in the UK some people were able to almost use the dole like a UBI during the crushing recession of the late 70s and 80s - take the payments without looking for a new job, and spend the time doing non-profit or low-profit work like art, music or political organizing. What's changed? UK benefit system is now geared to harrass the long-term unemployed into work, the actual amount of money is much lower than it used to be, and the costs of housing has ballooned due the end of social housing and increasingly hostile laws against squatting.
maol
joined 2 years ago
As we all know, the rich have no conflicts of interest with the poor. No siree....
I bloody knew it. Years ago I saw an anarchist say "UBI could just be implemented as a way to destroy the social welfare system and turn it all into one meagre benefit that can be turned on and off, like Universal Credit in the UK". And here this guy comes .....
this is just conversion therapy with extra steps.
I hate this stuff. Bullying someone for being fat is about as likely to make the obesity rate go down as calling people who wear glasses "four-eyes" is going to reduce the rates of astigmatism.
Yes the average weight in the west has gone up, and this isn't great, but more people being fat is a symptom, not a cause of higher rates of lifestyle diseases, and higher rates of lifestyle diseases have been caused by social changes over which fat people have no control, like the rise of the automobile and processed food.
Heartbreaking: The Worst Person You Know Just Made An Attack On The Other Worst Person You Know
I will read the article and I'm sure I will enjoy it. I suppose Nathan J. Robinson was caught between his belief in collectivism and his desire for individual expression, and solved the conflict by deciding that the collective, c'est moi!. Many such cases.
How can a billionaire use the word "we" with a straight face. I look poor standing next to this guy. The King of fucking England would look poor standing next to this guy. But we're meant to all be the same?
He's quoting the futurists? Didn't half of them go fascist?
I commented about this when it was first posted but I'm still angry. These motherfuckers never consider that "reflecting reality" perpetuates that reality. And if AI art never surprises you, it isn't art. But they don't care.
Silicon Valley's grá for AI is ideological, so they'll keep pushing it even though it won't make money. It's like capitalist Lysenkoism.
The AI seems superintelligent because it's designed to rot people's fucking brains....
This is just like the flat tax. To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, for every social welfare benefit, there is a "reform" which is simpler, easier, and totally wrong.