I agree. I was too sharp in my response. I apologize. I think Ed's posting covers why it is affordable. But we may not be socially ready for BI. We are used to taking from the pot but not giving back. My fear is that BI will only accentuate taking and not giving.
It may not be a good idea, in my view, since we have yet to educate/socialize people understand that they are part of society and that while society is responsible to them with BI, they are also connected to and involved with society such that they are expected to give back to society. Blame on too many years of "smash and grab" consumerism/capitalism or "bowling alone" or what have you. arthur -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, December 15, 2003 12:50 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [Futurework] FW Basic Income sites Arthur Cordell wrote: > I think similar criticisms were levelled against the minimum wage, child > labour laws, old age security, medicare, etc. > > Same old, same old. Can't afford it today. Wait. Wait. Someday. > > Rubbish. Being in favor of the minimum wage(*), child labour laws, old age security, medicare, etc., but opposed to BI, I think there's a fundamental difference between the former and the latter: BI is of the "perpetuum mobile" kind. (not in the sense that BI works forever but that it won't work at all) It would be a pity if name-calling ("rubbish") and misrepresentation of my arguments ("can't afford it today" -- no, can't afford it tomorrow either!) would be the only "arguments" of Arthur in reply to my posting and BI-example ($1.2 billion) of 13-Dec-03. Let's hear some good arguments (if possible with numbers) please... [if there are any] (*) Btw, I was informed that a Canadian province has reduced the minimum wage from $8 to $6 (Can.). For comparison, it's about $15 in Switzerland. I guess that's why a Swiss emigré mechanic recently had to return from Canada to work for 6 weeks here, and with the money he earned he can live for 5 months in Canada with his whole family. So Arthur, perhaps Industry Canada should introduce a _livable_ minimum wage for _workers_ first, before you fancy about an unaffordable BI for everyone being "affordable". Chris ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SpamWall: Mail to this addy is deleted unread unless it contains the keyword "igve". _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework