littledomme:

gothvelma:

the-eagle-weeps:

justsomeantifas:

Stop with the “who would flip burgers” argument when we talk about giving everyone a basic income, equal access to education, and equal access to the means of production.

1) some people enjoy cooking, this would actually allow them schooling and the means to be the best cooks possible if thats their passion

2) robots can replace the vast majority of jobs most people do not want to do, and with free education and a basic income and means of production, we could replace even more jobs people hate.

^^^^^^^ Thiiiiiiis. Some time ago, I honestly loved working certain types of front-line retail, but I had to look at other careers instead because no one can survive on one full-time retail job. (Without being obsessed with climbing the ladder, I suppose – I was completely content with being floor staff and never wanted to do anything managerial. Same when I got into branch banking.)

I’d always had the thought that social perception of admirable work might reverse itself if everyone had basic income. A person who continued to collect trash or do janitorial work while no longer struggling to survive might be able to shed the brand of being unskilled and desperate and would instead be seen as self-sacrificing and noble. Society relies on these near-invisible people for so much already; it would be great if they could be recognized for their work, especially if they chose to take up jobs that most people wouldn’t want.

if the question of “who would do x job” is actually “who would do x job if given no choice besides starving to death on the streets” there is a problem, because that means that society runs on certain people always being one skipped paycheck away from poverty

My job is hard. Long tiring shifts, bodily fluids, challenging behaviour. Part nurse, part maid, part therapist, part secretary and for this I am paid the princely sum of minimum wage. If universal income were a thing, I’d still do it, it’s rewarding and interesting, but I’d actually be getting paid a decent bloody wage instead of having less money than a shelf stacker.