Patrik Wipp

There is so much goddamn nonsense out there about AI and UBI that play on extremes. Yes, AI will impact the labor market. No, it will not end all ability to earn income from human labor. It will increase inequality and concentrate power (both are bad FYI) which is why we need UBI. UBI is a redistribution of power. That's why we don't already have it. That's why a key fear is that people will stop working with UBI. That's an admission that without UBI, we lack the power to withhold our labor. When we gain that power, employers will need to offer a better deal. People with UBI will also be more engaged in the process of self-government. Look at seniors as an example of a population with basic income and how they are the ones volunteering every Election Day. They are the ones that the government fears pissing off. With UBI we will also see more co-ops and employers offering stock ownership plans. Yes, it makes sense to shift taxes away from income and towards consumption, transactions, land, and wealth/assets. We can do that. A question like "But how can we fund UBI if fewer people are able to find jobs?" is a dumb question. And no, a UBI need not be massive. We can and should start with a small UBI right this very moment. Just replace the standard deduction with a $375/mo UBI. We can do that. It would grow the economy faster and reduce poverty and inequality. We can then grow it from there. We can stack more layers on top of it that utilize other taxes. My personal favorites are a land value tax and dividend layer and a national wealth fund and dividend layer capitalized by annual stock issuance. It is stupid to wait to prepare for AI impacts. It is stupid to believe there will be no AI impacts. It is stupid to believe no human will be paid for work a machine can do. Our biggest concern should be about creating a solid floor below which no one can fall instead of relying on conditional safety nets that miss or trap people. Our biggest concern should be making sure everyone starts receiving a share of national productivity growth. We used to via wages and that stopped being true in the 1970s. We all deserve a dividend as our share. scottsantens.substack.com/p/… scottsantens.substack.com/p/…