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Comment by demircancelebi | Hacker News Reader

Wow. Looks like they'll spend a lot of money for this research. Congrats to everyone involved!

I thought basic income was about a time where AI would take most of the jobs, and everything would be far cheaper thanks to automation. I cannot understand how it'll help you not work in the current world.

Because working part-time might not be an option for many, even if they are ready to forgo the money. We also have not built that automated world yet, so although $1000/m certainly helps, it is still not enough to pay for a comfortable life in the US.

Maybe someone more informed on the subject can enlighten me.

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Because it is not meant to "help you not work." It is meant to ensure a basic minimum whether you work or not. It is also not meant to "pay for a comfortable life." It is meant to prevent you from starving.

For the sake of argument, however, as you say, going part time is not an option for many people. For the lowest paid jobs, on the other hand, going full time is often not an option. The jobs at the bottom tend to be part time with no benefits and no guaranteed hours. These are the people who will be most benefited by a basic income. If they are additionally stuck in a hostile work environment, the basic income may give them enough cushion to quit the job rather than hanging on just so they don't starve. It may also give them enough money to take time off work and go to school in order to earn a slightly better income. And, if they are laid off through no fault of their own, it may allow them to eat until they can find another job.

For what I know, basic income is not about allowing people to not work, but instead, push people to work by allowing them to take risks by trying to work in a field they actually want to work.

Starting this wood-carving artisanat shop that you're insanely good at looks a lot more promising when you know you'll have a bit of money to eat at the end of the month :D

A huge hope of defensors of basic income is that it may pay itself by the economy boost it gives, and won't just add $1000 to every rent bill in the area !

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