Messrs. Musk & Zuckerberg must think UBI (universal basic income) through before believing it will work. Not only is it a form of communism, it works against American principles of individual motivation to achieve the rewards of our constitutional rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. First of all, the cost of living in a major city is higher than in a rural area unless major investments are made to keep the standard of the rural area on an even par with neighboring cities. Of course, not every individual would move her/his family to the suburbs or a rural/agricultural community and forsake the urban contacts and resources that routinely are made available to city dwellers. Then too, personalities differ and not everyone in the city will be satisfied with his/her stage in life and he/she may desire to lift himself/herself up by any means necessary.
If human nature can be controlled to a level where a UBI meets the basic needs of life for everyone, there are still the challenges of preparing for the future, which is unknown. What shall the creative intellect do with her/his idea that needs investment beyond her/his savings to implement it? Who will decide which individuals will receive rewards for such talents as: superior intellect, athletic ability/strength, beauty/aesthetics, or plain popular appeal? A talented writer, singer/vocalist, performer, graphic artist may bloom with few resources, but she/he will need more investment to share her/his talent with others (based on popular demand).
Moreover, will the governors see to the equal distribution of the means of exchange (typically money) to everyone in equitable (equal?) amounts and will this money/investment provide the return necessary for government to continue to “doll-out” the income over the governeds’ lifetimes? There are many questions that are unanswered as most of recorded history has proven this sort of proposal to be unworkable. Societies will need to recalculate their current and long-range objectives in a plausible UBI framework and begin pilot testing random communities with a well thought out methodology before implementing a prototype UBI society.
Bill's Planet 