• Grail@multiverse.soulism.net
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    15 hours ago

    UBI is cool, but I recently watched some videos by Hazel Thayer that advocate for Universal Basic Services instead. Basically, if you give people UBI that covers the cost of rent, you’re putting money in landlords’ pockets. And I hate landlords! Guaranteeing free social housing for everyone would fix that problem. We should have basic housing, basic food, basic medicine, basic education, basic clothes, basic electricity.

    UBI is cool because it’s easy to implement in policy overnight. It would take one single bill to do it. But UBS is a recipe for a better society, with less wealth going to capitalists.

    • neatchee@piefed.social
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      12 hours ago

      Valid argument and probably correct. You’ve certainly nailed the appeal of UBI vs UBS.

      The only thing I’d consider “better” about UBI is some amount of discretionary spending and choice

      I might be be happy living in a shoebox apartment in NYC and keeping extra money for food or entertainment, while you might prefer a nicer apartment with simple food and your existing library of books.