Basic Income is often promoted as an idea that will solve inequality and make people less dependent on capitalist employment. However, it will instead aggravate inequality and reduce social programs that benefit the majority of people. At its Winnipeg 2016 Biennial Convention, the Canadian Liberal Party passed a resolution in support of “Basic Income.” The
The article many diverse claims. It’s a scattergun argument, where the author doesn’t have a single good point, so he make many weak ones. So I’ll just address the first point.
This is wrong. The savings are from lifting people out of poverty.
health: This is because the destitute save money by postponing medical care. In the long run they end up with much more expensive illnesses. This becomes a financial burden for the state. So it’s pragmatic to lift people out of poverty with UBI.
Justice: Reducing poverty is expected to reduce petty crime.
Education: I don’t know about this one. Maybe people predict a healthier job market so people don’t need so many qualifications to get a good career.
Social welfare: Because UBI increases employment by removing the welfare trap.
You might not agree with all of the above points. But they are all probable consequences of UBI people might reasonably expect. Saying it “clearly means social cuts and privatization” is shockingly stupid. The article was written by someone who doesn’t even understand the basics.
It don’t have time to refute everything in the article. But really, it is all bollox.