children grow and thrive. Extended families used to be a thing and they can be a thing again.

The main obstacle against UBI? To make it work, taxes must be progressive. 6/9

ovid, 6 days ago

Those who will pay the most are those who need the money the least. People like accelerationist billionaire Marc Andreeson who wrote in his Techno-Optimist Manifesto, “We believe a Universal Basic Income would turn people into zoo animals to be farmed by the state.” Naturally, he never bothered to explain what he meant by that, or offer any evidence that this is true. 7/9

ovid, 6 days ago

Or there's the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank heavily funded by the Koch brothers, which has criticized UBI as a "neo-liberal strategy for serfdom" that would increase dependence on the state and centralize power.

The ultra-rich very much object to UBI for two reasons. First, they would be taxed more. Second, UBI means it's much easier for you to leave an abusive job. Amazon fulfilment centers—which offer jobs without fulfilment—would see employees quit en masse. 8/9

ovid, 6 days ago

@wordshaper Expanding public transportation effectively might take many years. That means infrastructure must be built out, organizational structures grown, and convincing people to change habits. I don't think it solves as many issues as UBI could.