How many studies that boil down to giving people money with no strings attached that always result in “well it improves their lives it seems” are we gonna have before people finally decide it’s worth doing that stuff universally?
The trouble is, the people doing the studies and the people in charge of deciding where public money is spent and acquired, are different groups.
Even Milton Friedman, the Nobel winning economist credited for libertarianism and neoliberal economics was in favour of UBI.
He specifically advocated for simplifying the tax code, and abolishing the welfare state in favour of progressive tax rates which included a negative income tax, which is a more extreme UBI.
Right wing policy makers just heard the simplify tax code and abolish welfare state part.
For some, life has to be suffering. I think that people can’t get past that way of thinking.
What? You mean without the cruelty? Why even bother?
But Dave from the local bar says he knows someone who took advantage of the benefits system so it’s obvious that everyone takes advantage of it and are just lazy and would rather get money for nothing… /S
“well i’m a raging alcoholic and spent all my welfare on the cheapest booze i could find, so obviously that’s what everyone’s going to do”
This is not going to go down well on Lemmy, but: not many studies boil down to this, unfortunately.
This article really changed my view on this https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/giving-people-money-helped-less-than
This article is not saying money does not help, but saying it’s not all it takes. I don’t think this is a hot take at all
breaking news: family in uganda starving to death despite having €40000 to eat
The entire point of living in a society, of following the collective social contract, is to assure everybody’s basic needs are met.
To suggest otherwise is contradictory to the very core of what a society is, and at that point, its better to have no society at all.
Given how having “no society at all” is impossible with 8 billion of us around… Either provide for everybody’s basic needs, or people need to break the social contract until they enforce their needs are met.
Being egoistic and wanting society to pitch in at the same time is a core tenet of the US republican party. Privatise the gains, socialise the losses is a big thing there. There are millions of people like that and unfortunately they are influencing the world-wide discourse on the issue.
$1500, once
$500/month for the first 12 months
That helps, but that’s a far cry from “born into poverty” solutions
Still amazing and I’m sure incredibly helpful to the families.
For people on the edge, this would make all the difference in the world and allow them to sleep at night.
For sure. I’m all for it.
I mean, I never had a kid, but $500 a month for a year sounds like it would shore you up for all early expenses
When I was in high school, many years ago, I remember posters in classrooms that stated
“It costs $800 a month to have a baby. How much is your allowance?”
I don’t know how that came up with that figure, but inflation has made this number much higher by now
it helps but $6k isn’t enough for a year in Flint, MI. That 500 doesn’t even cover rent.
This is a supplement… Not income replacement.
It’s not supposed to. Wtf you having a kid if you can afford rent!?
It’s supposed to help with formula, diapers, shit like that.
all early expenses
since none of y’all can read
Flint, MI
Cool that they took the lead on this
I see what you did there.
Wow a whole 1.5k
Plus $500/month for a year. It’s to help with diapers, food, etc. it’s a start, but needs a lot more if they don’t want the population to drop off the Mariana trench.
My copay on each of my kids births was over $2k, one was $7k. A couple of those bills were close to $30k, not that we paid that much, but still.
The US: “we need to be making more babies! Also fuck you, here’s a bill for the amount of a very nice new car! Get fucked, loser!”
This is normal in all the developed countries.
Having and raising children is not a concern only for the mother, the whole community needs to be involved.
I had no idea the only thing keeping me from escaping poverty is rent for a month
They should give out free birth control as well.
Doesn’t planned parenthood offer low to no cost BC?
only in states where that’s legal. tons of red states have limited PP to providing only care they find acceptable, women’s health be damned.
As a mother of an actual human I gotta say $1,500 for a lifetime is a ridiculous figure that wouldn’t even last a week when covering basic necessities (stroller, bedding, diapers, lotion, etc.)
So
65007500 over the course of the first year. That is good stuff.$7500. $1500 at pregnancy + $500/month for first year = $1500 + $500 x 12 = $1500 + $6000 = $7500
Which juuuuuuuust might cover the ride in an ambulance to go give birth (not the birth itself, just the ride).
If you’re being facetious: this is a good thing. It doesn’t solve all problems but it’s a damn good start. No need to get critical about a pretty damn big step in the right direction, especially considering those starting this initiative in a local setting can’t change the healthcare system nationwide.
If you’re serious: admittedly (and thankfully) I haven’t had to take an ambulance, but when my daughter was born the deductible on our high-deductible plan (after which point all care is covered for the calendar year) was a fair amount under that. The system sucks, but that’s not how it works either.
Think many would rather have universal healthcare and public school free meals.
Why not both?
Id take affordable housing first to add. Its honestly just a weenie benefit. Sure I would add it on to a dozen more useful things but there is so much more useful things. Even like increasing library programs and hours.
How about free college so we don’t have to see our kids working minimum wage job…give those to AI and robots.
Politicians don’t want smart voters
Owners want slaves with chain and balls that is student debt.
Charity needed to support impoverished countries like Bangladesh, Liberia, Rwanda, Uganda and the good old US of A. Simultaneously the richest and poorest country in the world.
charities are mostly money laundering schemes by the rich.
Epstein was bug into charity as all of his clients but yet normies admire this grift in 2025.
That doesn’t even cover the hospital bill
Its definitely not enough, but its way better than zero.
Oh good point, I guess we shouldn’t give them anything then /s
How dare someone point out an issue with something that doesn’t ultimately do much to fix the problem…
Just pointing out that Hitler had a very similar scheme.
Hitler also wanted to fuck his dog, maybe even did. Does that make him a dogfucker? Yes. Yes it does.
I don’t remember what I was going to say, but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to call Hitler a dogfucker.
Just pointing out that hitler breathed oxygen and drank water.
It’s not a scheme, it is a valid tool for population encouragement. Anyone having a kid to get $1500 needs to live in poverty imo.
Hitler also liked animals. Guess every animal friend is literally Hitler
