In every single article you read about UBI (universal basic income) you read about all the wonderful utopian possibilities. I have not seen one article mention what I believe will be the truth. The governments of the world will use it as a threat against behavior they want modified or won’t tolerate.
If you get a few DUIs what happens? They take away your license because driving is a privilege. Well, imagine being poor and needing the monthly UBI money and the government tells you that if you do this specific act you will lose your UBI.
It will be subtle at first and resemble some typical government hoop-jumping bureaucracy. Then a slippery slope of things you cannot do will slowly erode your rights. Did you attend a protest? In the U.S., the First Amendment grants you the right to do that but UBI is not a right it is a privilege so you lose your UBI.
He who has the gold makes the rules.
There would likely be some inflationary pressure, but it also allows for making some areas more economically viable.
I could see how lesser populated areas would become more viable since jobs can be distant, but everywhere else it would be effectively moot, yeah? For example, UBI of 1k for everyone, why would an apartment complex not just raise rent by 1k? The people could already afford what they were paying and now guaranteed have an extra 1k a month, so the price change is “net zero” to the consumer (in a twisted corporate view) and now rent is baseline 1k greater and the people gain nothing from this change in any reasonably populated area.
If this example is wrong in some way lemmy know!