is it time to discuss universal basic income? - gerard santinelli
TRANSCRIPT
Every now and then you come across an article
that pulls you up short, forcing you to stop dead
in your tracks and pay full attention to the matter
at hand. Scott Santen’s recent piece over right
here on Medium is very much one of them.
It hones in on a couple of themes that have
been occupying my mind of late.
The first is a controversial theory that has been
floating around the periphery of my attention for
some time now but that Scott’s article brings into
much sharper focus — the subject of universal
basic income.
I’d previously come across the topic via sporadic mentions online and in The
New York Times. Reports of academic mutterings on the subject here, news of
an astonishingly radical sounding referendum in Switzerland there.
To be honest, the whole area struck me as fanciful to begin with, the product of
sophomoric wishful thinking rather than a serious economic idea. I’m beginning
to change my mind however.
The second theme is the subject of autonomous transport.
I’ve mentioned previously how the big beasts of the current online jungle are
increasingly going after the same pieces of the same pie. Google’s recent
announcement of the imminent integration of a Buy Button on its pages is a
classic case in point here.
One area where this is even more apparent is in the field of self-driving vehicles.
Google is working on one. Apple is rumored to be. Amazon has its own ongoing
interests in this area and a slew of other companies such as Uber are sniffing
around the space. That’s before you even factor in Tesla who are set to
announce a consumer solution for this within the month.
Santen’s compellingly argued premise is that the imminent arrival of self-driving
technology is effectively going to wipe out an entire tier of middle-income jobs
across America along with the businesses and services that those jobs indirectly support.
He goes on to suggest that offering some kind
of basic universal income could be the only way of cushioning this impending blow.
I have to admit, it’s not a concept that sits
easily with me and many aspects of it seem to
be practically verging on un-American at first glance. As I read through his excellently
reasoned piece though, I began to seriously
consider it. As I read through his excellently reasoned piece though, I began to seriously
consider it. It’s truly eye-opening stuff.
Check it out yourself and let me know what you think in the comments. Are we
heading towards a fully automated, robot-driven future? Will or even should Uncle Sam have to step in to pick up the tab in communities across this great
nation of ours? I’m curious to hear your thoughts on the matter.
