24 good reasons for universal basic income (ubi) by Franz Schäfer (Mond)

For some leftists, a basic income is not “revolutionary” enough. We have seen in the previous reasons, that a universal basic income definitely has the potential to transform society towards communism. A basic income undermines the most fundamental mechanism of capitalism. What is this mechanism? Many people think it’s the money. But money is just the lubricant. It is more likely capital and capital is usually not present in the form of money but rather in the form of ownership of factories and other so-called means of production. If we look more closely, it is not the capital but the capital relationship: that on the one hand we have the ownership of the means of production and on the other hand we have a lot of people who have nothing else to sell but their labor power. It is precisely this relationship that allows capitalists to buy labor and then transform it into surplus value. This is the core of capitalism and this is exactly where the basic income comes in: It changes the second part of this equation: people are suddenly no longer forced to sell their labor at any price and thus the capitalists’ capital is immediately devalued: it is not so easy to propagate anymore. This is elegantly expressed in a footnote in the first volume of Capital:

With a basic income, many people would probably look for meaningful activities beyond wage labor, others would prefer to continue working in conventional wage labor. But with a basic income it is easier to take a break. For leisure or relaxation and to reflect on life. This protects against burnout and helps you regain your strength. This guarantees that those who are in paid labor are actually motivated and productive and this effect alone could even lead to significantly higher productivity.

We need a universal basic income because so that we no longer align our actions primarily with economic interests.

We need a universal basic income because the watering can works better then targeted benefits

A Universal Basic Income ends the harassment of unemployed people

A Universal Basic Income enables a transformation of society

A Universal Basic Income 18 creates wiggle room to solve social problems

A Universal Basic Income would enable personal development

A Universal Basic Income conveys a different view of humanity

A Universal Basic Income brings fairer wages

A Universal Basic Income breaks the logic of unlimited economic growth

A Universal Basic Income would help the transition to a carbon free production and would reduce CO2 emissions by cutting down on bullshit jobs

A Universal Basic Income fosters a totally new understanding of labor

With A Universal Basic Income is the only possible answer to digitalization and AI

With A Universal Basic Income, work that is currently not paid is finally going to be paid

A Universal Basic Income helps against bullshit jobs

A Universal Basic Income brings people to question the status quo

A Universal Basic Income is a motivating and positive utopia

A Universal Basic Income frees from shame because it comes without means testing

With a Universal Basic Income we get redistribution from top to bottom

A Universal Basic Income guarantees good working conditions

A Universal Basic Income combines our forces in social struggles

A Universal Basic Income helps against precarization and existential anxiety

A Universal Basic Income enables the Solidarity Economy