• persolb@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    I love the idea of UBI. But I can’t help but worry I’m wrong.

    My love for UBI assumes that idle hands will make themselves useful in productive, please or at least non-destructive ways.

    I’m not clear I can justify that

    • TurtlePower@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      I certainly can’t speak for anyone else, but personally I would be useful in productive ways. I went through a period of every nerds’ dream of staying home and playing video games all the time and it drove me nuts. Yeah, it was nice for a little while, but not having the money to go anywhere or do anything made me look forward to working again. If I’d have had money, I would not have been home very much.

      • persolb@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        I did that too; it was during Covid :)

        I think/acted similar to you… which is why I think we might all be common minding.

        That said, people that aren’t motivated to do good things are most likely motivated to do nothing… so it might not be a big deal if they don’t show up for a job.

        TLDR: fewer workers at Burger King probably would t make service worse

        • TurtlePower@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          Eh, the actual problem is that most people are shite.

          People. What a bunch of bastards.

    • Trekman10@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      Very few people honestly want to do nothing. Even the image of the unemployed pot smoker who watched cartoons all day, maybe that person would find fulfillment in art? Or maybe they’re passionate about something important in their community.

    • masterspace
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      1 year ago

      My love for UBI assumes that idle hands will make themselves useful in productive, please or at least non-destructive ways.

      There’s still an incentive to work and make more money to better your living situation and contribute productively back to society, but you wouldn’t be as beholden to it.

      Another way to think about it was that in the 50s a single worker could make enough to support a family, whereas these days both parents have to work full time. Providing UBI would be a more equitable way of reducing the reliance on work and increase individual families’ health and well being by providing the baseline financial assistance that would allow one parent to take time off work (or both parents to reduce time at work) to better support their family, community, and social structure.