8. Universal Basic Income: Panacea or Dystopia?

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Rundown

In this episode we tackle Universal Basic Income from a critical leftist perspective. We start by discussing why we’ve reached a point where so many people, on both the Left and Right sides of the political spectrum, are now advocating for basic income, including a critical look at how the internal mechanisms of capitalism produce an increasingly precarious and automated workforce. We then take a look at the progressive dream for basic income and contrast this to the concept’s neoliberal roots. Next, we provide critiques of the reactionary models that are being proposed, and talk about what accepting these models will mean for the system at large and what power workers will have in directing it. We end by talking about whether or not basic income will solve the internal contradictions of capitalism, and whether or not we should support it as leftists concerned with human rights, social justice and welfare.

Sources and Links

• Ceylan Yeginsu, 2018. If Workers Slack Off, the Wristband Will Know. (And Amazon Has a Patent for It.): https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/01/technology/amazon-wristband-tracking-privacy.html
• John Clarke, 2017. Basic Income: Progressive Dreams Meet Neoliberal Realities: https://socialistproject.ca/2017/01/b1350/#continue  
• Mexie’s video Precarious Work! The Reserve Army of Labour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgJlsBCmrUA
• Michael Auerback, 2018. Amazon is a a 21st-Century Digital Chain Gang: https://socialistproject.ca/2018/02/amazon-21st-century-digital-chain-gang/#more-13206
• Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, 2017. The Neoliberal Danger of Basic Income: https://socialistproject.ca/2017/10/b1494/
• Paul Cockshott, 2018. What is Wrong with the Idea of Basic Income: https://paulcockshott.wordpress.com/2017/01/25/what-is-wrong-with-the-idea-of-basic-income/
• Yogi Achara and A.J. Withers, 2017. Intentional Neglect or Callous Oversight? How ‘Progressive’ Basic Income Proposals Fail Migrants: https://socialistproject.ca/2017/09/b1489/

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