First, apologies if you are on both Lists and thus get this twice. Harry
wrote about Basic Income and Sent it to FW.
Harry says he is "Philosophically" opposed to Basic Income. He is a
"radical centrist", whatever that is. In any event, we try not decide the
lives and fortunes of people because of a philosophic point-of-view. And
if we did, which "philosophy" would we have to follow? Obviously the ones
that have the *physical* power (money, guns, influence or whatever) to
enforce their point-of-view. *Metaphysical" or Philosophical argument, by
itself, is without force.
Harry says he is a radical centrist and has other suggestions for coping
with our problems than Basic Income ideas. It seems to me that these
other suggestions should be discussed on the FW List and not on the Basic
Income List. The basic Income List should, in my opinion I am not
speaking for Sally), be for those persons who have already wrestled with
the relevant problems and have come to the decision that some form of
Basic Income or Guaranteed Annual Income is the answer to our problems.
Harry says, "Basic income suggestions seem to be esentially welfare
payments." Calling something a name doesn't make it either good or bad -
it simply attaches a label, usually a threadbare label, whch is supposed
to bring certain pictures into the minds of the reader. One of the
things that BasicIncome or GAI advocates are working towards is a society
in which both the need and "idea" of welfare. whatever anyone's
conception of it might be, becomes a thing of the past.
Finally, he asks, "If BasicIncome is a right ... does a baby have less
right than an adult?" That's a reasonable question, the answer to which
depends on the type of Basic Income or GAI that a person or group finally
adopts. So the discussion of that comes later in the game.
On its own, it's an idea worth considering. If every child was guaranteed
an income until a certain age, an income that could not be touched in any
manner, it might have a very salutary effect on our future child-rearing
and the education system and so one. But, please, play with that on the
FW list, not on the BI list.
Harry, you haven't changed at all ...... and that is something to think
about :-)
Robert
Robert Rosenstein
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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