basic income vs. jobs / careers

[asb]

May 13, 2017 13:30:02 GMT -5 Infinite Ego said:

How many of you would trade your job / career / profession for a guaranteed, lifelong basic income that resulted in you being paid *just* barely enough to get by with all your needs met a just a few material wants, but, all your time would be free to do whatever you wanted to do?

It's a trap - sort of.  

If I was able to play guitar all of the time without problems perhaps then my desire to play it would slack off.  

Since it's something I have to budget time for when I do play I put an effort into it that might not be there had I been able to pick it up at all hours of the day or night (although sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and play for a bit).

But, I get to the point where I really look forward to it and totally wallow in it when I do.  When I'm done the guitars go back into their cases until the next time.  I try to play often but it isn't always possible.

[dasein]

Depends...

If it was similar to the basic income plans that guys like Friedman were advocating for, then no. Those plans called for the total destruction of the welfare state, to be replaced with a "cash equivalent" handed out to everyone. No more SS, Medicare, foodstamps, WIC, housing projects... instead, here's a check, go buy your healthcare from Anthem Health and your retirement plan from Atlas Shrugged Investments.

If it truly were a guaranteed basic income, where the bottom part of Maslow's hierarchy of needs were taken care of... then yes, I would take that trade in a heartbeat. What artist realistically wouldn't?

For every guy that "makes it", there's 100 Shawn Lanes or Arthur Rhames grinding away in poverty, and 200 Kafkas and Pessoas, wasting the better part of their lives in mindnumbing and soulcrushing dayjobs.

[Infinite Ego]

Shrugging Atlas Brokerage

[asb]

Great. Ayn Rand: Dockworker Hardass.

[mirth]