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Comment by run4yourlives2 | Hacker News Reader

I don't think returning to state indentured slavery is in any way a good thing.

If the state wants to build a road, it should pay qualified people the market rate to build a road, not use a pool of people hard on their luck.

Basic Income allows people to manage their own life in a more cost effective way than the welfare and other social programs we already provide, plus it provides incentive and opportunity to better their position through work/school.

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Does it really? Students in high school could easily take the lazy approach of believing that education doesn't matter because they will always have the basic income anyway. Noble people will better themselves under either system. Does a basic income system increase or decrease the number of people who aspire to better themselves?

I suppose it depends where you come from in terms of whether or not you believe the poor are mooching and lazy or simply disadvantaged.

Presented with the ability to continue education without needing to worry about putting food on the table, most people do in fact continue their education. Basic income is "basic" by nature. Very few will aspire to be a basic income earner for their lives. Even better though, even if they DO choose this path, they can choose otherwise at a later date and correct that mistake. That's the beauty of the system.

BTW, this is borne out by the data: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MINCOME

> Noble people will better themselves under either system.

No true scotsman.

They still have the opportunity to correct their decision if it turns out to be a bad one.

Hmm slavery is having people work against their will. Paying people a (low) salary for working is not illegal.

Paying someone a salary below minimum wage is, in fact, illegal.

800 euros per month for a 35 hour work week is illegal.

It's legal, but labeled "internship" ;).

800 for 20h/week is not illegal.

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