On Wednesday Night, February 15^th, we will discuss the dream of most of mankind since the beginning – to get paid without having to work! This is the idea that drives casinos and lotteries around the world – to win so much money that a person would never have to work again. But I’m not referring to gambling – I’m referring to an article from AFP News that I read a month ago. It is the idea of a “Universal Basic Income.”  Since futurists are telling us that much of our current work will soon be done by robots and other intelligent machines, world leaders are beginning to plan for the new day when many (if not most) people will no longer need to work.  What will we do?  How will we make money for necessities?

The answer is “Universal Basic Income.” The government will pay everyone a flat sum of money to cover all the basic necessities of life. What will we do with our time?  Planners believe that most people will study to learn new skills so they can make more than the “Basic Income.”  Other people will supplement their “basic income” with service work such as taking care of the sick and elderly. Others will do volunteer work “for the greater good.”

You may be wondering where the money will come from to pay for all these benefits.  Economists say the money will come from taxes on the companies that use these robots and from savings as they clean up the fraud and abuse in the current welfare and unemployment systems. France, Finland, the Netherlands, Canada, Scotland, and Brazil are already doing studies and experiments on this idea. AFP News also quotes Dr. Robert Reich (former Labor Secretary under President Clinton) as being in favor of this concept.

What are your thoughts?  Is work a necessity or a necessary evil for people? Will the world be a better place if everyone has a financial safety net?  Would more people be more benevolent and do more “good things” if they were not burdened with having to “work for a living?”

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