All of this is too convoluted. Just give people money and let them spend it as they wish. If someone wants to live in their parents basement they should still get the same benefits as everyone else. We have too many intellectuals who believe they should decide what other people need or want. You and I have no idea what some random person needs or wants. Just give people money. If they blow it then so be it. We can't save every human being on earth from making poor decisions and the more we try the more we interfere with general human flourishing and prosperity.
A better plan would be housing and food vouchers given to everyone. You would end up with higher taxes but the voucher would cover it until you make a high enough amount. Basically the more you make the less "free" money you get when you factor in taxes. All the issues people point out as flaws of these plans can be addressed, we just have to actually think about them rather than reject the idea before it can be adjusted. The issue is nobody wants to put in the work to think critically about anything. They just repeat stuff they heard elsewhere.
So if an adult lives with their parents and grows their own food they don't get any benefits? This is the problem. Not everyone needs the same things. If we give everyone cash it ensures that people are treated fairly.
Cash can be spent on things that are not basic essentials (housing food etc...). Part of the system could be cash payments, but ideally you are trying to avoid situations where people can blow all their money on drugs or whatever and be in the same position. The key part is having a real discussion about the concerns and addressing them rather than throwing the whole idea out.
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u/warrenfgerald Aug 04 '22
All of this is too convoluted. Just give people money and let them spend it as they wish. If someone wants to live in their parents basement they should still get the same benefits as everyone else. We have too many intellectuals who believe they should decide what other people need or want. You and I have no idea what some random person needs or wants. Just give people money. If they blow it then so be it. We can't save every human being on earth from making poor decisions and the more we try the more we interfere with general human flourishing and prosperity.