Well, at least it's a business model they have experience in. They already call their customers users and they have an experience with giving stuff out for free at first, then tightening the screws.
We already have those deadbeats. We already absorb them. That's not going to change. If the current refugee situation shows us something, then that we can easily feed and shelter millions.
This is probably not going to be sustainable. What I could see, though, especially with gig-economy becoming more and more a reality for low level jobs, is abolishing minimum wage with UBI and low level jobs actually offering like 50 bucks a week. People taking these jobs will probably work a week or two to pay for whatever appliance they have to replace, and let's be honest, stock boys don't need a lot of training, so hiring them on a per-day base might be interesting for both, people who need a few bucks to pay for something the UBI does not cover and companies that need a few more hands on certain days.
We already have zero-hour jobs that pretty much constitute something like this, so the difference would be minimal. And it would be beneficial for everyone. Shops only have to pay a fraction of what they pay employees today, people would still retain the safety of UBI and be able to earn the extra money they need when they need it without some "unemployment" looming over their head. And those of use with real jobs that pay real wages certainly won't quit their jobs because, well, let's face it, living off 600 bucks a month is impossible to me and even if I got 600 bucks less from my employer because of UBI I would probably not even notice it.
Anarchy (in the sense of "might makes right") is basically the end result of ultimate laissez faire. This is about as little government influence as you can possibly get.
We are lacking money on the demand side. We're in the serious economic situation exactly because there is a lack of demand. We're shoveling more and more money towards those that already have enough money to satisfy their demands, so money piles up on this end and is looking for worthwhile investments. Of which there are simply none because, again, there is no demand.
If you want to start a company you need the capital to do so. That's true. That capital is not lacking in any way, though. There is PLENTY of investment capital available. But nothing to invest in because every business today fails at a crucial lack of demand.
We're a service oriented economy. Now, services are a GREAT thing if the economy is flourishing because you're literally selling pure workforce. And that's something we have aplenty. While there is a limit to what we can grow on our soil and what we can extract from it and turn into products, services are only limited by how many people we can stuff into providing them (provided the people have the skill to perform that service, of course). That makes services awesome. Train people and you can sell their workforce for a profit.
That backfires badly once the economy plummets. Because the FIRST thing that gets cut back is services. People need to eat, and people need to fuel their car. But the dripping faucet may drip another week and the haircut isn't that badly necessary for another month either.
We need money on the demand side. Only if there is a demand, investing in a business that satisfies that demand and hiring people makes any sense at all. If there is no demand for a service, I am better off not investing in a company providing the service.
What sort of fulfillment happens when you end every sentence "do you want fries with that" all day long? Be honest, would that be fulfilling? Along with being yelled at by idiots who can't remember their own order, kids that puke all over the floor that you can clean up afterwards while being berated by someone that it makes him nauseated (not like you wouldn't love to puke on top of it because you're down on your knees and much closer to the olfactory treat offered by the little bastard). Plus the ever popular "someone made a nono in the toilet, go and clean it" spiel.
All that for the killer salary of 5 bucks an hours.
That's fulfilling, yes? Makes you feel valued and appreciated?
Extrapolation. I don't know anyone that enjoys doing the same mind numbing thing for 9 hours a day, 5-6 days a week, from now 'til the end of their days.
And I do know a fair number of people from all walks of life, I dare say that none of them would consider this time well spent.
Umm... if you try that in most of Europe you might have a problem explaining your behaviour to the police. Hunting isn't quite legal unless done with a permit and in the proper way.
Blame the treehuggers for making most traps illegal....
Then I guess money failed as a reward. Could it be that people just need money to pay for what they really need and don't give a shit about it beyond that?
Oddly the result does not support your premise. Giving out the UBI did not result in more joblessness. All that could be observed is that the ones that got UBI and the control group that didn't had about the same rate of people finding/keeping jobs.
Could it maybe be that 600 bucks a month wouldn't convince anyone to not work? 600 bucks isn't even close to what I'd need every month to pay my bills.
And that's different to the beautiful capitalist world we're in now in what way exactly?
In Communism, you had people giving not even half a shit about their job, do a half-assed job if that, with nobody, not even the kolkhoz- or factory foremen giving a shit because they, too, didn't care jack shit about it.
In Capitalism, you have pretty much the same, everyone working just enough to not getting fired with those on top not giving any more of a shit beyond what's necessary to ensure their bonus payments, and since they're basically a given, they don't give a shit either.
And since we're in a completely hire-and-fire economy anyway, and since more than minimum wage is but a wet dream (unless you happen to have a skill that is in higher demand than supply), nobody questions why you're on your fourth job in 5 years and nobody bothers to "climb the corporate ladder" anymore either because it doesn't happen anyway.
Seriously, the only times I have seen a considerable change in my paycheck was when I switched companies, and I have not seen any in-house promotions in at least the last 6 years.
Do you know that there was no unemployment in the countries you cite here? And something like this was pretty much impossible as well. Article 209.1 of the USSR penal code pretty much meant that you either have a job or you go to prison.
"He who does not work shall not eat", a quote Lenin quite blatantly lifted from the bible. Just in case anyone here thought that Communism and Christianity are completely incompatible, at least their seedy underbelly looks quite the same.
I guess you really would have liked the USSR. Or a theocracy, it's all good.
I feel your pain. Every year in March I feel like I finally could afford that Summer mansion that I'd love so much but come April it's always back to just the three-bedroom house.
Slashdot Mirror
Well, at least it's a business model they have experience in. They already call their customers users and they have an experience with giving stuff out for free at first, then tightening the screws.
Some societies managed to replace social darwinism with civilization. Try it some time. You might actually enjoy not being an asshole.
I take that as "no".
We already have those deadbeats. We already absorb them. That's not going to change. If the current refugee situation shows us something, then that we can easily feed and shelter millions.
As stated above, that's the point!
Do you live in this reality?
This is a honest question. Because it doesn't really seem that way.
This is probably not going to be sustainable. What I could see, though, especially with gig-economy becoming more and more a reality for low level jobs, is abolishing minimum wage with UBI and low level jobs actually offering like 50 bucks a week. People taking these jobs will probably work a week or two to pay for whatever appliance they have to replace, and let's be honest, stock boys don't need a lot of training, so hiring them on a per-day base might be interesting for both, people who need a few bucks to pay for something the UBI does not cover and companies that need a few more hands on certain days.
We already have zero-hour jobs that pretty much constitute something like this, so the difference would be minimal. And it would be beneficial for everyone. Shops only have to pay a fraction of what they pay employees today, people would still retain the safety of UBI and be able to earn the extra money they need when they need it without some "unemployment" looming over their head. And those of use with real jobs that pay real wages certainly won't quit their jobs because, well, let's face it, living off 600 bucks a month is impossible to me and even if I got 600 bucks less from my employer because of UBI I would probably not even notice it.
We have finally found a place to dump all the nuclear waste! It's going to our next gen data centers!
I see a glowing future ahead of us.
Are you positive that you replied to the right post? You're quoting someone completely different and it sounds like you are kinda-sorta agreeing?
Who's not a commie at 20 has no heart
Who's still a commie at 40 has no brain
Who's a commie again at 60 has no wallet
Anarchy (in the sense of "might makes right") is basically the end result of ultimate laissez faire. This is about as little government influence as you can possibly get.
Spend it!
We are lacking money on the demand side. We're in the serious economic situation exactly because there is a lack of demand. We're shoveling more and more money towards those that already have enough money to satisfy their demands, so money piles up on this end and is looking for worthwhile investments. Of which there are simply none because, again, there is no demand.
If you want to start a company you need the capital to do so. That's true. That capital is not lacking in any way, though. There is PLENTY of investment capital available. But nothing to invest in because every business today fails at a crucial lack of demand.
We're a service oriented economy. Now, services are a GREAT thing if the economy is flourishing because you're literally selling pure workforce. And that's something we have aplenty. While there is a limit to what we can grow on our soil and what we can extract from it and turn into products, services are only limited by how many people we can stuff into providing them (provided the people have the skill to perform that service, of course). That makes services awesome. Train people and you can sell their workforce for a profit.
That backfires badly once the economy plummets. Because the FIRST thing that gets cut back is services. People need to eat, and people need to fuel their car. But the dripping faucet may drip another week and the haircut isn't that badly necessary for another month either.
We need money on the demand side. Only if there is a demand, investing in a business that satisfies that demand and hiring people makes any sense at all. If there is no demand for a service, I am better off not investing in a company providing the service.
What sort of fulfillment happens when you end every sentence "do you want fries with that" all day long? Be honest, would that be fulfilling? Along with being yelled at by idiots who can't remember their own order, kids that puke all over the floor that you can clean up afterwards while being berated by someone that it makes him nauseated (not like you wouldn't love to puke on top of it because you're down on your knees and much closer to the olfactory treat offered by the little bastard). Plus the ever popular "someone made a nono in the toilet, go and clean it" spiel.
All that for the killer salary of 5 bucks an hours.
That's fulfilling, yes? Makes you feel valued and appreciated?
Extrapolation. I don't know anyone that enjoys doing the same mind numbing thing for 9 hours a day, 5-6 days a week, from now 'til the end of their days.
And I do know a fair number of people from all walks of life, I dare say that none of them would consider this time well spent.
Umm... if you try that in most of Europe you might have a problem explaining your behaviour to the police. Hunting isn't quite legal unless done with a permit and in the proper way.
Blame the treehuggers for making most traps illegal....
Be honest, would you?
Seriously, if you pay me 800 to work my ass off 40 hours a week or 600 to sit at home and work on my own projects, guess which one I choose.
If you want me to work on something that's not in my own interest, make it worth my time.
Then I guess money failed as a reward. Could it be that people just need money to pay for what they really need and don't give a shit about it beyond that?
Oddly the result does not support your premise. Giving out the UBI did not result in more joblessness. All that could be observed is that the ones that got UBI and the control group that didn't had about the same rate of people finding/keeping jobs.
Could it maybe be that 600 bucks a month wouldn't convince anyone to not work? 600 bucks isn't even close to what I'd need every month to pay my bills.
And that's different to the beautiful capitalist world we're in now in what way exactly?
In Communism, you had people giving not even half a shit about their job, do a half-assed job if that, with nobody, not even the kolkhoz- or factory foremen giving a shit because they, too, didn't care jack shit about it.
In Capitalism, you have pretty much the same, everyone working just enough to not getting fired with those on top not giving any more of a shit beyond what's necessary to ensure their bonus payments, and since they're basically a given, they don't give a shit either.
And since we're in a completely hire-and-fire economy anyway, and since more than minimum wage is but a wet dream (unless you happen to have a skill that is in higher demand than supply), nobody questions why you're on your fourth job in 5 years and nobody bothers to "climb the corporate ladder" anymore either because it doesn't happen anyway.
Seriously, the only times I have seen a considerable change in my paycheck was when I switched companies, and I have not seen any in-house promotions in at least the last 6 years.
Do you know that there was no unemployment in the countries you cite here? And something like this was pretty much impossible as well. Article 209.1 of the USSR penal code pretty much meant that you either have a job or you go to prison.
"He who does not work shall not eat", a quote Lenin quite blatantly lifted from the bible. Just in case anyone here thought that Communism and Christianity are completely incompatible, at least their seedy underbelly looks quite the same.
I guess you really would have liked the USSR. Or a theocracy, it's all good.
Do you know whether you'll be able to afford a teenager in 15 years from now?
Will you ever know?
Try to get him to use a knife instead. If he survives, use a machete.
I feel your pain. Every year in March I feel like I finally could afford that Summer mansion that I'd love so much but come April it's always back to just the three-bedroom house.
Make abortions legal and easy to use and you'll see fewer units being pumped out that put stress on the social system.
I know, I know, I make the old mistake again of trying to use logic with a conservative....
And what's wrong about this?
Yes, he wastes his life. But it's at least no my life he wastes for the 20 bucks in my wallet.