Musings on Universal Basic Income

Podcast: Freedomain with Stefan Molyneux (LS 62 · TOP 0.1% ) Episode: 4069 Finland's Universal Basic Income Experiment Has Failed | True News Pub date: 2018-04-26 Finland’s Universal Basic Income experiment made worldwide headlines in 2017 when it was introduced but has unsurprisingly failed and will be discontinued. The project involved Finland’s government providing roughly $690 every month to 2000 unemployed citizens with no strings attached. Stefan Molyneux explains why such programs are doomed to failure and how welfare by any other name is still immoral income redistribution. Your support is essential to Freedomain Radio, which is 100% funded by viewers like you. Please support the show by making a one time donation or signing up for a monthly recurring donation at: http://www.freedomainradio.com/donate

Podcast: TED Radio Hour (LS 78 · TOP 0.01% ) Episode: The Big Five Pub date: 2018-01-12 What are the five biggest global challenges we face right now — and what can we do about them? This hour, TED speakers explore some radical solutions to these enduring problems. Guests include geoengineer Tim Kruger, president of the International Rescue Committee David Miliband, political scientist Ian Bremmer, global data analyst Sarah Menker, and historian Rutger Bregman.

Podcast: Upstream (LS 60 · TOP 0.1% ) Episode: Documentary #7: Universal Basic Income Pt. 1 – An Idea Whose Time Has Come? Pub date: 2017-08-15 What if you were paid just for being alive? Just imagine, you are given a check every month for the rest of your life, enough to cover all of your basic needs. You wouldn’t be driving around in a Ferrari or eating avocado toast every day, but you’d be receiving enough to live relatively comfortably. And there’s absolutely nothing you would have to do in order to receive it. How would that change your life? What would you do differently? Close your eyes and just try to picture that for a second. Okay, if you’re reading this sentence, that means you’ve stopped dreaming and have come back to reality. We have no idea how long you were gone, but don’t worry if it was for a little longer than you had expected. It happens. We understand. There’s a lot to think about there. What a crazy question anyways, right? Getting free money? For the rest of your life? Just for being alive? Crazy. Or is it? The idea that we’ve been describing has actually been under discussion for centuries, and it has even been experimented with all over the world. In fact, there are actually several versions of it happening right now, at this very moment. Maybe you’ve already heard about it? Chances are you have. Lately it seems as if everybody is talking about it, whether they like the idea or not. It’s called Universal Basic Income, and it’s the topic of our latest documentary (which is actually a 2-part series, since there’s just so much to cover when it comes to this radical and controversial concept). We spoke with philosophers, economists, journalists, and even random folks on the street, to explore the many questions that come up when you begin thinking seriously about universal basic income. What effect would it have on poverty? What happens when income is separated from work? Would society implode into a dysfunctional dystopia because everybody would just sit on the couch all day and watch Netflix? Or, alternatively, would it be the best thing ever, effectively freeing people from the fear that comes with financial insecurity and enabling them to pursue their most daring dreams and to make their biggest contributions to society? Join us as we explore these questions and begin to untangle this radical concept. We’ve put together an all-star team of scholars and experts on the cutting-edge of this exciting debate. Whether you’re already an expert or haven’t even heard of the idea, you’re not going to want to miss this one. Featuring: Juliana Bidadanure - Assistant Professor in Political Philosophy at Stanford University Doug Henwood - Journalist, economic analyst, and writer whose work has been featured in Harper’s, Jacobin Magazine, The Nation, and more Rutger Bregman - Journalist and author of ‘Utopia for Realists: The Case for a Universal Basic Income, Open Borders and a 15-hour Workweek’ Kathi Weeks - Marxist feminist scholar, Associate Professor of Women’s Studies at Duke University and author of ‘The Problem with Work: Feminism, Marxism, Antiwork Politics, and Postwork Imaginaries’ Eric Richardson - A recipient of basic income Evelyn Forget - Economist and professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba and Academic Director of the Manitoba Research Data Centre Music: Face of Man (https://faceofman.bandcamp.com/) Bedrockk (https://bedrockk.bandcamp.com/) Godspeed You! Black Emperor (www.brainwashed.com/godspeed/) Harps (www.soundcloud.com/harps-i) Many thanks to Benjamin Henderson for the cover art. This episode of Upstream was made possible with support from listeners like you. Upstream is a labor of love — we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support If your organization wants to sponsor one of our upcoming documentaries,...

Podcast: Decoder with Nilay Patel (LS 67 · TOP 0.05% ) Episode: Recode Decode: Why do some in the tech community support universal basic income? Pub date: 2018-07-11 Journalist Annie Lowrey talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her new book, "Give People Money: How a Universal Basic Income Would End Poverty, Revolutionize Work, and Remake the World." Lowrey says there's ample evidence from countries like India, Brazil and Mexico that giving a small amount of cash directly to poor people can make their lives better without discouraging them from getting a job. She explains that some early experiments in the U.S., including one being run by startup incubator Y Combinator, are motivated by a fear that artificial intelligence and other new technologies will make the world better — at the expense of everyone's happiness and job stability. Lowrey explains why a national universal basic income is unlikely to happen anytime soon in America, and why rich people are usually wrong when they claim they get no assistance from the government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Podcast: Politics Weekly UK (LS 56 · TOP 0.5% ) Episode: May's reshuffle and universal basic income – Politics Weekly podcast Pub date: 2018-01-11 Heather Stewart and Anushka Asthana discuss the cabinet shake-up, plus Sonia Sodha, Torsten Bell and Neal Lawson on the concept of a universal basic income. Please support our work and help us keep the world informed. To fund us, go to https://www.theguardian.com/give/podcast

Podcast: Making Sense with Sam Harris (LS 82 · TOP 0.01% ) Episode: #130 — Universal Basic Income Pub date: 2018-06-19 Sam Harris speaks with presidential candidate Andrew Yang about "universal basic income" (UBI). They discuss the state of the economy, the rise of automation and AI, the arguments for and against UBI, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.

Podcast: 99% Invisible (LS 83 · TOP 0.01% ) Episode: 276- The Finnish Experiment Pub date: 2017-09-19 Around the world, there is a lot of buzz around the idea of universal basic income (also known as “unconditional basic income” or UBI). It can take different forms or vary in the details, but in essence: UBI is the idea a government would pay all citizens, employed or not, a flat monthly sum to cover basic needs. This funding would come with no strings attached or special conditions, which would remove any potential stigma associated with receiving it. In short: it would be free money. There’s been a lot of recent excitement around the idea, especially after an experiment launched by the Finnish government started in early 2017. It has the public and the media wondering: how will recipients react to getting this unconditional source of income. The Finnish Experiment

Podcast: Planet Money (LS 83 · TOP 0.01% ) Episode: The Basic Income Experiment Pub date: 2017-09-22 The basic income. A flat payment to citizens, without strings. Is it a progressive fever dream, or sensible policy? We may soon find out. The Finnish Government is testing it on 2,000 citizens.

Podcast: In the Balance (LS 28 · TOP 10% ) Episode: Universal Basic Income: Has its Time Come? Pub date: 2016-11-19 It is an idea that has been around for hundreds of years - to give everyone in society a regular chunk of money that is enough to guarantee them a minimum survivable standard of living. Often called Universal or Unconditional Basic Income, the idea has supporters on both right and left. It was cast back into the spotlight this year when the Swiss held a referendum on whether to introduce it. Pilot schemes to test the idea are cropping up everywhere from Finland to the Netherlands to the US and Kenya. One reason it is gathering such momentum is concern over new technologies eliminating many low-end jobs. Last week the founder of Tesla Motors, Elon Musk said the impact of automation on the job market meant that some form of Universal Basic Income would become inevitable. But not everyone agrees a Basic Income is inevitable, or even desirable, and for those who do support the idea, there is disagreement over almost every aspect of how it should be implemented. To what extent could it replace the Welfare State? Would it incentivise people to work? Can people be trusted to spend the money wisely? And how could it be funded? The BBC's Ed Butler is joined by a panel of four - professor Louise Haagh, reader of Politics at the University of York and the co-chair of the Basic Income Earth Network; Michael Tanner, senior fellow of the CATO Institute in Washington DC; Michael Faye, co-founder of Give Directly, which is piloting its own Universal Income project in Kenya; and professor Ian Gough of the Centre for the Analysis of Social Exclusion at the London School of Economics. (Photo: Giant campaign poster in Plainpalais Place, Geneva, 2016 saying: What would you do if your income was taken care of? Credit: AFP/ Fabrice Coffrini/Getty Images)

Podcast: The Weeds (LS 72 · TOP 0.05% ) Episode: A deep dive on basic income Pub date: 2017-07-21 Dylan Matthews joins Matt to discuss the three different version of universal basic income, and why only one of them is good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Podcast: Bad With Money With Gabe Dunn (LS 64 · TOP 0.05% ) Episode: Just Give People Money (aka Universal Basic Income) Pub date: 2018-05-02 Gaby learns what the country might look like if we weren't constantly worried about making enough money. Our trusty teachers for this episode include: Lauren Smiley, a journalist who's covered Silicon Valley's feelings toward a universal basic income. Peter Frase, editor at Jacobin magazine, who gives us a harsh truth of tech bros' UBI support. Mia Birdsong, who tells us an about her research in communities that might benefit from a UBI. And finally, this is it guys: a presidential candidate. Andrew Yang explains why his platform is focused on giving everyone money. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Our Sponsors: * Check out Earnin and use my code Bad With Money for a great deal: https://www.earnin.com/ * Check out Factor 75 and use my code badmoney50 for a great deal: https://www.factor75.com/ * Check out Greenlight and use my code badmoney for a great deal: https://greenlight.com/ * Check out Monarch Money and use my code BADMONEY for a great deal: https://www.monarchmoney.com/ * Check out Shopify and use my code badwithmoney for a great deal: https://www.shopify.com/ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Podcast: Open to Debate (LS 61 · TOP 0.1% ) Episode: #134 - Is Universal Basic Income the Safety Net of the Future? Pub date: 2017-03-29 Imagine getting a check from the government every month. $600 guaranteed. It's happening in Finland, where a pilot program is being launched to test what's known as a "universal basic income". As technology transforms the workplace, jobs and income will be less reliable. The idea is that a universal basic income could serve as a tool to combat poverty and uncertainly in a changing society, and provide a cushion that empowers workers, giving them latitude to take risks in the job market. But some argue a guaranteed income would take away the incentive to work, waste money on those who don't need it, and come at the expense of effective programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Is the universal income the safety net of the future? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Podcast: The Basic Income Podcast (LS 34 · TOP 3% ) Episode: Basic Income Q&A: How to Pay for It, Which Country Will Go First, and More Pub date: 2017-10-26 Jim and Owen answer listener questions from how to pay for basic income, which country will implement a basic income first and how we will get there. You can send your questions to the Universal Income Project on Facebook or Twitter, or tweet at Owen (@owenpoindexter) or Jim (@dr_pugh). ———- Episode Transcript Owen: Hello and welcome to the Basic Income Podcast. I’m Owen Poindexter. Jim: And I’m Jim Pugh. Owen: A while back we asked you for questions about the basic income, and a number of you responded. In this episode, we are just going to go through a few of those. Jim: Unfortunately, we’re not going to be able to get to everyone’s question, but we did have a few that we thought would be good ones to start with. Here goes. Owen: Alright. The first one is from Abigail Irwin, it came in through Facebook, “Here is the one big question I keep getting: how is it going to be funded?” Jim: I would say for me as well, this is a question that people ask all the time. Since we’re talking about such a big program, people are naturally curious about, “Alright, where does the funding come from here?” One thing that I’ve mentioned before that I think is really important to remember is a lot of the conceptions we have right now about what the government “can or cannot afford” are really not based on reality. That if you look at our economy and how much it’s grown over recent years, there’s actually so much money out there. Our Gross Domestic Product over the last 15 years has grown by four trillion dollars. Just taking a big picture snapshot, it’s important to know that there is money out there. Owen: Yes and on top of that, I’ll say that while I think it’s important to talk about how are we going to pay for things, the government is very willing to drop billions of dollars on some programs without having this discussion. It’s only around new big programs where we do say, “Okay, well, where is that money going to come from because we haven’t already baked that in.” Jim: We do see often around things like military spending, spending tens of billions of dollars ready at the drop of a hat is not uncommon, but as soon as we talk about billions or even hundreds of millions of dollars for social programs, people suddenly get very nervous about how we’re going to actually afford that. Owen: And getting more into, “okay, how is it going to be funded?” — obviously, there are a number of ways you could do it. If you structure it as a negative income tax, you could just have a tax that runs backwards essentially. At a certain income level, you receive money instead of pay money in. That’s one way to do it where you don’t have to touch anything else. Jim: Something I would add to that is, with negative income tax, one concern that I know people have is that if you’re actually not giving the same amount to different people, that could complicate the logistics figuring out, “alright, how do we actually assess someone’s income in the moment and decide alright, how big is the check we mail to them?” You can actually accomplish exactly the same thing using the tax code. You can structure it so that you give everyone the same amount of money every month regardless of how much they’re making but then make sure that you’re actually clawing back more of that money earlier on, based on how much they’re making when you’r

Podcast: The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch (LS 57 · TOP 0.5% ) Episode: 20VC: USV's Albert Wenger on Automation Replacing Humans, The Universal Basic Income and The Instalment & The Deployment Phase Pub date: 2016-07-11 Albert Wenger is a partner at Union Square Ventures, one of the world's leading VC firms with investments in Twitter, Twilio, Zynga, Soundcloud, Tumblr, Lending Club and many more. Before joining USV, Albert was the president of del.icio.us through the company’s sale to Yahoo and an angel investor (Etsy, Tumblr). He previously founded or co-founded several companies, including a management consulting firm and an early hosted data analytics company. Albert also writes a fantastic blog at Continuations.com and did a brilliant Ted X Talk here! In Today’s Episode You Will Learn: 1.) How Albert made his way into the wonderful world of VC? 2.) Albert breaks down the differences between the instalment and the deployment phases of technology? At what stage USV choose to invest and why? 3.) How much of a role does valuation play in Albert's investment decision making process? At what level does speculation become irrational exuberance? 4.) Why does Albert want to limit network effects that are provided to winning companies? What does Albert think makes a contestable market? What are the characteristics? 5.) Why is Albert such a protagonist for the basic income guarantee? What are the challenges? How will this affect human's relationship to automation? What will mankind do with this increased abundance of time? 6.) Why does Albert believe that every individual has the right to be presented by a personal bot? What are the prominent use cases? How does it invert the power relationships between networks and their participants? Items Mentioned In Today’s Show: Albert’s Fave Book: Beginning of Infinity Albert’s Fave Blog or Newsletter: Azeem Azhar: The Exponential View Albert’s Most Recent Investment: Clue: Period and Ovulation Tracker As always you can follow The Twenty Minute VC, Harry and Albert on Twitter here! If you would like to see a more colourful side to Harry with many a mojito session, you can follow him on Snapchat here! This episode was brought to you by DesignCrowd, the online marketplace for custom graphic, logo and web design that helps startups, entrepreneurs, web developers and agencies outsource design projects to designers from around the world. How Does It Work? Once you have launched your brief, designers will begin submitting quality designs for you to review. With some constructive feedback, you can quickly generate a large gallery of designs that really do fit your needs. You can have exactly what you need within just three days. Once you have selected your favourite design, you will be sent all the files you require to update your branding. If you don’t like any of the submitted designs, then DesignCrowd offers a money back guarantee. So checkout designcrowd.com/VC and enter the promo code VC100 to get an astonishing $100 off your next project.