Sunday, January 8, 2017

Guaranteed Income

Finland is finally catching up with US, offering every citizen a basic income regardless of whether they work or not.  USA has had this since the 1930s.  We call it social security, SS.  (Why is SS so often associated with evil plans?)  Actually USA guarantees all people in USA guaranteed income, we just means-test it.   In Finland,
"A universal basic income would provide a much more secure income base in an age of deepening economic and social insecurity and unpredictable work patterns," economists Howard Reed and Stewart Lansley said in a report on basic income published in May last year.
Never mind what else it does, or who has to pay for it, or how it distorts the economy by paying for something without a signal.  In the USA they made it universal with the arbitrary 62 year old retirement age.  In this way it is self-selecting for those are to be harmed by the hegemon for trusting government.

It makes no difference to say "all Finns whether working or not" of "all people over 62 years old working or not" the program itself does damage.  When we pass off human requirements onto third parties, efficacy diminishes.  Yes, sometimes skilled charities need to intervene, especially in disasters, but neither "Being Finnish" nor over 62 in USA a cause for intervention.

We need strict separation of charity and state.

Feel free to forward this by email to three of your friends.



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