I think this post’s thesis (populists will stop any attempt at UBI) is perhaps narrativizing the situation. Dems have had, in my lifetime, the full triforce of power at least 4 times. They’ve never even tried to pass UBI, and that’s not a coincidence. The consequences of doing so would not flow from populists, but from its so-called supporters.
I worked at a QT for a sizable portion of my adult life, and the experience never leaves me. The beings I saw, day in and day out, are your UBI support. Let me tell you, it is a mile wide and an inch deep.
Ozy Frantz once fairly aptly described themselves as a ‘do-whatever-you-want-ist’, or words to that effect. They are far from alone, and the mob marries that delightful noncode of nonconduct with ‘and be praised for it’ as their basic slogan. They are for UBI, but will turn instantly, without a shred of guilt, upon anyone who attempts to implement it.
Forget the ‘are you really in favor of giving my money to Pedophile Paul’ attacks. Those will be damaging, but far more so will be the ‘these are the guys who made the music stop’ attacks. The UBI granters will be painted, accurately, as the slayers of Wal-mart, of QT, of Doordash and the thousand other little luxuries that our mob demand. That’s an attack that cannot be recovered from, a wound that is mortal. You can’t negotiate with one of my customers once you’ve caused them material harm, they do not work in that way.
Working at QT is a nightmare made manifest. To win away my allegiance it was never remotely necessary to outbid my scumbag bosses. UBI advocates began that game with ‘here are 8-10 hours of your life back every day’ in their plus column. They don’t need very much more than that to make those in my situation quit, and if we quit the QT folds. If it folds the UBI implementers are politically cooked.
The people in favor of implementing UBI are not in favor of the consequences of doing so (their lives depend on the labor of the wage slaves that UBI would liberate). The second that they feel a sting they will jump ship. Politicians know that, and do not cut their own throats. Far better to farm the UBI support and make vague noises about implementing it somewhere down the road, as they have historically done and will continue to do.
I think this is susceptible to David Graeber’s “bullshit jobs” argument. Why do people need cheap food? Lack of money. why do people need out-of-hours shopping? Lack of time.
What does that have to do which what Graeber said about “bullshit jobs”? Someone who stocks the shelves at Wall Mart isn’t working at what Graeber called bullshit jobs.
You can have an equilibrium, compared to the US, where the poor are less poor in nominal terms, the food is more expensive in nominal terms (but not in Purchasing Power Parity terms) the rich are less rich, and so on.
I think this post’s thesis (populists will stop any attempt at UBI) is perhaps narrativizing the situation. Dems have had, in my lifetime, the full triforce of power at least 4 times. They’ve never even tried to pass UBI, and that’s not a coincidence. The consequences of doing so would not flow from populists, but from its so-called supporters.
I worked at a QT for a sizable portion of my adult life, and the experience never leaves me. The beings I saw, day in and day out, are your UBI support. Let me tell you, it is a mile wide and an inch deep.
Ozy Frantz once fairly aptly described themselves as a ‘do-whatever-you-want-ist’, or words to that effect. They are far from alone, and the mob marries that delightful noncode of nonconduct with ‘and be praised for it’ as their basic slogan. They are for UBI, but will turn instantly, without a shred of guilt, upon anyone who attempts to implement it.
Forget the ‘are you really in favor of giving my money to Pedophile Paul’ attacks. Those will be damaging, but far more so will be the ‘these are the guys who made the music stop’ attacks. The UBI granters will be painted, accurately, as the slayers of Wal-mart, of QT, of Doordash and the thousand other little luxuries that our mob demand. That’s an attack that cannot be recovered from, a wound that is mortal. You can’t negotiate with one of my customers once you’ve caused them material harm, they do not work in that way.
Working at QT is a nightmare made manifest. To win away my allegiance it was never remotely necessary to outbid my scumbag bosses. UBI advocates began that game with ‘here are 8-10 hours of your life back every day’ in their plus column. They don’t need very much more than that to make those in my situation quit, and if we quit the QT folds. If it folds the UBI implementers are politically cooked.
The people in favor of implementing UBI are not in favor of the consequences of doing so (their lives depend on the labor of the wage slaves that UBI would liberate). The second that they feel a sting they will jump ship. Politicians know that, and do not cut their own throats. Far better to farm the UBI support and make vague noises about implementing it somewhere down the road, as they have historically done and will continue to do.
Is “QT” this? Or something else?
It’s that.
I think this is susceptible to David Graeber’s “bullshit jobs” argument. Why do people need cheap food? Lack of money. why do people need out-of-hours shopping? Lack of time.
What does that have to do which what Graeber said about “bullshit jobs”? Someone who stocks the shelves at Wall Mart isn’t working at what Graeber called bullshit jobs.
You can have an equilibrium, compared to the US, where the poor are less poor in nominal terms, the food is more expensive in nominal terms (but not in Purchasing Power Parity terms) the rich are less rich, and so on.
If you are European,you probably do already.
I don’t understand how what you wrote has anything to do with the “bullshit jobs” thesis.
Graeber calls jobs that don’t produce anything of value bullshit jobs. Someone who works at Wall Mart to stock the shelves does produce value.