The future is Unconditional basic Income, whether we can imagine it or not. Technological automation is going to leave fewer people with jobs and skills, and money is going to have to change its meaning, and work will have to change its purpose.
We can get there kicking and screaming, or prepare for it. These studies are invaluable data points on how behavior changes with access to free money, and helps move the economy and keep activity going….which after all, is the whole point of the economy.
“They told us the men would use the money to get drunk, and the women to buy jewellery and saris,” said Dewala. “But it’s a middle-class prejudice — The study showed that a regular income allows people to act responsibly.”
An experiment in paying villagers in one of India’s poorest states an unconditional basic income has been successful enough to change the government’s thinking. The village of Panthbadodiya lies 30km south of Indore, in Madhya Pradesh.
The Unconditional Basic Income Study –
Le Monde diplomatique – English edition