Let’s talk UBI

So, UBI (Universal Basic Income), I will go through some arguments of why we should not do it and share my opinion about them. My position, as I am sure you will soon find out, is strongly in favor. Actually, I was rooting for UBI way before AI was on the map as a variable to be seriously considered in the present day. And now, I will tell you why.

I see people having this idea of “hard-working people” or “sanctity of work.” I find this all bullshit. Work doesn’t determine your value. Human value goes way beyond it. It comes from our caring for others, our art, our curiosity, our innovation, and so on. Most times, work is restricting people from truly living their true value. Only you can determine your value; certainly not a paycheck.

This is a lie ingrained in the masses by the upper class, so they continue to work restlessly trying to get a better life and die without achieving anything while others live their lives to the fullest of their expense.

This connection between work and the right to survive or not sounds preposterous to me. Where is our humanity in this? What arguments do you have to let children starve? To deny people medical care? To let them in the cold to die?

You are all prisoners today of this diseased society that we built, which only shows our worst aspects every day: our greed, our hatred, our indifference, our apathy, and so on. Today, we are all prey to the savage form of capitalism we blindly follow. Why do we follow it? Why does money matter more than people? Money is an imaginary concept that we created, a rule we all agreed on, which means we can change its value and its significance in our lives as a society anytime we want.

So why are things still like this? Because of our fear and egoism. People are afraid if things change, they might be the ones at the bottom or they will lose the benefits they have today. What benefits? That great ability to pay for the mental health care you need to deal with life as it is today? I tell you, only 1% of the people in this world will actually lose with change, and the statistics are not on your side. Everyone else should be fighting for UBI and a new society. If you do not believe me, think with me. Are you a few paychecks closer to being rich or to being on the street?

Today, with the ascent of AI, UBI is no longer only a moral thing to do but a necessity.

Anyway, let’s see the arguments against UBI:

Universal Basic Income (UBI) takes money from the poor and gives it to everyone, increasing poverty and depriving the poor of much-needed targeted support.

Excuse me, but this is the craziest argument I hear people saying. If we are doing this, we are doing it right. The money to support UBI will not come from the medium/lower class; it will come from those companies winning millions after firing their employees and automating everything to AI.

Tax them, for god’s sake.

UBI is too expensive.

Again, tax those held by a few wealthy individuals, and you will be surprised how easy it will be to get the money you need to make it happen.

UBI removes the incentive to work, adversely affecting the economy and leading to a labor and skills shortage.

That might have been an argument they could have swung at us before AI, but now it’s on the ground. AI will do the work, so there will be no shortage of any kind.

Now, the first is a whole other argument I hear around, which is that UBI “removes people’s incentive to work”. However, we have already talked about how people’s value is not determined by work, so why should we care? Let people be free and do what they want. If they are ambitious, need a sense of purpose, or feel like it, they can work. The UBI sum will be a regular one for everyone. If people want more, they can work. But some people might be satisfied with a simple life. Maybe they will choose to focus on their children, art, or gathering knowledge, etc. It’s their choice. This is to offer true freedom to people. They don’t need to make a survival choice because their basic needs are attended to, and they can truly choose what they want and start living instead of just existing.

Furthermore, most UBI case studies have shown that people actually work even when “having their life owned.” They work in a different type of work regime with reasonable hours (shocking, right? Can you believe it?). So, there was no argument, to begin with.”

Let’s say the average people live 80 years, using some math:

Exclude the first 22 years for development and learning. We still have 58 years of living. Considering 365 days per year, 24 hours a day, 1 month of vacation, 2 days to rest in a week, 29 holidays(most holiday register in the world), and the regular 40 hrs of work per month.

365 (days per year) — 31 (vacation days) = 334 days.

52 (weeks per year) x 2 (rest days per week) = 104 rest days.

334 (total days) — 104 (rest days) = 230 work days.

230 (work days) x 8 (hours of work) = 1840 hours of work per year.

104 (rest days) x 16 (hours to live on a rest day) = 1664 hours of rest per year. 58 (years of living) x 1840 (hours of work per year) = 106,720 hours of work in life.

58 (years of living) x 1664 (hours of rest per year) = 96,512 hours of rest in life.

106,720 (hours of work in life) / 24 (hours per day) / 365 (days per year) = 12.18 years of life working.

96,512 (hours of rest in life) / 24 (hours per day) / 365 (days per year) = 11.03 years of life resting.

Work years (21.0%), Rest years (19.0%), and Infant to Adult Years(60.0%).