Hacker News Reader

Comment by nimos | Hacker News Reader

I think it is really dangerous to hand over an amount of money that lets people completely check out of contributing to society. Alone maybe that is a sketchy amount to live off of but with roommates in an inexpensive area without a car it seems very doable.

If you look at the amount of entertainment you can get from a used cheap desktop computer and internet connection along with the low cost of at home production of marijuana/alcohol I think it would be disastrous socially and economically.

Maybe that is overly pessimistic but I'm far more in favor of minimum wage elimination with government wage substitution up to some higher livable minimum and in the case that someone can't find a job the government acts as an employer of last resort creating some sort of busywork that has some social benefit.

View on HN

Maybe it's just me, but

>some sort of busywork that has some social benefit

sounds like so much more of a trap and a hellhole than hanging out at home with the potential to produce the things you love. There will be some who simply don't contribute at all, but think of all the artists who could contribute to social good through culture enrichment who are stuck in the stereotypical barista/retail/waiter job who have no time to contribute to their community outside of their two jobs. You think they are already contributing maximally? They will be climbing out of a local optimum (making money to scrape by( to pursue their global optimum (producing art that enriches others' lives and gives them a sense of meaning, and possible a path out of crippling depression).

Edit: I should also include that "some social benefit" can be twisted to mean anything. One person handing out tickets, another stamping a wrist, and a third saying "enjoy the show" arguably provides social benefit but there is a significant opportunity cost involved with railroading people into these sorts of jobs.

> ...think of all the artists who could contribute to social good through culture enrichment who are stuck in the stereotypical barista/retail/waiter job who have no time to contribute to their community outside of their two jobs.

Is there any evidence that there's an explosion of artistic and other innovation happening in any of the economically depressed areas of the US where a significant percentage of the public were/are already on public assistance? Has Appalachia or Detroit or similar places experienced an artistic renaissance? I certainly see no indications of any such thing happening.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com