"Reduce working week to 30 hours, say economists"

[RainDog]

41. we need a basic income

the nature of work has been revolutionized by the rise of the tech industry, by the failure of free trade to protect working people, and by the trend of companies to cut benefits for employees however possible and shift this sort of activity into the free market where people are little qualified to manage their own pensions, etc.

The issue comes down to this: what are basic human rights in a civilization? Are they fewer rights than exist in subsistence economies?

In subsistence economies, or older, hunter/gatherer economies - everyone ate. everyone had a place to sleep. everyone had healthcare, such as it was.

Are complex civilization less savage than their predecessors? Or more - and more savage simply because of the allocation of power and resources?

the only protection the working class really has access to, across the board, is the ability to say no to a job. a basic income would provide this leeway to say no.

crappy jobs would have to pay more.

good jobs might pay less, but would be more enjoyable.

overall, the society would benefit because insuring basic needs would help to level the playing field of life.

the arts would benefit by buying time for people in various disciplines.

the only people who would not benefit would be those with inherited wealth and those who have had the good fortune to have their companies pay them many, many, many times what the median employee of such a firm might make.