scottsantens

scottsantens, 1 hour ago to random

To all the supporters of universal basic income out there, what happened to make you support it even more after you already came to support it?

For me it was learning the many dirty details of traditional welfare benefits and how programs like TANF are designed and treat people, and how many people in need they don't help.

scottsantens, 19 hours ago to random

The 'godfather of AI' says the government will have to establish UBI to deal with the impact of AI on inequality.

"I was consulted by people in Downing Street and I advised them that universal basic income was a good idea."
—Geoffrey Hinton

He thinks that AI will increase productivity and wealth, but that the money will go to the rich and not the people whose jobs get lost and that’s "going to be very bad for society."

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cnd607ekl99o

scottsantens, 3 days ago to random

When we talk about Universal Basic Income, we're not dreaming of some fantasy utopia. We're advocating for a more equitable platform where everyone has the freedom to pursue their aspirations without the anchor of financial despair.

It's time to level the playing field.

Let's make UBI a reality.

scottsantens, 4 days ago to random

"Everyone has to work to eat (unless rich) or else no one will do any work" is such a messed up way of thinking about human behavior and our apparent need to sustain poverty to prevent the collapse of civilization.

Most everyone wants more than a poverty line unconditional basic income would provide.

scottsantens, 5 days ago to random

Money is like shit. If we spread it around, it functions as fertilizer, enabling incredible ideas to sprout and grow. If instead we just pile it up into mountains, it stinks and all the great stuff that could sprout and flourish is starved of nutrients.

Universal basic income is the good shit.

scottsantens, 6 days ago to random

Universal basic income mitigates tunneling, meaning that people are more able to think beyond just one focus. The need to earn survival income tends to function like blinders that block out everything else but your focus on basic needs. Until they're obtained, we can't think beyond.

scottsantens, 7 days ago to random

Happy Mothers Day to all the moms out there whose work goes unrecognized as work because it isn't paid, despite civilization not existing without that work, and yet who are told to fill out forms to prove they are working or seeking work in order to obtain help when they need it.

scottsantens, 8 days ago to random

Imagine a robot that can do anything a human does but faster and of greater quality. Also imagine one person owns all of them. Now ask a few questions.

1. How do humans buy what the robot makes?

2. Who owns the natural resources that the robot was built out of?

3. Did public money go into R&D?

4. Should one person be the beneficiary of a technology built by generations of humans all building off the work of previous generations?

5. Should citizens be treated like stockholders via dividends?

scottsantens, 9 days ago to random

I make a point of posting and amplifying posts about the concept of unconditional basic income. I do this in the hope of inspiring others to do the same. UBI isn't the only change we need to make, but I do believe it's the single most important one. If you agree, please help amplify UBI posts.

scottsantens, 10 days ago to random

Let's bust another myth wide open: Unconditional Basic Income isn't a handout; it's a ladder. It's about giving us all the rungs we need to climb out of the cycle of survival mode and into lives where we can truly thrive. Let’s build a society where no one has to start at level 0 with nothing.

scottsantens, 12 days ago to random

Day-to-day survival should not be our main gig.

Humanity is meant to do far more than just not die.

Unconditional basic income is the foundation for a humanity where survival is guaranteed, and figuring out how to truly thrive becomes our main gig.

scottsantens, 12 days ago to random

People with unconditional basic income reach for the key. They are free to think about things beyond their basic needs.

We have a society full of people reaching for the bread because it's all they're free to think about, and as long as that's true, they'll never be truly free.

scottsantens, 16 days ago to random

Everyone in Alaska has enjoyed a Universal Basic Income for over 40 years for just breathing in Alaska. Has it harmed them? No. Employment increased. Inflation slowed. Poverty went down. Obesity went down. Child abuse went down.

They basically used Thomas Paine's argument.

https://www.libertarianism.org/articles/thomas-paines-solution-poverty

scottsantens, 17 days ago to random

The irony isn't lost on me that the very folks crying out against Universal Basic Income are often the same ones benefitting from a myriad of hidden societal subsidies. From tax breaks to bailouts, we already live in a world where people get "free stuff" - it's just for the rich.

scottsantens, 17 days ago to random

The concept of Universal Basic Income isn't about discouraging hard work; it's about ensuring everyone has the fundamental necessities to survive. Our society should not be one where survival is a privilege. It's time we make it a right. Basic income is not charity; it's justice.

scottsantens, 19 days ago to random

Anyone who has ever dealt with the bureaucracy of proving you are in sufficient need of assistance to get assistance should recognize how huge of a difference unconditional basic income would be in our times of greatest need.

scottsantens, 26 days ago to random

Dismantling myths about Universal Basic Income one fact at a time:

UBI isn't about giving money to do nothing. It's about money to do ANYTHING. This is in stark contrast to traditional welfare benefits that require people to keep their incomes sufficiently low to keep getting it.

scottsantens, 26 days ago to random

A pilot in Vancouver that provided unconditional cash to homeless people not only saved more money than it cost; it also reduced drug and alcohol use by 39%.

In the India Universal Basic Income pilot, where entire villages got UBI, drug and alcohol use went down by 12% compared to control villages.

scottsantens, 28 days ago to random

"Looking at the early findings of [the basic income for artists] pilot a compelling case is already emerging to justify rolling out this basic income to all artists – and make no mistake – this is my absolute goal.”

Universal basic income will spark the next Renaissance.

https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2024/04/20/catherine-martin-signals-ground-breaking-basic-income-scheme-for-artists-to-be-expanded/

scottsantens, 28 days ago to random

New Income To Support All Foundation newsletter fresh off the presses for anyone interested in the latest biggest basic income news, but want it more bite size.

https://itsanewsletter.beehiiv.com/p/itsa-newsletter-april-2024-edition

scottsantens, 28 days ago to random

We already have 1,000 would-be Mozarts who instead of learning music and honing their skills are doing shit jobs for shit wages. They're spending their time just surviving instead of blessing the rest of us with music we'd love.

What these would-be Mozarts need is basic income.

scottsantens, 1 month ago to random

Think Unconditional Basic Income is about handing out free money? Think again. It's a universal investment in unlimited human potential. We can forge a world where every dream has the runway it deserves, no matter the person's starting point at birth. UBI isn't just fair; it's strategically brilliant.

scottsantens, 1 month ago to random

Let's dispel a myth: Universal Basic Income isn't about funding idleness; it's about funding potential. We can have a world where every mind has the means to chase their bliss. That's not simple charity; that's an investment in human capital at its finest. Imagine more Einsteins! And da Vincis.

scottsantens, 1 month ago to random

I dream of a day when financial stability isn't an exclusive club but a universal right. Unconditional Basic Income isn't about giving handouts; it's about handing back dignity and the freedom to innovate. Let's all shift from survival mode to thrive mode together. It's time.