Karnal wrote on Jan 27
th, 2022 at 1:37pm:
I'm not sure how you'd run a job guarantee, given the private sector has most of the jobs.
Well, I won't explain MMT to you here, so let's have a look at your proposal (I will just say there is an infinite amount of work which people would like done, but which the private sector is not interested in doing).
Quote:UBI is different. People spend much of their lives in school, training and retirement, or as carers. UBI guarantees an income.
Yes (much like a JG).
Quote:I'd tax a UBI back once employed. It would amount to little more than a rise to Newstart payments, and by basic, I'd suggest about $300 a week - adjusted to the consumer price index or a similar measure..
Sounds good...but will those 'aspirational' middle class types be willing to pay the tax?
Quote:Anyone could be entitled after, say, 18. It could be managed by the ATO, not Centrelink. This would do away with all the administration around Newstart. Disability and aged pensioners would get a top-up.
Sounds good.
Quote:It would probably double the current social security bill, and I'd raise upper-level taxes to pay for it. I think you'd find a significant proportion of people willing to pay more if the money went to citizens as opposed to government departments. I'd sell it as paying for all that unpaid labour, such as mothers, carers, etc, as well as future-proofing our welfare state for pending lay-offs.
The high-lighted: that's a good point. At present much tax money is wasted on the
poverty industry, which is why the 'abo gap' remains entrenched; the money goes to the employees of the poverty industry, not the intended recipients. [But speaking of abos, a UBI would NOT work, because the level of dysfunction in that community is already too great. A JG is definitely required in that case].
Quote:$300 a week is not enough to make people complacent, and people don't work merely for money anyway.
That would work with government subsidized housing (rents are too high in the private market).
Quote: We need to be honest about how the economy works - unemployment is not about bludging, but structural problems, as covid has shown. Tory governments around the world were able to sell jobkeeper payments during covid, we could be honest about the future of work and sell a UBI this way. The rabid right were able to accept this.
Agreed. But evil mainstream economists are already shouting about "debt which will burden our grandchildren", etc, to encourage/frighten the electorate to return to business as usual, eg, balanced budget BS, inflation BS etc.
And hardly a day goes by without ignorant ABC journalists harassing politicians of all stripes about the 'debt which must be repaid'.
Quote:I'd probably wait for Murdoch to die first before implementing it. The big problem is the rabid tabloid news, not so much the "right" per se, but I'd like to see it tested thoroughly first to see how it impacts on production and consumption and the wider economy.
Certainly something has to be done, to avoid the disastrous consequences of entrenched poverty and spiraling inequality.
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