What do other candidates think about the Freedom Dividend (UBI)?

[Otto Lidenbrock]

It's Andrew Yang's signature policy that he loves plugging on stage but I've not heard a moderator bring it to others.

I noticed when Yang revealed his surprise right at the start for 10 families around America getting a year's worth of UBI from his campaign the audience cheered while his fellow candidates seemed a little shocked/lost for words for a second or two.

What does Joe Biden think of handing over $1000 a month to everyone? Bernie Sanders? Kamala Harris? What does Yang do if someone says "I'll raise it to $2000 a month"?

[hedda_foil]

1. It's a scam to soothe Americans while robotics take the rest of their jobs.The

Listen to him talk about the future of robotics and put it together.

[Blue_true]

3. Robotics and AI are going to take jobs regardless of whether we stick our heads in

the sand about the consequences. I applaud Yang for starting a conversation and debate about one of the consequences of the age of Robotics and AI that we are hurtling toward.

[JI7]

4. but that's the point. jobs ARE being automated so this is a way to deal with it

[hedda_foil]

6. Yeah. So is Soylent Green.

[JI7]

8. then what is your solution ?

[Blue_true]

2. It needs a lot of work in terms of concept and implementation details.

But I am really glad that Yang has raised the issue, because robotics and AI are going to force it on us soon. We need to start talking about it and debating the best way to do it.

[MBS]

5. Somewhere I read that Uber is a big enthusiast about the "Freedom Dividend"

Their apparent calculation is that they then wouldn't have to pay their drivers as much. . .

Sorry, no link - I did read this in a mainstream-media-type publication, though.

Personally, I think it's a flaky idea.

[question everything]

7. I thought that the audience booed

Clear bribery of voters, completely lack of sense.

But then, Yang also trashed the teachers union and no one here said anything.

[Garrett78]

9. At some point a UBI will likely be necessary, but we're not there yet.

There are too many other pressing problems that require massive amounts of money to solve. Yang has too much of a libertarian streak. It appeals to people, because government has been purposefully made dysfunctional. We need to make it functional. But that may prove too difficult. For instance, the US Senate shouldn't even exist, but getting rid of it is even less likely than getting rid of the electoral college.

[brooklynite]

10. Why wouldn't you cheer free money?

Most other candidates recognize that it’s a fringe policy with no proof of success that has never been scaled up to a national level.

[Hortensis]

11. Well, I'm sure that if Hillary had won and moved ahead with a UBI,

she would have found a less "Republican" name for it. "Freedom Dividend," my ass. No to Patriot anything either.

Seriously, Hillary and her team seriously considered running on a UBI, but with so many crying needs for Democrats to get to she said they couldn't "make the numbers work" for 2016. But expected to in future.

If it was a problem 2016, just imagine for 2021 after the Republicans continuing the transfer of our national wealth into the pockets of a few and deliberately driving us deep, deep, deep in debt. Their intention has always been to get rid of Social Security, Medicare, and all the rest, by whatever means available, including bankrupting them.

When checking the graph below for this century, remember that the Republican controlled congress controls the budget and spending. Republican administrations have been deliberately running the nation into the ground before transitions to Democratic administrations for decades now, SOP, but nothing like this period.

Not saying a UBI couldn't be great for redistributing income and stimulating the economy in general, and can't be done, but this forum spends money we aren't going to have in 2021. Just battling global warming properly would demand more than we have.

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