Thoughts on UBI?

Speeding doesn’t waste the money that the state is providing.

Speeding absolutely wastes money. There is a reason the government instituted a 55 mph speed limit during the gas shortage in the 1970s, and that reason is that cars generally get better mpg at lower speeds.

Drug use doesn’t always waste money. People have failed drug tests from a free hit they got at a party.

Should people be a certain weight to have access to food? A lot of poor people that are obese simply make poor food choices or have limited access to healthy alternatives. But you bring up the obese part a lot is why I ask.

Maybe they don’t get drug tested because all the data suggests it’s more expensive and it doesn’t catch many people at all?

I’m not for it, but I think it’s inevitable and probably necessary.

Many of the jobs automation will create will require certain technical skills/abilities while the jobs automation replaces, at least early on, are low-skill, and therein lies the problem.

UBI probably makes the most sense in an economy where only a portion of workers have the skills to thrive ASSuming the government can set it up to a) collect enough revenue to cover it (lol) likely through a VAT and b) still incentives working either on a small side business/hustle, as a part of the growing gig economy, or for a more traditional job. It can’t preclude the American dream or it won’t work, IMO and if it’s set up right it could actually promote more involvement in the economy from a creative standpoint.

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They sell the benefits at a discount for cash.

In some cases this is true. My friend lives on a reservation, and it happens all the time. They have pretty understood exchange rates for food stamps to money.

I am still not convinced that drug testing is a good idea for benefit recipients. Most research points to the fact that it costs more than it saves. Many would simply rather cheat on the drug test than stop using drugs.

It was going to happen in my neighboring state (WI), but I believe they gave up on it as they realized it wasn’t going to work.

From what I’ve seen 50/50 for food stamps. Those going to the soup kitchen, very few had children. A lot more were single, homeless and a little crazy.

I bring it up because this argument was getting framed as, “you want people to starve.” They aren’t starving, they’re fat.

Obesity and poverty seem to be related. Getting calories can be done for cheap, but not easily in a healthy way.

Not everyone receiving food stamps is fat. But a lot are making poor food choices and few could afford a home gym or regular gym memberships.

And every time people have tried to make school lunch healthier everyone flips out.

The point about starving was when S said “people aren’t dying of hunger often in America.” Which is kinda like no shit we’ve eradicated that to a large amount through schools and programs.

I cannot stand this. I can assure EVERYONE out there that their child will not starve themselves to death before eating that nasty cafeteria mystery meat. Growing up, you are what was given to you, or you didn’t eat. No complaining, or substituting food for picky eaters.

Raising a picky eater (food allergies not withstanding) is a sign of absent parenting in my mind.

Something people aren’t talking about is A.I. I think that’ll displace more than automation.

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I like the Simpsons but is that supposed to be a strong argument? It’s strange to say no ones starving to death in America so we should get rid of programs that are keeping people from starving to death!

If one wants to talk about changing programs and what that would look like I’m for it. The idea that no ones hungry in America isn’t based on any fact at all. Schools have programs in the summer just designed around making sure kids are getting a few meals.

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Michelle Obama was literally like Hitler.

That’s the problem. They would rather eat the nasty food before eating healthy food.

Exactly. I know kids whose only meals come from the schools.

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And before the taxpayers gave them free summer lunch, they would have to stack bodies of dead children that starved to death on the street corner. It was gruesome back in the 1990s.

Yep. I have a rock I’d like to sell you.

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So we have now moved the goalposts to stacks of dead bodies? I’m not even sure what you’re debating at this point?

Is this the part where we say if schools stop giving lunches and SNAP ends don’t worry churches will feed everyone?