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Experimental introduction of basic income creates big changes in recipients’ life – Various merits and problematic points –
If I am asked which is more desirable, unequal
society where the weakest always goes to the wall or society where people
receive basic income which guarantees a minimum level of living, I would say the
latter society is. As we see the coming of age where robots meet a social need,
it seems to me that basic income is necessity.
Basic income has many merits and
problematic points. If basic income and robots give leisure time to humanity
and we can lead a luxurious life in society, I feel that our society would divide
us into two groups – one is a group composed of only a few people who spend
their leisure time exercising their creativity and lead a better life and the
other is a group composed of a great many people who learn to do ill by doing nothing as the saying goes.
In the babble economy era of Japan, people with
extra money invested in stock and were deprived of wealth by foreign countries
simultaneously with the babble’s implosion. As seen royal families in Arab
nations, when people have money and free time, they dabble in betting in
casinos. In a competitive society where people can barely make a living, people
have no time to dabble in betting, while in a society where robots produce everything
we need and livelihood is secured, people don’t know what to do with their
time. In the latter society, only a limited number of people can make an effective
use of free time.
People dabble in alcohol, cigarette, drugs,
gambling and women (probably robots in that era?) they can easily gain in order
to find their purpose in life. It appears that AI which finds the society
extremely deplorable and has doubt about the existential value of humanity will
declare the extinction of the human race.
AI naturally makes a logical decision that
humanity which has extremely consumed resources on earth is never needed. I
feel that only a small number of people who gain the favor of AI will be able
to be evacuated to underground cities by AI.
This endless story might have been repeated
many times on every planet. Basic income has something which helps me expand my
imagination.
December
1, 2017
Masatoshi
Takeshita
Note:
Shanti-phula has indicated some prats of
the following text in black boldface type or in red letters.
English translation of a Japanese article:
BUZZAP! – November 30, 2017
Canadian province Ontario trials basic
income, which has made huge difference to recipients
<snip>
Approximately half a year has passed since the province of Ontario,
Canada started introducing basic income policy on trial from the spring of 2017,
which was applied to 4,000 citizens with a limited term of three years.
Subjects are randomly chosen from unemployed people or those with a low-income
ranging from 18 to 64 years old. They can receive up to C$17,000 (approx. 1480,000)
per year. They are also allowed to keep half of what they earn at work. In
other words, the system gives them an incentive to work.
<snip>
*One recipient, Mr. Button, worked as a security guard before having to quit after a
fall from a roof left him unable to work. He said: “Basic income payment takes
me out of depression. I feel more sociable.
**The basic income
payments have boosted his income by almost 60 per cent and have allowed
him to make plans to visit his family for Christmas for the first time in
years. He has also been
able to buy healthier food, see a dentist and look into taking an educational
course to help him find work.
Note: *, ** These two phrases are quoted
from:
It should be noted that what is told here
is very similar to responses to a question with hashtag “#if minimum wage
become 1,500” on twitter.
<snip>
When people can escape
from poverty, they pay attention to their health, cope with a disease at an
early stage and make a plan for a trip.
In other words, it turns
out that consumption is stimulated, medical expenses are reduced (prevention or early treatment of disease will obviously cost less
than treatment after a disease becomes severe) and
skilled workers are increased.
(The rest is omitted)
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