Oddbean new post about | logout
 establishing mass dependence on the government beyond what we already have sounds like a terrible idea 
 It will only work if you get rid of what we currently have. In the UK for example, the welfare state costs the tax payer billions to run each year and there is so much incompetence and wastage it’s a joke (fraud, building and office costs, mistakes, overpayments/underpayments etc). It’s also a system that enslaves and traps while at the same time demoralises those caught up in it. It kills the desire for those to take on any work without being questioned by the government. It also simplifies process. EVERYONE gets the same basic amount rich or poor. No questions asked. It should not be enough to live well off but enough to get you off the street while also removing the barriers to taking on part time or full time work. It’s like a safety net. Of the trial studies run, not only did it cost less than a full blown welfare system on a yearly basis but they also found those caught at the bottom had a realistic chance of lifting themselves out of poverty and the welfare trap/cycle. This however is quite an idealistic view. But its stuff like this that is just a pure waste:

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/dec/06/dwp-errors-leave-more-than-200000-pensioners-out-of-pocket 
 Agree. But if the current trend in AI, robotics and automation holds we’re not going to need anywhere near the level of labor we have now. I’m curious to better understand both sides of UBI to test my thinking.