October 17th is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. So let's do it NOW. #EndPoverty.
In the United States, this could be accomplished rather straightforwardly via expansion of the social security system to provide a guaranteed liveable income (a.k.a. basic income guarantee/B.I.G. or unconditional basic income/U.B.I.), along with passage of an improved and expanded Medicare for all.
In the video below, in 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. advocates direct abolition of poverty via guaranteed basic income in Where Do We Go From Here - Chaos or Community?
In another powerful video below, Archbishop Desmond Tutu speaks out on behalf of direct abolition of poverty via guaranteed basic income, and in his address to the Basic Income Earth Network's 11th International Congress in Cape Town, South Africa, November 4, 2006.
As blogged before, basic income is not a new idea, with supporters from different political persuasions and proposals for its implementation coming in various forms and amounts. For the most part, however, BIEN advocates seem to agree that it must be unconditional (without regard to employment or income status or means testing), individual, and liveable.
A recent article here by Naomi Klein advocating guaranteed basic income.
A video discussion below with Occupy Wall Street organizer and author David DeGraw who coined the now historic phrase, "We are the 99 percent." He, too, advocates a basic income.
From Dennis Traynor:
In his new book, The Economics of Revolution, DeGraw writes:
“Having
that much wealth consolidated within a mere 1% of the population, while
a record number of people toil in poverty and debt, is a crime against
humanity. For example, it would only cost 0.5% of the 1%’s wealth to
eliminate poverty nationwide. Also consider that at least 40% of the
1%’s accounted for wealth is sitting idle. That’s an astonishing $13
trillion in wealth hoarded away, unused.”
And a 2013 question and answer session with Allan Sheahen, U.S. Basic Income Guarantee Network Board Member and author of the book, Basic Income Guarantee: Your Right To Economic Security.
The basic income movement is reportedly gaining momentum, worldwide, with the 2016 Congress for the Basic Income Earth Network to be hosted by South Korea. The 16th BIEN Congress took place at McGill University in Canada where François Blais, the Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity, recently announced his support for a basic income. In Iceland, the Pirates Party is now proposing a guaranteed basic income. And as blogged earlier, the Swiss will be voting on a guaranteed liveable income, having quickly gathered the requisite signatures for the ballot under Swiss law.
A pro-business statement for a basic income:
Anonymous made a announcement, too:
Basic income pilots have been successfully implemented in communities ranging from Prince Edward Island, Canada to villages in India.
On the Canadian pilot:
Why Basic Income? Campaign for a Basic Income Guarantee for PEI from
C-BIG PEI on
Vimeo.
On the pilot in India:
The 14th Annual North American Basic Income Congress is now scheduled for New York, 2015, with invitations for panel discussion proposals.
With November elections approaching in the U.S., and all the candidates who like to associate themselves with the ideals and vision of Dr. King - and sing his praises on Martin Luther King Day - well, I challenge them to "walk the talk" and outright declare support for his proposition in "Where do we go from here?" - and by strongly calling for direct abolition of poverty in the United States - through immediate passage of a guaranteed liveable income.
"If not now, when?"
A wonderful and enlightening presentation by Federico Pistono on an unconditional basic income (U.B.I., a.k.a. Basic Income Guarantee, B.I.G.), and at the Future of Work Summit at NASA Ames Research Park in California, June, 2014. Also spotted in attendance with some questions for Mr. Pistono, former NAACP President Ben Jealous.
Editor's Note 8.27.2014
For some reason, the comment response button isn't posting my reply to Jack Saturday's comment below. (Unless it's suddenly going to post it 3 or 4 times later....)
He mentions recognizing Dr. James Hughes (IEET) and Michael Albert (Z Magazine) in the audience (see comment). That seems to be correct, though I don't see their name tags. I looked again more closely at the video and do spot name tags on others asking questions. Those individuals include Erik
Brynjolfsson of M.I.T., Salim Ismail, now with Singularity University,
and Technology and Engineering Emmy Award Winner Philip Rosendale of
Virtual World "Second Life."
Jack Saturday, thanks for your comment. I hope the identification of these cutting edge thinkers inspires others to view the video presentation on guaranteed basic income.
A fabulous, must-see music video for a Basic Income Guarantee from Amsterdam - musical artists Pharaoh and Yara in, Het Goeie Leven, which, translated from Dutch means, "The Good Life."
You can enable the English language caption for this video (if you don't already see the translation on the bottom of the youtube screen); however, Artists For A Basic Income have also provided this google translation:
( Pharaoh )
I can watch the world
Complain about what I want
But it is only the actions
That make the difference
We can not sleep
Then we see the light
Labour is a choice
And nothing more is required
We are free -
( Yara )
Free because we choose a new beginning
For all of us
Team up
Create another system
Welcome to paradise
( Yara )
The good life
Life where I am entitled to
Just like you and like you
We're going to claim
Everything is now in place zn
We are finally free so free
( Pharaoh )
I have a right to leisure
I have a right to health and safety
Right to enough to live on
Because there is more than enough to divide
Yes , we can ensure that everyone comes around
No more hassles stress
- Basic Income - it makes you free
New approach to society
( Yara )
The good life
Life where I am entitled to
Just like you and like you
We're going to claim
Everything is now in place zn
We are finally free so free
( Yara )
Free because we choose a new beginning
For all of us
Team up
Create another system
Welcome to paradise
( Pharaoh + Yara )
I want a basic income - Oh Yeah
Do you want a basic income - unconditional
Basic Income - unconditionally
All - everyone
I want a basic income - unconditional
Do you want a basic income - unconditional
Basic income - oh yeah
All - everyone
( Pharaoh )
Free yourself , free the world . And live the good life
Also check out the video below from the campaign to bring a Basic Income Guarantee (B.I.G.) pilot program to local communities on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Similar pilot programs in other countries have been successful in directly abolishing poverty.
The Canadian New Democratic Party is urging adoption of the pilot Basic Income Guarantee on Prince Edward Island since standard social service programs are (*shockingly*) not ending poverty (and that's what we want to do, and outright, isn't it?) ...
“The NDP firmly believes that the public health system can work well
only if everybody can afford to be physically and mentally healthy. Each
person needs the income to afford proper nutrition, education,
recreation and community engagement,” added the NDP Leader.
In the last fiscal year, $2.3 million went unspent in the social
assistance program and for this fiscal year, the same budget was cut by
almost $2 million. In July 2013, a study by the University of Toronto
indicated that 27% of Island children lived in households that could not
afford adequate nutritious food.
“How can it be that we have so many people in need and not have the
right programming to help them? Let’s move to a solution that will
improve the health and well-being of our people as well as strengthen
our local economy. Let’s move to the basic income guarantee,” concluded
Redmond.
In the U.S., we need to learn from and join with this growing international campaign for a guaranteed basic income. The interviewed Prince Edward Island women in this video could easily be American women sharing similar experiences living in poverty, when it can, instead, be directly abolished.
