Special Edition #1: UBI (Surprisingly Not a Venereal Disease!)

Welcome to Special Edition #1!

We're doing something little different this week. We're interrupting our steady stream of world-changing news to try to educate everyone on a topic that we feel is necessary to our survival as a species. This week's topic might not seem quite as vital as you think, but it's one of those "if we don't start talking about it now, we're going to super regret it later" subjects. 

To be more specific, while the content of these Special Editions may not have a direct influence on whether an asteroid is going to land squarely on your Mazda, they will concern our shared humanity and, usually, I think, probably, how we can best plan for a future where we DO survive the Great Filter, or at the very least, the next fifty years.

In each Special Edition, we'll try to present an explanation or definition for the subject, and then a variety of sources going into further detail, defending it or arguing against it.

Our inaugural edition concerns the various theories and arguments behind Universal Basic Income (UBI). What's UBI, you ask?

Wikipedia says: A basic income (also called unconditional basic income, basic income guarantee, universal basic income or universal demogrant) is a form of social security in which all citizens or residents of a country regularly receive an unconditional sum of money, either from a government or some other public institution, in addition to any income received from elsewhere.

Why's it important we start talking about UBI now? Because -- as you have noticed -- traditional jobs are becoming more scarce and will only become more so, and reach further into the workforce than we could ever imagine, as artificial intelligence and robots become smarter and more adept. Think you're safe? Does your job involve counting? How about writing? Or farming? Or reading X-rays? Or driving? It's all fair game, whether you're a tree-hugging liberal or a money-hugging conservative.

So when much of the populace is without a job, and naturally, without income -- how will be buy all the goods the robots make? Or, say, water, and electricity? Will we? Or will we just fight over them? Sounds crazy, but one thing leads to another. 

So all we ask is you keep an open mind, dig in, and help start a conversation.

On to the news!


1. A Guaranteed Income for Every American - WSJ


2. What are the benefits and drawbacks of universal basic income? - Quora


3. With a Basic Income, the Numbers Do Not Add Up - Financial Times


4. Basically Flawed - Economist


5. Redefining Capitalism - McKinsey & Company


6. How the Profound Changes in Economics Make Left Versus Right Debates Irrelevant - Evonomics


Now that you've read to the bottom, hit us up on Twitter and Facebook and help drive the discussion! And remember: "If you don't have the patience to read something, don't have the hubris to comment on it." WE OUT.