BIEN
BASIC INCOME EARTH NETWORK
NewsFlash
Volume 27, no. 75, July-August 2014
www.basicincome.org
This
is the newsletter of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN), which was founded
in 1986 as the Basic Income European Network and expanded to become an
Earth-wide Network in 2004. It serves as a link between individuals and groups
committed to or interested in basic income. It fosters informed discussion on
this topic throughout the world.
This NewsFlash, below, can also be downloaded as a PDF document on our website www.basicincome.org.
This NewsFlash goes out to more than 2,000
subscribers four times a year. If you would like to be added or removed from
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For up-to-date information about basic
income, see:
http://binews.org/
1. Editorials
Report
from the 15th Congress of the Basic Income Earth Network
Open Letter To All Candidates For The European
Parliament
2. News about Basic Income from around the world
3. Events
4. BI Literature
5. Audio-video
6. New links
7. About the Basic Income
Earth Network and its NewsFlash
Karl Widerquist,
co-chair of the Basic Income Earth Network
The 15th
International Congress of the Basic Income Earth Network was held in Montreal
at McGill University from June 27 to June 29, 2014, and a pre-conference North
American day was held on June 26. The event was sold out with well over 200
people attending.
Two of the central
topics at the conference were the recent basic income pilot projects the recent
petition drives for basic income. Renana Jhabvala, of Self-Employed Women’s
Association and Guy Standing, of School of Oriental and African Studies
discussed the recent pilot project in India. Among other results, basic income
was found to increase health and
employment.
Enno Schmidt,
Co-founder of the Initiative Basic Income in Switzerland and president of the
Cultural Impulse Switzerland Foundation, and Stanislas Jourdan, Co-founder of
the French Movement for Basic Income and Coordinator for Unconditional Basic
Income Europe, talked with Barbara Jacobson, of Basic Income UK, and Philippe
Van Parijs, of BIEN, about the citizens initiatives of basic income in
Switzerland and the European Union (EU). Between the two initiatives, activists
raises more than 400,000 signatures, enough to trigger a vote in Switzerland to
take place in 2015 or 2016. Although the EU movement did not receive enough
signatures to trigger a vote, it created headlines across the continent,
sparked a pan-European movement for BIG (UBIEurope), and organized national
movements in all of the EU’s member states.
Joe Soss, of
University of Minnesota, gave the NABIG (North American Basic Income Guarantee)
lecture, which was surprisingly optimistic despite its depressing title,
"Disciplining the Poor, Downsizing Democracy?" He discussed how many
recent social policies from welfare "reform" to the 500% increase in
the incarceration rate are part of an international trend toward treating
poverty as willful misbehavior curable only by discipline. The optimism came
from his belief that people are coming to recognize what's been happening, and
they're fighting back through various movements.
The conference
included a good mix of academics and activists. The Congress generated press
around Canada and to some extent around the world. Some of the attendees
started an international youth activist organization for the basic income,
called Basic Income Generation. The Basic Income Canada Network furthered its
push for a $20,000 basic income for all Canadians. The theme of technological
unemployment recurred through many of the sessions—much more than it has in any
past BIEN Congress. Thomas Piketty’s Capital
in the Twentieth Century, was discussed by many of the academics at the
Congress. And discussion of the Great Recession was frequent.
The Congress closed
with BIEN’s General Assembly (GA) meeting. The GA voted to recognize five new
affiliates from Norway, France, Portugal, Europe (UBIEurope) and the Southern
African Development Community (the SADC BIG Coalition). UBIEurope and the SADC
BIG Coalition have become BIEN’s first transnational affiliates.
A new Executive
Committee (EC) was elected by the GA, including Louise Haagh and Karl
Widerquist as Co-Chairs, Anja Askeland as Secretary, Borja Barragué as
Treasurer, and Andrea Fumagalli, Toru Yamamori, Pablo Yanes Rizo, and Jason
Murphy as EC members for News and Outreach.
Several issues were
tabled (delayed) due to lack of time. These included some proposed amendments
to BIEN’s statutes and a proposal to change BIEN’s definition of unconditional
basic income to include a clause that it must be high enough to allow
individuals to live in dignity.
The GA ended with a
bit of drama. Before we could give up the room to the cleaning crew, which had
been waiting much longer than they expected, the GA had to decide the location
of the next Congress between three impressive proposals from affiliates in
Finland, the Netherlands, and South Korea. As time was running out, the
representatives of Netherlands and Finland both dropped their bid in favor of
Seoul, Korea, and the motion was quickly passed unanimously.
I think I speak for
all of BIEN’s leadership when I write that we are looking forward to working
with Korea on the 2016 Congress and to working with UBIE
and all of BIEN’s European affiliates to help build on the political moment for
basic income has developed on that continent.
-Karl Widerquist, Cru Coffee House, Beaufort, North Carolina, July 13, 2014
Some of the press
coverage of the BIEN Congress:
Ahn Hyo-sang, “[Special
report] Basic income movement gaining momentum worldwide.” The Hankyoreh, July12, 2014.
Benjamin Shingler, “$20,000
per person: Activists push for guaranteed minimum income for Canadians” The Globe and Mail, 29 June 2014.
Beryl Wajsman, “The fierce
urgency for a guaranteed national income”, The Metropolitain, 30 June 2014.
The Canadian Press, “Guaranteed
$20K income for all Canadians endorsed by academics”, CBC News, 30 June 2014.
Deirdre Fulton,
"New Campaign Pushes
for 'Basic Income Guarantee' in Canada", Common Dreams, 3 July 2014.
Dan Delmar, “The
Exchange Podcast with Dan Delmar,” CJAD 800AM Radio, 2 July 2014. [Discussion of BIG begins about 18 minutes into
the broadcast.]
Jacob
Kearey-Moreland, “Universal
Income Worth a Look”, Orilla
Packet, 4 July 2014.
Mélanie Loisel, “Le revenu
garanti est la voie de l’avenir, croit Blais”, Le Devoir, 30 June 2014.
Karl Widerquist,
co-chair of the Basic Income Earth Network
During the 2014
elections for the European Parliament, the Basic Income Earth Network, at the
request of its partner, Unconditional Basic Income Europe, signed an open
letter to all candidates for the European parliament. The full text of the open
letter follows.
Open Letter To All Candidates For The European Parliament
Given the commitment by the EU to reduce
poverty by 20 million by 2020, most people want to know: What will you do to
deliver results for people in the European Union? Did you know that
according to the most recent data available, around one fourth of the EU
population, that is about 120 million people, are at risk of poverty? However,
given the prolonged economic crisis since 2008 and increasing automation of
production permanently eliminating many jobs, there are reasons to believe that
the situation will get even worse in the future if nothing changes.
Unconditional Basic
Income Europe, which represents basic income networks and organisations in 25
EU countries, along with Basic Income Earth Network, with members all around
the globe, would like to underline the current threat which income inequality
represents to a peaceful, democratic and social Europe. Therefore we expect our
newly elected representatives to support those strategies which will promote
social cohesion and ensure sustainable and inclusive development in Europe. Our
representatives should see the crisis as a wake-up call.
Unconditional Basic Income (UBI) is an amount
of money, paid on a regular basis to each individual unconditionally and
universally, high enough to ensure a material existence and participation in
society. It differs from traditional guaranteed minimum income (GMI) / social
security schemes by removing the bureaucracy and its costs as well as the
stigma of means-testing. UBI also eliminates the disincentive to work caused by
the high marginal tax rates (65-95%) imposed by these schemes.
Pilot studies
throughout the world have proved that UBI is a far more effective tool for
reducing poverty and inequality than traditional social security schemes and
subsidies, with more positive effects on local economies, health, societal
cohesion, public safety and education. An unconditional basic income
implemented throughout Europe could also reduce tensions created by intra-EU immigration
forced by lack of economic opportunity. It may seem like a radical
proposal, but the current ‘business as usual’ attitude is not sustainable and
endangers the EU itself.
We expect our
representatives and the European Commission to take further serious and
practical steps on the European Parliament resolution 2010/2039(INI) of 20
October 2010 on the role of minimum income in combating poverty and promoting
an inclusive society in Europe.
Considering that the
unemployment rate will gradually increase due to technological advancement
while productivity increases, ordinary Guaranteed Minimum Income schemes are
becoming less and less effective, leading to rising inequality and social
exclusion - all these lead to conclusion that we need culture change to tackle
these problems. If you are elected, will you raise a debate about
unconditional basic income in the European Parliament and will you stand for
implementing it in the EU?
The 9th of May is
celebrated as Europe Day because of the Schuman Declaration of 9 May 1950 by
French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman. He had a strong vision of a Europe
which was peaceful and prosperous for everybody without exception. Europe
has become peaceful and prosperous, but not for everybody. Let´s finish the job
Robert Schuman has started. What are we waiting for?
Undersigned by:
Unconditional Basic
Income Europe
Basic Income Earth Network
The open letter was originally posted at: http://one-europe.info/initiative/open-letter-to-all-candidates-for-the-european-parliament
Sources about poverty in Europe and Unconditional Basic Income:
Ending Poverty is a
Political Choice! http://www.eapn.eu/en/news-and-publications/press-room/eapn-press-releases/ending-poverty-is-a-political-choice
Short movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zru79jcVTt4
Recent interview with
Prof. Philippe van Parijs, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL): “Van Parijs:
An unconditional basic income in Europe will help end the crisis“ http://www.euractiv.com/sections/social-europe-jobs/van-parijs-unconditional-basic-income-europe-will-help-end-crisis-301503
For more profound
insight, please watch the movie "Basic Income – a Cultural Impulse“ http://dotsub.com/view/26520150-1acc-4fd0-9acd-169d95c9abe1
Unconditional Basic
Income Europe: http://basicincome-europe.org/
Basic Income Earth Network: http://www.basicincome.org
Podemos, a new Spanish political party that
includes unconditional basic income (UBI) as one of its main economic policy
objectives, has one five seats in the European Parliament. Organized barely
three months before elections for the European, the party seemed to come out of
nowhere to a win nearly 8% of the vote (1.2 million votes) and finish in fourth
place in the elections held on May 25, 2014.
Podemos (which means “we can”) grew out of the
anti-austerity protest movement known as Indignados. It claims to be a party of
ordinary citizens who desire a fundamental change in the political process
toward greater democracy, freedom, and social protection. The Guardian quoted
the Party’s leader, Pablo Iglesias, "It's citizens doing politics. If the
citizens don't get involved in politics, others will. And that opens the door
to them robbing you of democracy, your rights and your wallet." Party
leaders promise to accept a salary of no more than three times the Spanish
minimum wage.
The party also supports doing away with tax
havens, a maximum salary, the reduction of the working week to 35 hours, more
protection for workers against dismissal, and lowering the retirement age to
60. According to Global Voices, “The objective [of Podemos] is to dismantle the
austerity measures put in place by the different governments that have been in
power. To strengthen and increase citizens’ rights to political participation,
education, housing, health and the fight against corruption are the core
elements of the party's programme.”
For more on Podemos, see the following
articles:
Thomas G. Clarke, “How the rise of Podemos in Spain
should be an inspiration for the progressive left in the UK.” Another Angry Voice. May 28, 2014
Ashifa Kassam, “Podemos hopes to cement rise of
citizen politics in Spain after election success.” The Guardian, 27 May 2014
Cristina Flesher Fominaya, “‘Spain is Different’: Podemos and
15-M.” OpenDemocracy. 29 May 2014
Elena Arrontes. “The Rise of ‘Podemos’ in Spain, the
Citizen's Party.” GlobalVoices. Translated by
Kitty Garden, 1 June 2014
[Josh Martin]
The 2014 BIEN
International Congress took place in Montreal at McGill University from June 27
to June 29. Among the hundreds of
attendees were academics from a variety of disciplines—economics, social work,
development studies, philosophy, and many others—as well as community
activists, politicians, and others simply interested in the idea of a basic
income for all. The Congress generated
press around the world for a few major reasons: some of the attendees started
an international youth activist organization for the basic income, numerous
papers were presented on the basic income, and, perhaps most significantly, the
Basic Income Canada Network furthered its push for a $20,000 basic income for
all Canadians.
Here are some of the
news stories run around the world about the Congress:
Ahn Hyo-sang, “[Special
report] Basic income movement gaining momentum worldwide.” The Hankyoreh, July12, 2014.
Benjamin Shingler, “$20,000
per person: Activists push for guaranteed minimum income for Canadians” The Globe and Mail, 29 June 2014.
The Canadian Press, “Guaranteed
$20K income for all Canadians endorsed by academics”, CBC News, 30 June 2014.
Beryl Wajsman, “The fierce
urgency for a guaranteed national income”, The Metropolitain, 30 June 2014.
Dan Delmar, “The
Exchange Podcast with Dan Delmar,” CJAD 800AM Radio, 2 July 2014. [Discussion of BIG begins about 18 minutes into
the broadcast.]
Mélanie Loisel, “Le revenu
garanti est la voie de l’avenir, croit Blais”, Le Devoir, 30 June 2014.
Deirdre Fulton,
"New Campaign Pushes
for 'Basic Income Guarantee' in Canada", Common Dreams, 3 July 2014.
Jacob
Kearey-Moreland, “Universal
Income Worth a Look”, Orilla
Packet, 4 July 2014.
A new group, called Basic Income Generation (BIG), formed at the 2014 BIEN Congress
in Montreal. Although the group began as a youth movement, Basic Income
Generation is a Basic Income activist collective with open-ended membership
(without age, occupational, or locational restriction). Basic Income Generation
aims to facilitate the direct support of BIEN to movements and actions in
support of unconditional basic income around the world.
Basic Income Generation is the product of a
process started in late 2012 by two Korean Basic Income activists, Juon Kim and
Kieun Song, who first proposed that a Basic Income Global Youth Network
(BIGYN). After a few exchange of emails and a Skype meeting, it was decided
that activists would gather up all the young people present at the next BIEN
General Assembly to ask them what they thought of the idea and how to move it
forward. The group thus organized two informal gatherings in Montreal, which
led the group to turn into Basic Income Generation (on a proposal from
Stanislas Jourdan), on the Swiss model of 'Generation Basic Income' that was
created to support their national citizen initiative, and lead it to succeed.
Part of the reason for the choice of its name,
is that Basic Income Generation is not defined by some trait of its membership,
but by its objectives: Helping BIEN to be more present and efficient in its
support of Basic Income activism worldwide, as well as helping BIEN to develop
new communication strategies and material, while facilitating exchanges between
Basic Income activist from all over the world.
More information about Basic Income Generation
(including information on how to get involved) is on its Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/248926788642187/
UNITED KINGDOM: Shadow Secretary of State Responds
to Basic Income Query
Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Secretary of State
for Work and Pensions, reaffirmed the Labour Party’s position on proposals for
a basic income this week, in response to a query from a constituent of the
Selly Oak MP Steve McCabe. Noting that the Labour Party had discussed the possibility
of a basic income in the past, Reeves stated that it had been concluded the
measure was riddled with ‘severe difficulties’. The principal concerns
expressed by Reeves regarding such reforms are that public support would be
lacking, and that it would undermine the obligation to work.
See a copy of Reeves’s letter here: http://imgur.com/byKvB0c
Kari Polanyi Levitt,
an active colleague of the Basic Income Earth Network, has received the honor
of becoming a Member of the Order of Canada. Her citation reads as follows:
“For her contributions to the establishment of international development
studies as an interdisciplinary academic field, and for her research on
political economy in the Caribbean.” Kari Polanyi Levitt is the daughter of
famous economic historian, Karl Polanyi.
The full list of new
recipients can be viewed here. http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=15694&lan=eng
UNITED STATES: Call
to Action for Citizens to Write to Congress Supporting a Basic Income
[Josh Martin]
The moderator of the Basic Income page on
Reddit, under the username 2noame, has called on all Americans to write to
their representatives in Congress encouraging them to consider supporting a
universal basic income. He also
includes an available template he constructed that others can use.
Here is the template:
Dear Senator Last Name, (or
Congressman/Congresswoman Last Name)
I am writing to you as one of your constituents
about something that is not yet on the map of the political landscape but what
I guarantee will become increasingly discussed as current conversations amplify
around ongoing inequality, an increasingly strained welfare system, and ongoing
automation of human labor through innovations in software and hardware. I'm
talking about unconditional basic income.
I don't know how familiar with this idea you
are, but it is the idea that every U.S. citizen should receive an unconditional
cash grant, given with the same regularity as a paycheck, regardless of any
conditions other than citizenship, and set at a level sufficient to cover our
most basic needs such as food and housing. Think of it as a Social Security
check for every citizen, in the amount of about $1,000 per month per adult and
perhaps $333 per child, for nothing other than being a citizen.
If this idea is new to you, I admit it can
sound crazy on its face, but once you actually look into it and learn all the
evidence of where forms of it exist or have been tried, including our own state
of Alaska, it really starts to not only make sense, but becomes the policy
option that makes the most sense of all. I understand you keep a busy schedule
but please consider reading the following article as a primer to the idea.
It'll take about 12 minutes.
Article: https://medium.com/working-life/why-should-we-support-the-idea-of-an-unconditional-basic-income-8a2680c73dd3[3] (leave as is or
insert your own favorite link)
I write this letter to urge you to consider
looking into basic income as an idea for new legislation. If you are aware of
the Oxford study that estimated 47% of all current jobs are at risk of being
eliminated by technology in 20 years, and you are also aware of Piketty's Capital
in the 21st Century calling for redistributive taxation to prevent capitalism
from endangering our democracy, and you are also aware of the inefficiencies
and inadequacies of our current safety nets, and you also recognize the need to
provide stimulus to our economy to allow consumers to return to consuming and
the vital importance of regrowing our middle class, then the idea of
unconditional basic income will no doubt make a lot of sense to you. The
question will become what is the best way of funding it.
If you get out ahead of the curve on this
matter, you will be seen as having real vision, and a real understanding of
where we are headed. Bill Gates himself has warned of the inevitability of
labor demand being reduced by software and that he thinks people don't
"have that in their mental model." Meanwhile Robert Reich when
recently asked about basic income directly, replied that he sees it as
"almost inevitable." We need to start seriously looking into this as
actively debated legislation as support for it will only continue to increase.
Of this, I have no doubt. Please consider leading the way in this matter, and
begin personally working towards the introduction of legislation for basic
income to be voted on in Congress.
Thank you so much for your time, and if you
have any questions about basic income, now or at any point in the future,
please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Your Name
His full post
is available here.
John Ralston Saul, (born June 19, 1947) is a
Canadian author and essayist recently endorsed BIG. His comments can in
response to a question about the “Guaranteed Annual Income” the name by which
the Basic Income Guarantee in most commonly known in Canada. Saul replied in
plane and highly supportive language, “In order to save public money, I’m in
favor of it, and also to bring a certain level of dignity. It’s clear that the
managerial approach is to have multitude of programs, which have to be managed,
and which give them power over individuals. Whereas a Guaranteed Annual Income
would be very cheap, and would remove that power from them.”
To see a video of Saul’s endorsement, go to:
Jack Saturday, “John Ralston Saul's View of Basic
Income,”
June 11, 2014.
The Basic Income
Canada Network (BICN) and The BIG Push campaign have announced the following
leadership changes. Rob Rainer, the founder of The BIG
Push in April 2013 and its volunteer director since that time, has taken on the
role of Interim Executive Director of the Green Party of Canada (covering a
maternity leave until the end of March). Rob will continue to serve for BICN,
volunteering primarily on building the national campaign network and on
fundraising. Rob can continue to be reached at rob.causeworth@gmail.com.
Kelly Ernst has accepted the role of Secretary
General for BICN and will take over the campaign director role, continue to
co-chair the 2014 International BIEN Congress, and take on overall leadership
of BICN. Kelly was the Chairperson of BICN for the past two years. He was also
Senior Program Director of the Sheldon Chumir Foundation for Ethics in
Leadership for five years and President and CEO of the Canadian Outcomes
Research Institute for six years. For BICN and BIG Push-related information,
Kelly can now be contacted at kernst@biencanada.ca.
Sheila Regehr is the new Chairperson of BICN, having been a member of
the board for two years. Sheila is the previous Executive Director of the
National Council of Welfare, a former, longstanding federal advisory body. She
has 29 years of extensive policy development experience related to income
security. Sheila can now also be reached at sregehr@biencanada.ca.
See also the BICN website: http://biencanada.ca/
And the BIG Push Campaign website: http://www.thebigpush.net/
The Pirate Party is a movement that has been
making gains in European elections. Its main goals involve the freedom of
information and the freedom from surveillance, but Pirate Party platforms also
usually involve strong support for the freedom of the underprivileged. Most, if
not all, Pirate Party’s support BIG. The Pirate Party of the UK has followed
suit, but its support has been highly qualified. The Party website gives many
arguments in favor of bit, but announces support for it only as a long-term
goal and then heavily qualifies that support, “However there are significant
hurdles to the implementation of such a system, including the need for
comprehensive research into the social and economic impact it would have and
whether it can be affordable. We think it is likely that such a programme is
possible but would have to be reached incrementally. As such we propose funding
trials to establish how such a system could be implemented.”
For more info go to: Pirate Party UK: “Moving toward a Citizen's Income.”
The Sheffield
Equality Group has conducted a pilot survey of attitudes toard basic income.
The sample-size was small, and it was gathered without employing randomized
sampling techniques. There, the results cannot
be considered representative; the author’s “primary aim was to assess the
diversity of response, pilot the survey and explore possible results and
consideration for a wider scale survey.”
Nevertheless, these
initial results are interesting. Only 15% of respondents thought the current
welfare system works well for the UK as a whole. 79% agreed People would do
more voluntary or unwaged work if they got a basic income. 81% agreed it should
be introduced for every UK citizen. And 85% agreed it would help businesses
find temporary and flexible workers.
The author, Jason
Leman, has worked in survey design and analysis for over a decade. He has
researched political involvement and activity as part of gaining a Masters in
Research.
An info graphic with
some of the results and a link to the full report can be found at:
Sheffield Equality Group, “Basic
Income Survey”, Sheffield
Equality Group, April 2014.
The full report is
online at a PDF:
Jason Leman, “Exploring
a Future Welfare State: A Pilot Survey on the Basic Income.”
Sheffield, UK: Sheffield Equality Group, March 2013.
An activist calling himself “Corrupt Bstard,”
has established a political party called, “The BIG Political Party” in the
United Kingdom (UK). The party aims to use the UK’s Universal Credit System to
pay every Resident Adult Citizen Ł11,375 a year in Unconditional Basic Income
Guarantee. Although even some Basic Income activists dismiss the BIG Political
party as a one-man operation, the party’s website promises, “We will field a
BIG Political Party candidate in every constituency in the next UK General
Election.”
For more information, see the BIG Political Party’s website.
[Josh Martin]
A new petition has
been started on MoveOn.org to establish a basic income guarantee for all
Americans, similar to what is being proposed in Switzerland.
To view and sign this
petition, follow this link. http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/establish-a-basic-income.fb47?source=s.fb&r_by=9732631
Dean Capone, an active member of the Socialist
Party of the United States of America, has announced his intention to seek the
Party's nomination for President of the United States with the intention of
making Basic Income a major issue in his platform. Capone told BI News, “The Basic Income Guarantee is
a crux of my proposed candidacy.”
A proponent of public ownership of primary
heavy industry, a strong and unionized workforce, a National Basic Income and
advocacy of civil and human rights at home and abroad, Capone considers himself
part of a new generation in democratic socialist leadership. In an interview
with the Independent Political Report,
Capone said, “Implementation of an unqualified basic income would foster
economic growth by leveling the playing field to a degree, and provide
stability to meet the needs of every adult, while replacing most other
entitlements.”
More information about Capone’s candidacy is on
the campaign’s webpage at: deancapone.com.
See also: Joshua Fauver, “Interview With Declared 2016
Socialist Party USA Presidential Candidate Dean Capone.” the Independent Political Report, July 8, 2014.
The Citizens Climate Lobby, a California-based
environmental group, has released a report advocating a plan involving a small
basic income as part of its strategy to address global warming. The plan is to
tax carbon and redistribute the proceeds to every citizen in the form of an
unconditional dividend. They would introduce $10 tax on each ton of carbon
dioxide in the plan’s first. It would raise an estimated $56 billion in the
first year, enough to provide a family of four with $44 in monthly rebates. The tax would rise
by $10 a year over twenty years, so that ton of carbon would eventually cost
$200. Every adult would receive $96 a month within ten years and $132 a month
after 20 years. That would be an annual rate of $1,584. Children under 18 would
receive half a rebate. Thus, a family of four would receive $4,752.
For more information see: “A climate solution that’s also good
for the economy.” Citizens Climate Lobby,
June 9, 2015.
The complete report is also online:
Scott Nystrom and Patrick Luckow, “The Economic, Climate, Fiscal,
Power, and Demographic Impact of a National Fee-and-Dividend Carbon Tax.” Washington, DC: Regional Economic
Models, and Coronado, CA: Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
Or contact: Steve Valk <mailto:steve.valk@citizensclimatelobby.org>, 1-404-769-7461.
[Karl Widerquist]
Robert Reich, former U.S. Secretary of Labor
(under the Clinton Administration), is already on record as saying that some
form of basic income guarantee is “almost inevitable” in response to the changes in the
labor market brought about by changing technology. He has now release a
statement endorsing BIG as a part of a strategy to address climate change.
Without using the term BIG, or any of its common synonyms, Reich argues that we
should tax carbon and redistribute the revenue equally to every citizen—that is
in the form of a universal basic income. He made the statement on June 10th,
2014 on his Facebook page. We reproduce the entire statement
below:
“The single best way to reduce climate change
is to put a price on carbon. The big fossil fuel companies say this will hurt
the economy, but they said the same when we put a price on sulfur dioxide and
nitrogen oxide – the pollutants causing acid rain -- in the 1970s. We did it
anyway, all but eliminating acid rain, and the economy did fine. As to carbon,
we’d start with a low price – say $10 for every ton put into the air – with the
price gradually rising over time. This would give energy companies an incentive
to save money by reducing carbon pollution – and also spend and invest more in
non-carbon energies like solar, wind and hydro power. Our electricity bills
might rise, but there’s an easy fix: The money polluters pay would go into a
big fund that’s then divided up and sent to every American. So even if your
electricity bill goes up $10 a month, you get back at least $10 if not more.
Are you with me?”
For info see: https://www.facebook.com/RBReich/posts/809307552415176?fref=nf
[Karl
Widerquist]
Bernie Sanders, the only socialist in the United States Senate, evaded a question about BIG. The question came up during an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on the popular website, Reddit. During an AMA, a prominent person agrees to be available online for a given period time to and to answer whatever questions Reddit members ask. Although Sanders is known as one of the strongest defenders of the poor in high-level U.S. politics, he would not give a direct answer to the following question asked by Reddit member using the name, LoveAllHarmNone, “What do you think of a Basic Income Guarantee if/when unemployment rises due to automation?”
Sanders replied, “I think that as a nation we should be deeply troubled by the fact that we have more people living in poverty today than ever before and that millions of seniors are finding it difficult to survive on about $1,200 a month from Social Security. I think we need to take a very hard look at why real income has gone down for millions of Americans despite a huge increase in productivity. In my view, every American is entitled to at least a minimum standard of living. There are different ways to get to that goal, but that's the goal that we should strive to reach.”
Although some of the comments in the thread expressed frustration at the lack of clarity in the answer, there was no follow up by Sanders.
The entire AMA is online at: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/24zdnn/i_am_senator_bernie_sanders_ivt_ama/
“The Expert Working Group on Welfare” has been
commissioned by the ruling Scottish Government to look at the medium and
long-term options for welfare in an independent Scotland. The groups second
report, “Re-thinking Welfare: Fair, Personal
and Simple,”
devotes several pages to a Basic or Citizens Income (CI). The Working Group
does not endorse it as an immediate goal, but discusses it favorably as a
long-term option. According to the report, “Introducing a full CI scheme would
be such a significant reform that it may be best considered after the early
years of independence have passed and the Scottish economy is maturing. For
these reasons we would not recommend the introduction of a CI at this time.
However it is an option that could be revisited in the future.”
The full report is available online:
The Expert Working Group on Welfare, “Re-thinking Welfare: Fair, Personal
and Simple,”
The Scottish Government, 4 June 2014.
This year’s International Basic Income Week is
scheduled to run from September 15–21, 2014. Preparations are already under way
in Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the Netherlands. The organizers
invite all basic income initiatives and activists to spread the efforts within
Europe and beyond.
In 2008 basic income initiatives from German speaking countries initiated the
first International Week for a Basic Income (http://www.woche-des-grundeinkommens.eu/) with the aim of creating
visibility for this simple and beautiful idea by bundling events and actions
during the 38th week of the year.
In 2014 the international website http://basicincomeweek.org was created. This reflects the Europeanization
of the Basic Income Week based on the citizen initiatives in the European Union
and Switzerland that led to the creation of the new European alliance called
UBIE (Unconditional Basic Income Europe). Building on these recent
developments, the 7th International Basic Income Week will have more countries
participating than ever before.
The first confirmed events for Austria have
already been announced (http://basicincomeweek.org/preliminary-programme-austria/). Groups in Belgium, Denmark,
Finland, France, Romania, Slovenia and the UK are thinking about how to get
involved.
In the call for participation, UBIE draws
attention to the fact that Europe is facing increasingly violent conflicts,
both within EU countries and on the EU periphery. According to the organizers,
“Considering this explosive context, we want to highlight the current social
and democratic significance of Unconditional Basic Income: it can become the
basis for ‘Building Social Cohesion in Europe.’ This is the motto of this
year’s Basic Income Week.”
Of course the issue of conflicts and the need
for social cohesion is not limited to Europe, and so the organizers give the
following message:
“We want
you to be a part of the 7th International Basic Income Week.
Organize an event.
Coordinate the efforts in your country.
Show the world that you are a part of it on http://basicincomeweek.org.
Contact us: 7th@basicincomeweek.org.
Let’s make this a truly international effort.”
[F. H. Pitts]
Hosted by the Mouvement Français pour
un Revenu de Base, this inaugural summer university on the basic income
will take place in the idyllic surroundings of the French countryside. Invited
speakers include Loic Wacquant, David Graeber, Bernard Steigler and Yann
Moulier Boutang. Entry to the event is free, with accommodation and meals
available at generous prices.
Mouvement Français pour un Revenu de Base
‘Basic Income Summer University, Perigord, Coulounieix-Chamiers, near
Périgueux, France, August 21st-23rd 2014. For more information, go
to: http://universite.revenudebase.info/english/.
The Basic Income Earth Network’s (BIEN’s) 15th
International Congress gets underway today, June 26, 2014 with the
pre-conference day dedicated to the 13th Annual North American Basic
Income Guarantee (NABIG) Congress, a joint meeting of the Basic Income Canada
Network and the U.S. Basic Income Guarantee Network. The NABIG Day is focusing
on strategies to activate and implement a basic income policy in Canadian and
United States jurisdictions.
The BIEN Congress is the oldest and largest
basic income conference in the world. He has taken place every two years since
1986, when it was known as the Basic Income European
Network Congress. It expanded to become the Basic Income Earth Network Congress in 2004. This year’s Congress takes place at
McGill University in Montreal under the theme of “Re-democratizing the Economy.”
The registration has sold out with
about 250 attendees. Participants will be discussing all aspects of BIG from
the effects in terms of economics, philosophy, and sociology to the effort to
build a successful political movement for BIG.
The 15th International Basic Income Earth
Network (BIEN) Congress will take place on 27-29 June 2014 in Montreal. The
Congress brings together academics, activists, policy makers, political
representatives, NGOs, and interested members of the general public to discuss
and debate how introducing a universal and unconditional basic income relates.
Click here for more information on the BIEN and the NABIG Congresses.
See also the following article from the
Montreal Gazette:
Peggy Curran, “Idea of flat income to be hot topic
at McGill on Friday,” The Gazette [Montreal,
Quebec, Canada], June 26, 2014.
Dr Anna Reid, past president of the Canadian
Medical Association, will talk about health and basic income at BIEN Congress
2014 on June 26. This is a free event, entitled “The Health Case for a Basic
Income Guarantee,” sponsored by the Institute for Health and Social Policy. All
welcome.
More info at http://biencanada.ca/congress/keynote-speakers
- reid.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT:
Since its formulation by the Collectif Charles Fourier in 1984, the idea of
allocation universelle / basic income / citizens income has produced a deep
debate and obtaining consensus from intellectuals, philosophers and politicians
of very different frameworks. The international literature on the subject shows
the existence of a kind of theoretical agreement that, with suitable
expression, Rawls has defined as overlapping consensus. In front of the social
and economic changes and the ideological and economical crisis of the welfare
state, this paper highlights the importance to reshape the social policies
trough a broad consensus, wider of the one that a political majority can offer.
A reformation of the existing guarantees of social rights need a policy that
can be sustained from ( and continuing to embrace) different views of the
world. The basic income, this beautiful, disarmingly, simple idea (to use the
words of Philippe Van Parijs) , already obtained a discreet theoretical
overlapping consensus and it is possible - for the author desirable - that it
will soon carry around such a consensus on the more concrete level of political
decision.
ITALIAN ABSTRACT: Sin
dalla sua formulazione da parte del Collectif Charles Fourier nel 1984, l’idea di allocation universelle / basic income / reddito di base / reddito
minimo universale ha pro- dotto intorno a sé un dibattito sempre
più ampio e un consenso variegato da parte di intellettuali, filosofi e
politici che pure si richiamano a quadri concettuali, mo- delli valoriali e
dottrine comprensive a volte molto diverse tra loro. La letteratura
internazionale sul tema mostra l’esistenza di un dibattito poco noto in Italia,
dibat- tito nel quale è possibile riscontrare, almeno a livello teorico,
ampie convergenze raggiunte a partire da valutazioni ideali differenti. Una
forma di accordo che, con felice espressione, Rawls ha definito overlapping
consensus, cioè consenso per intersezio- ne. Questo lavoro cercherà
di evidenziare come, davanti agli importanti mutamenti sociali ed economici
degli ultimi anni, la crisi ideologica e ideale del welfare state richieda un
ripensamento delle forme di garanzia dei diritti sociali per il quale è
necessario un ampio e trasversale consenso attorno a una policy che possa
essere sostenuta proprio a partire da (e continuando ad abbracciare) visioni
del mondo differenti. Il reddito di base, questa beautiful, disarmigly, simple
idea (per usare le pa- role di Philippe Van Parijs), può già vantare
a livello teorico un discreto overlapping consensus, ed è possibile – per
l’autore auspicabile – che esso possa presto convo- gliare attorno a sé
un simile consenso anche al livello più concreto della decisione
politica.
Emanuele Murra, “Ragioni
Differenti Per Una Proposta Condivisa: Reddito Di Base E Consenso Per
Intersezione [Different Reasons For a Shared Proposal: Basic
Income and Overlapping Consensus].” Centro Einaudi, Laboratorio di Politica
Comparata e Filosofia Pubblica Working Paper-LPF no. 3, 2014.
Language: French
Philippe Van Parijs, “L'allocation universelle: solution ŕ
la crise de l'Etat-Providence? [Basic Income:
solution to the crisis of the welfare state?” propos recuillis par Eugénie
Bastié, FigaroVox, 5 May 2014.
Mathias Marchal, “Le revenu
minimum garanti: «une idée soutenue ŕ droite comme ŕ gauche» [The guaranteed
minimum income: ‘an idea sustained on left and right’]” Métro, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 26 june
2014.
[Craig Axford]
SUMMARY: Using the
Bitcoin protocol as a model, citizens of Iceland are being offered Aurocoin as an alternative to the
Krona. Citing a steady decline in the Krona's value and the collapse of
2008 as the reasoning behind this alternative, each Icelander became entitled
to access their share of the new "cryptocurrency" in March of 2014.
Baldur Friggjar
Odinsson, A nation
breaks the shackles of a fiat currency, Auroracoin, March, 25, 2014
ABSTRACT: “This article traces present-day
policy debates on precarious employment to the nineteenth century. Liberal and
paternalist versions of state authority emerged as responses to early
capitalist development, and precariousness was an issue that contributed to the
differentiation between them. The author argues that these connections with the
bases of state power help explain why radical alternative approaches [such as
basic income] find it so hard to get a hearing in mainstream political
circles.”
Bill Jordan, “Authoritarianism and the precariat.” Global Discourse: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Current Affairs and
Applied Contemporary Thought, Volume 3, Issue 3-4, 2013, pages 388-403
[Craig Axford]
This book makes a
"A controversial case for a guaranteed minimum income for all in
Australia." It may be found at one of the following links:
need full publication information here.
Brian Donaghy, Cents and Sensibility.
Australian Ebook Publisher, 16 June 2014.
Carl Gibson, “The Case
for a Basic Guaranteed Income for All”, Huffington Post, 13th May
2014.
[Josh Martin]
In this opinion piece in the New York Times, Associate Professor of Political Science Christopher Blattman of Columbia University discusses the viability of directly giving cash with no conditions to homeless people. While the subject of handouts to the poor often raises concerns about funding substance abuse, Blattman highlights multiple studies that found no correlation between unconditional cash transfers like the basic income and expenses that would be categorized as wasteful. To Blattman, unconditional cash transfers must continued to be used.
Christopher Blattman, “Let Them Eat Cash.” The New York Times, 29 June 2014.
The BBC asked four
writer to discuss what we should do to renew the capitalist system. One of
them, Clive Menzies, argued that the system has become unequal because of
priviledged ownership of natural resources, which should be reversed by a
Citizens Dividend (a basic income financed by resource and rent taxes). Clive
Menzies is a political economist with a background in business and investment
management. He founded the Critical Thinking research project at the Free
University and is a member of the Occupy London Economics Working Group
Clive Menzies, “Viewpoints:
What should capitalism do?” BBC
News, 26 May 2014.
[Josh Martin]
The author of this
post begins by highlighting the issues with the current benefits system in the
UK: it is too confusing, too complex, and too inefficient. Further, the recent emphasis on employment
as the best route out of poverty has proven false. Research has shown that even
full-time work cannot guarantee one’s financial well-being. The author then shows why the recently
created Universal Credit will fail and why the ideal benefits system is a
negative income tax that establishes a guaranteed minimum income (much like a
basic income). This system will save
the government money and will help ease the transition into an even more
technological economy.
The Conversative, “Should the
Conservative Party adopt a Negative Income Tax?”, The ConVersative, 7 July 2014.
[Josh Martin]
In this post, Vognar
jumps into a discussion on government guarantees, claiming that a minimum
income guarantee like a universal basic income would be less heavy-handed than
a job guarantee or other types of guarantees.
An income floor would provide stability in the lives of those in poverty
and would allow low-income workers to break away from unfair labor agreements
with their employers. Vognar cites
Martin Luther King Jr. and Charles Murray as ideologically opposed thinkers who
both agree on supporting a minimum income; Vognar then goes on to claim that
implementing a guaranteed minimum income will unleash a new wave of innovation
and creativity in our individual passions that had been stifled by the current
nine-to-five labor market structure.
David Vognar, “The Case
for a Guaranteed Minimum Income”, Huffington Post, 8 July 2014.
[Craig Axford]
A study looking into
Mexico's Programa de Apoyo Alimentario food aid program finds that giving those
in need food is more costly and no more effective than simply giving people
direct financial aid and allowing them to buy food on their own. In
addition to using the money to buy food as intended, direct assistance reduces
the cost of the program by nearly 20% compared to the traditional food
distribution system. This finding adds to the growing body of research showing
people spend unconditional assistance responsibly, contrary to what many BIG
opponents claim.
Dylan Matthews, "Mexico
tried giving poor people cash instead of food. It worked.", Vox, June 26, 2014
[Josh Martin]
SUMMARY: This post
examines the common objection to the basic income that people will spend the
cash on alcohol and cigarettes. The
article discusses a new paper from the World Bank that found that transfers are
not consistently used for alcohol or tobacco.
Dylan Matthews, “More
evidence that giving poor people money is a great cure for poverty”, Vox, 7 June 2014.
This article shows
that an Indian Tribe’s introduction of a policy along the lines of a Basic
Income Guarantee reduced the incidence of mental illness in children.
E. Jane Costello,
Scott N. Compton, Gordon Keeler, and Adrian Angold, “Relationships
Between Poverty and Psychopathology: A Natural Experiment.” JAMA: Journal of the American Medical
Association. 2003: Volume 290, No. 15, pages 2023-2029.
[Josh Martin]
In this post, Sperber
discusses the issues in democracy in the US and how the US does not fully
constitute a democracy. After a
discussion of the issues regarding democracy in the US, Sperber proposes a
basic income law as a pathway to a more democratic society.
Elliot Sperber, “Preconditions
for an Actually Democratic Society”, Counterpunch, 4 July 2014.
[Josh Martin]
SUMMARY: A South
African human rights organization named Black Sash have welcomed the social
grants already in place, but want the government to “seriously” consider basic
income grants as well.
Emilia Motsai, “Basic
Income Grant is Necessary”, The
Citizen, 3 April 2014
Enno Schmidt, “How a
‘stupid painter from Switzerland’ is revolutionizing work”, PBS Newshour, 9th April 2014.
[Josh Martin]
Coppola dissects
issues in the tax credits system in the UK, claiming that it fails to reflect
the flexibility of the labor market, especially for self-employed individuals.
Coppola then goes on to say that the Universal Credit will not make
things any better and that the ideal solution would be a universal basic
income.
Frances Coppola,
"Hounding the Poor", Pieria,
30 May 2014.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY:
You are about to become obsolete. You think you are special, unique, and that
whatever it is that you are doing is impossible to replace. You are wrong. As
we speak, millions of algorithms created by computer scientists are frantically
running on servers all over the world, with one sole purpose: do whatever
humans can do, but better. That is the argument for a phenomenon called
technological unemployment, one that is pervading modern society. But is that
really the case? Or is it just a futuristic fantasy? What will become of us in
the coming years, and what can we do to prevent a catastrophic collapse of
society? Robots Will Steal Your Job, But That's OK: How to Survive the Economic
Collapse and Be Happy explores the impact of technological advances on our
lives, what it means to be happy, and provides suggestions on how to avoid a
systemic collapse.
One of the solutions
discussed in this book is an unconditional basic income (a federal stipend
guarantee).
Federico Pistono, Robots Will Steal Your Job, But That's OK: How
to Survive the Economic Collapse and Be Happy, Second Edition.
CreateSpace, January 14, 2014.
SUMMARY: This article
argues that robots are replace a significant amount of human labor and
concludes that government need to introduce new policies in response. “These
can include tax reforms to provide a safety net for those who become
unemployed, smaller government, programs to stimulate start-up innovation,
sharing and open source and providing citizens with an unconditional basic
income (a federal stipend guarantee).”
Federico Pistono,
founder and CEO of the online learning start-up Esplori, is a computer
scientist, activist and social entrepreneur. He is also the author of the book Robots Will Steal Your Job, But That's OK:
How to Survive the Economic Collapse and Be Happy.
Federico Pistono, “Get ready, robots are
going to steal your job.” CNBC,
9 Jun 2014
SUMMARY: According to
this article, UK government proposal to 25 hours a week free childcare is to be
welcomed. But it fails to get to the core of a sexist economy which relies on care
work being done for free 24 hours a day. The author, Fiona Ranford, makes the
feminist case for a Basic Income. Fiona Ranford is a feminist activist in
London.
Fiona Ranford, “Care work
is a 24 hour a day job, Mr Balls, and should be paid as such.” Our Kingdom, September 2013.
[Josh Martin]
Rader calls upon the
reader’s imagination in his introduction, to imagine a world where children are
not forced into work, where there is no poverty. He believes this world is attainable if a basic income is
established, and he calls the reader to action in supporting such a policy.
Gaura Rader, “Imagine a
World Without Poverty”, The
Socratic Diablogs, 6 July 2014.
Other recent articles
about BIG by Gaura Rader are:
Gaura Rader, "The
Democracy Argument for Basic Income", The Socratic Diablogs, June 25, 2014.
Gaura Rader, "Democracy
and Basic Income Part II", The Socratic Diablogs, June 26, 2014
Gaura Rader, “11
Arguments for a Universal Basic Income”, The Socratic Diablogs, 19th
June 2014.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: Rising inequality is one
of the most salient issues in global and European politics. Guy Standing writes
that what we have witnessed in recent decades is not simply an increase in
inequality, but also the emergence of a new globalised class structure. A key
component of this structure is what he terms ‘The Precariat’: a new class
comprising those who lack economic security and stable occupational identities,
which has systematically been deprived of some of the fundamental rights
afforded to citizens. He argues that a new ‘Precariat Charter’ is required to
combat these insecurities, including provision for a basic income as a right of
citizenship.
Guy Standing, “How To Combat Inequalities Produced
By Global Capitalism”, Social Europe Journal, 12th
May 2014.
The Basic Income
Community on Reddit has more than 12,000 thousand members. This online
community amounts to a continuous discussion in which people post articles, ask
questions, make comments, and debate basic income. One of Reddit's tools is the
AMA (Ask Me Anything), in which a well-known figure promises to be available to
answer questions for a given amount of time. On DATE, Guy Standing became the
first major author to host an AMA on the topic of Basic Income. Guy Standing is
a Professor of X at Y, the author of more than a dozen books, many on basic
income including The Precariat: A New and Dangerous Class.
The questions,
answers, and follow-up comments from Guy Standing's AMA are online.
Guy Standing, “I am Guy
Standing, co-president of the Basic Income Earth Network and author of The
Precariat, ask me anything”, Reddit,
5th May 2014.
[Josh Martin]
In this opinion piece, Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences James Hansen of Columbia University discusses climate action in the United States. In his post he throws his support behind the Citizens Climate Lobby’s (CCL) recent proposal for a carbon fee-and-dividend proposal with 100% of the revenue going towards a dividend equally distributed to each citizen, culminating in a variant of an unconditional basic income.
For more information on the CCL’s proposal, click here.
James Hansen, “Too Little, Too Late? Oops?” Available on James Hansen’s university page, 19 June 2014.
[Craig Axford]
Jessica Flanigan challenges some fundamental objections to a basic income
guarantee found within Brink Lindsey's book Human
Capitalism. Brink Lindsey responds in a second post that followed on
June 27, 2014. Links to both the initial challenge and the follow-up
response are provided below.
Jessica Flanigan, "Is Living on the Dole Bad For You?", Bleeding Heart Libertarians, June 19, 2014
Response: Brink Lindsey, "Why Living on the Dole Is Bad for You", Bleeding Heart Libertarians, June 27,
2014
SUMMARY: This article
is a communist criticism of basic income, concluding, “Basic income will be
designed and implemented by the other class — your enemy — to meet its
interests, not yours.”
Jehu “Basic
Income: Which class will be writing the legislation?” The Real Movement: Communism is free time
and nothing else, May 19, 2014
[Josh Martin]
SUMMARY: In this post
Jehu discusses the basic income’s effect on real and nominal wages as a product
of the combination of Keynesian system and the Speenhamland System. Jehu then argues that this basic income
could be funded by a consumption tax.
Jehu, “How the basic
income scheme could become the Left’s worst nightmare”, The Real Movement, 27 April 2014
SUMMARY: This article
is a continuation of the Basic Income article from a previous
post on Common Progress, this time discussing two
specific programs the Negative Income Tax and the Fair Tax. The author endorses
Basic Income in name, but actually supports a policy with a work requirement.
Jeremiah Luttrell, “Fair Tax
and Negative Income Tax.” Common
Progress. 27 May 2014
Jeremiah Luttrell
writes the Common Progress blog which is dedicated “to politically balance
progressivism with right-libertarianism in the United States.” In this article,
he endorses the name “basic income” but not the policy, opting instead for a
work-conditional program, writing “Even though by definition the Basic Income
is given unconditionally, we believe it’s strategically wise to include a work
requirement or professional development requirement so there’s no disincentive
to work.”
Jeremiah Luttrell, “Basic
Income in America: Welfare Aid in Direct Cash.” Common Progress, May 20, 2014.
SUMMARY: According to this article, “We are at
the beginning of a tidal wave of new economic innovation and growth that will
change the way we think about the economy forever.” The author concludes, “But
on a rising tide of growth, it will be possible to redistribute wealth from
richer to poorer, if the political will to do so exists. In fact, high levels
of job displacement will probably make it necessary to do so, perhaps through
the implementation of a universal income program, where the government taxes
the owners of the robots, and pays each citizen a guaranteed basic income.”
John Aziz is the economics and business correspondent at TheWeek.com. He is also an associate editor at Pieria.co.uk, and
his work has appeared on Business Insider,
Zero Hedge, and Noahpinion.
John Aziz, “Prepare yourselves for the robot
economy revolution.” TheWeek.com, June 2, 2014.
SUMMARY: This article
discusses technological unemployment and concludes optimistically, “If the
economy is disemboweled by a lack of consumer spending, corporations fat off
the self-perpetuating riches of automation and plentiful, cheap energy will
likely be all too happy to support generous redistributive programs to support
the spending of the hordes of out-of-work people, like a universal basic
income.”
The author, John Aziz,
is the economics and business correspondent at TheWeek.com. He is also an
associate editor at Pieria.co.uk. Previously his work has appeared on Business
Insider, Zero Hedge, and Noahpinion.
John Aziz, “Could a
robot do my job? Probably, but I'm still optimistic.” TheWeek, May 20, 2014.
EXCERPT: ‘By way of addressing security
beyond the workplace, [Standing’s] most compelling suggestion is a basic
citizen's income, payable to all, which would increase the bargaining power of
people at the low end, and by cutting across the orthodox benefit systems'
serial poverty traps, actually increase the incentive to work. This idea has
been circulating for at least 40 years, and may take just as long to arrive in
mainstream debate. But if it seems outlandish by contemporary standards, that
actually only heightens its appeal: the same, after all, was once said of the
most basic aspects of the welfare state; and even the weekend.’
John Harris, “A
Precariat Charter: From Denizens to Citizens – review”, The Guardian, 9th April 2014.
[Craig Axford]
Technology is
increasingly replacing more jobs than it is creating. This trend favors
extreme jobs that a few superstars get paid extremely well to do, leaving
everyone else either unemployed or underemployed. Jon Evans concludes that a
basic income guarantee is the only kind of strong social safety net that can
catch everyone and enable people to do the kind of fulfilling things they want
to at the same time.
Jon Evans, “Welcome
to Extremistan! Please Check Your Career At The Door”, Tech Crunch, June 21, 2014
This article
discusses the current movement of basic income in context of technology
replacing employment.
Jon Evans, “After
Technology Destroys Capitalism.” TechCrunch, May 3, 2014.
Abstract: “This
article explores the impact of both technological unemployment and a basic
income on the provision of services of general interest. A basic income may
promote the restructuring of production into postcapitalist forms and projects
involving peer production. This change, as well as technological unemployment,
will result in lower state and market capacities to provide services. Instead,
people will create various forms of self-organization to meet their needs. The
paper presents examples of such models. Some ideas about the new forms of
inequalities in this system will be presented to inspire a further study of
this scenario.”
Katarzyna Gajewska, “Technological
Unemployment but Still a Lot of Work: Towards Prosumerist Services of General
Interest”, Journal of
Evolution and Technology, 24(1), February 2014, 104-112.
Benjamin Shingler,
“Are Canadians worth $20K a year, guaranteed?”
[Craig Axford]
The Basic Income
Earth Network's 15th annual conference in Montreal raises the profile of the
basic income guarantee in Canada. A CTV News reports on discussions at
the BIEN conference points out that press coverage for BIG has been steadily
increasing across North America recently. In addition, there has been recent
positive movement on the issue within two of Canada's opposition parties.
Benjamin Shingler, "Are
Canadians worth $20k a year, guaranteed?", CTV News,
June 29, 2014
[Josh Martin]
SUMMARY: In this post
McCarthy analyzes the choice of the After Party to support a basic income,
claiming that the basic income movement is, "at best a waste of time, and
at worst a trap that will feed our rights to Wall Street." He
attacks Charles Murray's basic income proposal and urges his readers to see
through this novel economic theorem.
Kyle McCarthy, "The 'Basic
Income' Trap", Against Austerity, 2 June 2014.
SUMMARY: Guy Standing’s book, The Precariat: A New and Dangerous Class,
addresses labor market insecurity and argues for basic income as a solution.
The journal, Global Discourse,
devotes an entire issue to the Precariat. According Matthew Johnson, who was
the guest editor of the special issue, “This issue of Global Discourse seeks to
explore the nature, shape and context of precariat, evaluating the internal
consistency and application of the concept, particularly with regard to:
changes in the sociology of class; democracy, participation and representation;
the relationship between precariat and multitude; the means by which precariat
might become a ‘class-for-itself’; place, migration and globalization; poverty
and precarity; the subjective experience of precarity, and forms of resistance.
The articles published reflect the extent, both with regard to paradigmatic
engagement and site of study, to which the concept has permeated the
consciousness of academics and those subject to precariousness (indeed, the
former appear increasingly to be included in the latter).”
Matthew Johnson (editor), “Special Issue: The Precariat.” Global Discourse: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Current Affairs and
Applied Contemporary Thought, Volume 3, Issue 3-4, 2013
SUMMARY: “Giving
taxpayers $250 per month, reducing carbon emissions and boosting the economy.
This is what the future could hold if the United States imposed a
revenue-neutral carbon tax on fossil fuel production.”
Mike Ludwig, “Report: A
Carbon Tax That Would Create Jobs, Cut Emissions and Put Money in Your Pocket.” Truthout, 12 June 2014.
SUMMARY: According to this article, “On Friday,
more than 100 academics, economists and activists for social change from around
the world will gather at McGill University’s Law Faculty for the 15th
International Congress of the Basic Income Earth Network. Over three days of
talks and workshops, they will weigh the pros and cons of replacing existing
programs with a flat income that would not be contingent on a means test or a
work requirement.” The article discusses the conference in context of recent
developments on basic income in Canada.
Peggy Curran, “Idea of flat income to be hot topic
at McGill on Friday.” The Gazette [Montreal,
Quebec, Canada], June 26, 2014.
[Josh Martin]
YouGov and the
Huffington Post conducted a survey of 1000 US adults in early January of this
year. Here is the question they asked
about a basic income:
Would you favor or
oppose expanding Social Security to every American, regardless of age, to
guarantee a basic income to every American?
Strongly favor . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .18%
Somewhat favor . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 17%
Somewhat oppose . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .16%
Strongly oppose . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .38%
Not sure . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11%
Peter Moore, “Poll
Results: Guaranteed Jobs and Income”, YouGov, 9 January 2014.
[Josh Martin]
SUMMARY: Pilkington’s
article covers many of his objections to the basic income guarantee (BIG). While he appreciates the buzz the BIG is
generating right now, he sees many potential issues including labor shortages
and immigration policy dilemmas.
Instead, he recommends a Jobs Guarantee program as a replacement for the
BIG.
Philip Pilkington,
“Money for nothing”, Al Jazeera, 6
June 2014.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: ‘Philippe Van
Parijs argues for a basic income
for all legal residents of the European Union to be financed by Value Added
Tax. Unlike the US, the EU lacks automatic inter-state transfers and migration
between states is much less common. A universal basic income would serve as a
buffering mechanism and enable a stronger recovery from economic
downturns. It would also help the Union overcome the pressures of
competitiveness, while the EU may also be seen as more legitimate and less of a
heartless bureaucracy in the eyes of its residents.’
Philippe Van Parijs, “The
Eurodividend: Why the EU should introduce a basic income for all”, LSE EUROPP Blog, 24th July
2013
SUMMARY: The article
addresses the following common arguments against UBI:
1) Isn't that Communism?
2) You can't make up new rights!
3) If people get a basic income nobody would want to work anymore!
4) Employment is a voluntary exchange between consenting parties
5) Basic Income sounds great, but we can't afford it.
The Pieces Fit, “Debunking
the Top 5 Myths About the Universal Basic Income”, The Pieces Fit, 12th June
2014.
SUMMARY: This paper
looks at the issue of reparations for group injustice, mainly in the USA,
and suggests a basic income guarantee as a possible means of addressing that
issue. The need for and legitimacy of such reparations are first established.
The author details some personal experience with the issue, which includes
encountering frequent resistance to the idea. A basic income guarantee as a
means of getting past much of that resistance is then discussed. That is
followed by a brief discussion of benefits and limitations. The paper concludes
that implementation of a basic income guarantee is the single best way to right
the injustices suffered by people due to their inclusion in certain
cultural/ethnic groups.
Richa, "A Basic
Income Guarantee as Reparations for Group Injustice", USBIG,
December 2009.
SUMMARY: The author
argues, unconditional basic income is being heralded as the solution to all of
Europe’s financial problems, but the salary for everyone is not all it’s
cracked up to be, because UBI fails most financial feasibility tests. She concludes,
“An unconditional basic income discourages career progression and innovation,
could potentially have detrimental economic effects and relies on a non-binding
social contract. This leaves many questions unanswered on the possible effects
of UBI, suggesting a basic income is not so much a solution to all our
problems, but a utopian nightmare we’d do best to wake up from soon.”
Sandra Kilhof, “Why
unconditional basic income is no more than a socialist fairytale.” The New Economy, June 11th, 2014.
SUMMARY: This article
argues, “Capitalism can be improved, and basic income is how it can be
accomplished.” It has received over 40,000 views so far on the publisher’s
website, Medium. It has been tweeted
by Medium on Twitter to their 600,000
followers. And it has received more retweets than any other tweets of theirs
this month.
Scott Santens, “Why Should We Support the Idea of an Unconditional Basic
Income? - An answer to a growing question of the 21st century”, Medium,
2nd June 2014
[Josh Martin]
Santens provides a
thorough timeline of basic income ideas dating from 1776 to now, including
details on major thinkers and publications related to the basic income.
Scott Santens, "A Brief
History of Basic Income Ideas", 2noame
on Tumblr, 1 May 2014.
SUMMARY: This article
address the question of how difficult it is for most people to pursue entrepreneurial
activities. It concludes by arguing for a Universal Basic Income, “If everyone
had access to a guaranteed income which would be sufficient to ensure food and
rent, then you would empower innumerable people to take the risks necessary to
chase their startup dreams, and push forward on them relentlessly until they
succeeded, or at least exhausted their own confidence. You would empower the
exploration of ideas which may seem crazy, but also might just change the
world. … No human has ever made it all on their own. We are a social species,
and we depend on each other for everything. Let’s accept that fact and empower
as many people as possible, and make the world a better place for everyone.”
Shane Greenup, “Surviving
as an entrepreneur.” Shane’s
Soapbox, Jun 11, 2014
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY:
In the final joint policy paper in our series with the University of
Birmingham, Simon Duffy outlines the case for radical reform of the tax-benefit
system. The current system is confusing and unfair, it locks the poor into
poverty and imposes upon them the highest rates of tax. Instead we need to move
to an integrated tax-benefit system, one that provides a guaranteed and
reasonable level of income for all individuals and families. The paper proposes
the creation of a system of Fair Income Security, a system that would have the
following seven features:
1. Integration
of the current tax and benefits into one coherent system
2. A
consistent approach for benefits and taxation, more supportive of families, in
all their forms
3. The
simplification of tax-benefit calculations into one set of questions
4. A minimum
income for all, delivered through a universal, non-means-tested, benefit
5. Fair rates
of taxation that remove the extreme disincentives for the poorest
6. A
constitutional right to a minimum guaranteed income and to fair taxes
7. A public
committee to shape the core entitlements, open to submission and scrutiny
Such a system would
be fair, rational, economically sustainable, and would reflect the changing
nature of modern society.
Simon Duffy “A Fair
Income.” The Centre
for Welfare Reform (UK), 2011.
ABSTRACT: The paper
sets out a proposal for the reform of the income security system in an
independent Scotland. It proposes the development of a system where all
Scottish citizens would receive a minimum income - Basic Income Security. This
is a working paper, we welcome comments, we will produce a final version in
partnership with the Scottish Campaign for a Fair Society. In summary the paper
argues for:
1. Integration
of tax and benefits
2. Pro-family
approach to tax and benefits, supporting families in all their forms
3. Simplified
tax and benefit calculations (into one set of questions)
4. Security
by means of universal, non-means-tested, entitlement
5. Fair rates
of taxation, removing extreme taxes on the poorest
6. Human
rights, embedded in a new constitution for Scotland
7. Public
committee to shape core entitlements, open to submission and scrutiny
Simon Duffy and John
Dalrymple, “Basic
Income Security.” The
Centre for Welfare Reform (UK), 2013.
Stanislas Jourdan, “A Way to
Get Healthy: Basic Income Experiments in Canada”, Basic Income UK: Towards an emancipatory
welfare, 7th August 2013.
[Craig Axford]
A basic income guarantee has had transformative effects on the lives of many in
rural India, providing evidence of just how powerful an anti-poverty tool BIG
can be.
Stuart Weir, “Basic Income: transforming lives in rural India”, Open
India: India and Beyond, June 20, 2014
This article argues
for BIG in terms of logistics, costs, effectiveness, and flexibility.
Thomas Wells, “How to end
global poverty: Just give money to the poor.” Australian
Broadcasting Corporation (ABC): Religion and Ethics: Opinion. 24 Feb 2014.
SUMMARY: The author
draws on evidence from pilot projects and other sources to argue, “There are
all sorts of arguments against an unconditional, universal basic income — that
is, the idea of giving everyone a minimum income regardless of whether they work,
whether they’re disabled, or whether they’re poor. The problem with these
arguments is that the only one that actually stands up to reality is, ‘I don’t
like it.’”
Zacqary is an
activist in the New York Pirate Party, where his official title is "Cat Herder."
He is an open source game developer, and the Chief Executive Plankhead of
Plankhead, a free culture arts collective. Despite believing that money is a
superfluous social construct, he has a Gittip profile.
Zacqary Adam Xeper, “You Can
Only Be Against Basic Income Based On Morals, Not Evidence.”
Falkvinge & Co. on Infopolicy, July 11, 2014.
In
this interview political philosopher John Baker reacts to French economist
Thomas Piketty’s book Capital in the Twenty-First Century, which has fuelled
fierce debate about inequality. Baker makes the case for ‘equality of
condition’ and a basic income. The interview is available both in text and in
audio.
Joe
Humphres, “How equal should we strive to become? (Interview with John Baker).” The Irish Times, Fri, May
16, 2014.
David Jenkins, “Het Goeie Leven (The Good Life)”, Basic Income UK: Towards an emancipatory
welfare, 7th May 2014.
According to Eoin Rooney of the Northern
Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA), NICVA's first “Masterclass” of 2014 examined the idea of a
Basic Income. This would replace the current system of social security with a
standard, regular payment for all citizens - as of right. Two slideshows from the Masterclass are online. In
the first, Micheál Collins, Senior Research Officer with the Nevin Economic
Research Institute, discussed the practicalities of a Basic Income, including
what level it could be set at and how it could be funded. In the second,
Maureen O'Reilly, an economic consultant, explored the potential wider
implications of a Basic Income on the labour market and public finances.
Micheál Collins, “Practicalities of a Basic Income: Levels,
Costs, Funding, & Some questions,” NICVA: 16 May 2014.
Maureen O'Reilly, “Implications of a Basic Income: Cutting out the
Middleman”
NICVA: 16 May 2014.
[Josh Martin]
In this slide show
the blogger kaneix discusses low maintenance lifestyles and the necessity for a
citizen's entitlement grant, also known as a basic income grant.
kaneix, "Low
Maintenance Lifestyles", emaze.
[Josh Martin]
This slide show by
the blogger kaneix covers the arguments for a universal basic income.
kaneix, "An
Unconditional, Universal Basic Income", emaze.
[Craig Axford]
Juhi Bhatt, “Basic
Income Works!”, Youtube, June 22,
2014
Thom Hartmann, “The Big Picture: Basic
Income...Hartmann vs. Selig.” The RT Network, June 10, 2014.
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY: “All around Europe, people
are fighting for unconditional basic income: a system which many believe will
instill equilibrium where there is financial inequality. World Finance invites
Green Party Leader Natalie Bennett and writer and mathematician David Orrell to
discuss whether unconditional basic income will live up to the revolutionaries’
expectations.”
VIDEO: “Unconditional basic income: Green
Party’s Natalie Bennett debates its merits with David Orrell.” World Finance, May 19th, 2014
Ten years ago, Brazil introduced a radical plan
to fight poverty -- give cash, every month, directly to mothers. It was
self-consciously introduced as a first step toward phasing in an unconditional
basic income. In audio segment, Jian Ghomeshi “speaks with Olga Khazan,
associate editor for The Atlantic,
about the program's successes and shortcomings, and what it has meant in a
country with a checkered history with women's issues.”
Jian Ghomeshi, “Giving money directly to poor
mothers: lessons from Brazil.” Q Blog:
CBC Radio, June 10, 2014.
The Ctitizen’s Income Trusts 2014 Conference,
“Citizen's Income: a solid foundation for tomorrow's society,” held on Friday
6th June 2014 at the British Library, has been captured on video and posted on
the Occupy London website. A report will be will follow later.
The main speakers included: Natalie Bennett
(Leader of the Green Party), Dr. Tony Fitzpatrick (Nottingham University), John
McDonnell MP, and Professor Guy Standing (SOAS); the panel members: Neal Lawson
(Compass), Bert Schouwenberg (GMB), Kat Wall (New Economics Foundation),
Natalie Bennett (Green Party), and Chris Goulden (Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Eight videos from the conference are available
at:
Citizens Income Trust, “Citizen’s Income Trust Conference
2014: Livestream,” Occupy London. recorded
June 6, 2013, posted June 8, 2014
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY:
Here we round up World Finance’s pursuit of today’s ascendant economic star:
unconditional basic income. We take a look at just what unconditional basic
income might mean for economies on both a micro and macro level.
World Finance, “Unconditional
basic income roundup.” World
Finance, May 15th, 2014.
Zoom hicham, "Recivitas,
a Basic Income Experiment Project in Brazil", YouTube,
25 April 2014.
Guy Standing, Liam
Halligan and Frances Coppola, “‘Wrong-headed economics’: for and
against unconditional basic income”, World
Finance, 14th May 2014.
There are now at least 32 established Facebook pages on Basic income. They are listed below with international pages first, continent-wide pages second, and national or regional pages three (group in alphabetical order):
1. International: https://www.facebook.com/Basic.Income.Earth.Network
2. International: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Basic-Income-News/146808728715113
3. International: https://www.facebook.com/basic.income
4. Europe: https://www.facebook.com/ECI.BasicIncome
5. Germany/Switzerland: https://www.facebook.com/bedingungsloses.grundeinkommen
6. Belgium: https://facebook.com/BelgianNetworkForBasicIncome
7. Bulgaria: https://www.facebook.com/EGIBBD
8. Croatia: https://www.facebook.com/temeljnidohodakhrvatska
9. Czech Republic: https://www.facebook.com/EOI.ZakladniPrijem
10. Denmark: https://www.facebook.com/UbetingetBasisindkomst
11. Estonia: https://www.facebook.com/KodanikupalkEuroopasse
12. Finland: https://facebook.com/perustulo
13. France: https://facebook.com/RevenudeBase
14. Germany: https://www.facebook.com/NetzwerkGrundeinkommen
15. Greece: https://www.facebook.com/basicincomegr
16. Hungary: https://www.facebook.com/FNA.hu
17. Ireland: https://www.facebook.com/BasicIncomeIreland
18. Italia: https://www.facebook.com/RedditoBaseIncondizionato
19. Latvia: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Eiropas-iniciat%C4%ABva-par-pamatien%C4%81kumiem/1438566166359282
20. Lithuania: https://www.facebook.com/BasicIncomeLithuania
21. Luxembourg: https://www.facebook.com/Grondakommes
22. Netherlands: https://facebook.com/pages/Vereniging-Basisinkomen/165488696805185
23. Norway: https://facebook.com/BorgerlonnBienNorge
24. Poland: https://www.facebook.com/bezwarunkowydochodpodstawowy
25. Portugal: https://www.facebook.com/RendimentoBasicoPortugal
26. Romania: https://www.facebook.com/UBI.Romania
27. Slovenia: https://facebook.com/pages/Univerzalni-temeljni-dohodek/493981737287209
28. Spain: https://www.facebook.com/RentaBasicaUniversal
29. Sweden: https://facebook.com/BasinkomstMedborgarlon
30. Switzerland (FR): https://facebook.com/Pour.1Revenu.inconditionnel.de.base
31. United Kingdom: https://facebook.com/BasicIncomeUK
32. United States of America: https://www.facebook.com/pages/US-Basic-Income-Guarantee-Network/206792926015200
[Craig Axford]
P.A.P Blog, “Universal Basic Income as the Foundation of
Freedom”, June 24, 2014
The website, “Netokratia - a brand new political platform” is attempting to create a community of knowledgeable people who like discussing politics. It provides a platform with the tools to create voting and discussion threads, add new records to the database, and so on. We also encourage people to post more ambitious content. Their page on basic income is entitled, “Do you support the implementation of a Basic Income?”
It’s online at: http://netokratia.com/discuss/179953/Do_you_support_the_implementation_of_a_Basic_Income
This website advocates creating a Global Resource Bank (GRB), which would own all of the Earth’s resources. Everyone would own one share in the back and would receive a credit (essentially an unconditional basic income) from the bank’s income. The creators of the website ask readers to consider the GRB as a solution to poverty and pollution.
The Global Resource Bank is online at: http://www.grb.net/.
BIEN NewsFlash:
Editor: Karl Widerquist
The BIEN NewsFlash is the newsletter of the Basic Income Earth Network. It is
mailed electronically every two months to over 2,000 subscribers throughout the
world. If you would like to be added or removed from the subscription list,
please go to: http://www.basicincome.org/bien/subscribe.php.
BIEN’s news website is BInews.org. It includes many of the articles from the
NewsFlash, daily news on basic income, book reviews, opinion, and more.
Items for inclusion or review in future NewsFlashes and BI News please contact
BIEN’s News Editor, Karl Widerquist <Karl@widerquist.com>
Or go to the following page on the BI News website:
http://binews.org/contribute.php
Thanks for help with this issue to Cindy L’Hirondelle, Guy Standing, Steve Shafarman, Michael Howard, and others.
BIEN
Co-chairs:
Ingrid VAN NIEKERK ivanniekerk@epri.org.za,
Economic Policy Research Institute, Cape Town, South Africa
Karl WIDERQUIST
Karl@Widerquist.com, Georgetown University, SFS-Qatar
Further details about BIEN's Executive Committee and International Board as well as further information about the Recognised National Networks can be found on our website www.basicincome.org
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