A guaranteed basic income program pilot in Seattle gave 102 low-income residents $500 monthly. Employment among the participants nearly doubled.
  • A Seattle basic income pilot gave low-income residents $500 a month, nearly doubling employment rates.
  • Some participants reported getting new housing, while others saw their employment incomes rise.
  • Basic income pilots nationwide have seen noteworthy success, despite conservative opposition.
  • Ultragigagigantic@lemmy.world
    3018·
    7 months ago

    UBI saves capitalism from itself. Do we really want to save this shit system that empowers the worst of us?

    Do you honestly believe capitalists will allow a liveable UBI to remain untouched? Look at the minimum wage if you’d like to see the future of UBI. $7.25 an hour fucking shameful.

    • ObjectivityIncarnate@lemmy.world
      112·
      7 months ago

      This program isn’t UBI, and should not be compared to it, or used to argue for/against UBI. Universal Basic Income goes to everyone, not just certain people. That’s what makes it UBI, and not a welfare program, which is what this is.

      • jj4211@lemmy.world
        2·
        7 months ago

        To reinforce your point:

        A Seattle-area guaranteed basic income pilot gave low-income residents $500 a month

        102 participants

        Employment in the group nearly doubled

        Note that per a quick search Seattle has about 750k people, 102 specifically low income persons given money for some finite trial period is very very far from a test of universal basic income.

        • ObjectivityIncarnate@lemmy.world
          91·
          7 months ago

          This is like saying “a triangle will never have 3 sides”.

          UBI, UNIVERSAL Basic Income, goes to everyone by definition. If it doesn’t go to everyone, it’s not UBI, and shouldn’t be called such.

          • masquenox@lemmy.world
            17·
            7 months ago

            Then we’ll never be given UBI. You know… in the same way that we will never be given democracy despite everybody calling it “democracy.”

    • theparadox@lemmy.worldEnglish
      6·
      7 months ago

      While I agree with your sentiment, I do feel like it is a step in the right direction and will help a great many people in poverty.

      Going straight from one economic system to another is likely to be an extremely violent process. I’m hoping that this would act as a stepping stone towards socialism rather than a life preserver for capitalism.

    • barsoap@lemm.ee
      6·
      7 months ago

      Do we really want to save this shit system that empowers the worst of us?

      Do you want the masses to have the material means to do anything other than bow to systemic pressure?

    • masquenox@lemmy.world
      3·
      7 months ago

      Do we really want to save this shit system that empowers the worst of us?

      How many times have you been forced to sleep out in the street?