BASIC INCOME: The Key To Poverty Eradication & Societal Growth

October 7, 2014

 

What would you do if you could have

ALL of your basic needs met without

having to slave away at a job all day?

What would SOCIETY as a whole do?

Enter: BASIC INCOME.

 

Basic Income is a system which

disperses an unconditional sum of

money to ALL citizens. The idea dates

back hundreds of years to THOMAS

PAINE's "Agrarian Justice" and

THOMAS SPENCE's "The Rights Of

Infants." It's benefits are UNDENIABLE

and many-fold:

 

● HALF of the people on this planet live

in poverty. Basic income allows EVERYONE the opportunity and ability to meet their basic living needs, thus curbing and eventually bringing an end to poverty (FACT: over 22,000 children die EACH DAY due to poverty and over 1.1 BILLION people lack access to safe drinking water).

 

● It stimulates the economy by increasing individuals' buying power and encouraging and giving them the ability to engage in economic activity.

 

● It promotes economic and social equality amongst EVERYONE.

 

● It increases overall societal and individual happiness by encouraging and allowing people the opportunity to pursue their passions instead of having to spend so much time working.

 

● It would help businesses prosper and lower the prices of goods and services by eliminating the need for a minimum wage.

 

WHERE WILL THE MONEY COME FROM?

 

Would you believe that most nations can ALREADY

AFFORD to pay thier citizens a guaranteed basic

income? If not, then small but easily-implementable

changes can make it possible.

 

● This can easily be accomplished by re-allocating

already-existing funds. In the United States for

example, over 50% of discretionary funds are spent

on military endeavours. Wouldn't these funds be

better off being spent to ensure that citizens are

provided the basic necessities to live?

 

● Replacing already-existing social safety nets such

as SNAP (foodstamps),TANF (Temporary Assistance

for Needy Families), Housing Vouchers (Section 8),

Social Security, Medicare / Medicaid, Earned-Income Tax Credits, Unemployment Benefits and Disability Benefits with a guaranteed basic income would not only save the government (and its citizens) money, but also cover those same basic needs (and many more).

 

● Implemeting a negative income tax would provide for those in society who need help providing for themselves. This would be accomplished by exempting individuals who earn under a certain pre-determined amount of income from having to pay income taxes and instead giving them a supplimental income equal to the difference of their original income and that pre-determined amount.

 

● Extremely small increases in sales or property taxes would increase available funds for a guaranteed basic income.

 

WHO WOULD RECEIVE A BASIC INCOME?

 

Should a basic income be allocated to ALL citizens, or only certain ones? There are several competring schools of thought on this matter.

 

● Some believe that ALL CITIZENS should receive a guaranteed basic income.

 

● Some feel that individuals whose income falls below the poverty line should receive supplimental money which brings their total income up to the poverty line.

 

● Some believe that only those over the age of 18 should receive a guaranteed basic income. Others feel that individuals with children should receive an additional full or partial guaranteed basic income for each child that they have.

 

This novel idea, as well as various similar ones, are already being considered (even voted upon) and implemented in various forms by individuals, groups, corporations and governments in nations such as Brazil, Colombia, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Finland, Germany, Iran, Kenya, Liberia, Macau, Malawi, Mexico, Switzerland and Uganda. Countries like Australia, Austria, Belguim, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, The Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Namibia, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and The USA are also spearheading basic income legislation.

 

   ~ MERIT