Perhaps you can make it work, and maybe you are right in thinking that it is the best course of action. But please don’t co-opt the terminology used by people advocating for a program that is really very different both ideologically and practically. This is not an honest way to promote what you want to do. When I say UBI, I want people to understand what I am talking about, and what I am talking about is payments to every person regardless of their income. That is what people saying UBI have meant for a long time, and acknowledging this is just basic respect.
As long as you’re honest about wanting to give rich people money simply so that you’re strict definition of “universal” is maintained, I’ll be willing to explain what the “universal” in UBI actually means is “universally available” as opposed to “universally applied”.
That’s what it seems that you’re arguing. But as I said, “universal” can mean whatever we want. Let’s just give poor people money so they can survive a little better and not worry about what the exact connotations the name might imply.
UBI describes the policy I strongly support. The policy you support, I am on the fence about, and lean slightly against, for various reasons. It sounds like you, inversely, are pro means tested basic income, and anti universal basic income. Let’s allow people to make up their minds about these policies based on the facts and not anything resembling a semantic bait and switch.
However 88 billion (the cost estimate in the OP article) divided by the population of canada is 2200
By your own admission, your version of UBI wouldn’t be viable. You accuse me of a semantic bait and switch while misrepresenting the program the government is trying to implement.
Perhaps you can make it work, and maybe you are right in thinking that it is the best course of action. But please don’t co-opt the terminology used by people advocating for a program that is really very different both ideologically and practically. This is not an honest way to promote what you want to do. When I say UBI, I want people to understand what I am talking about, and what I am talking about is payments to every person regardless of their income. That is what people saying UBI have meant for a long time, and acknowledging this is just basic respect.
As long as you’re honest about wanting to give rich people money simply so that you’re strict definition of “universal” is maintained, I’ll be willing to explain what the “universal” in UBI actually means is “universally available” as opposed to “universally applied”.
Just call it something else. It’s not UBI.
Just because you’re hung up on the name is no reason not to move forward with it.
Agreed. As I said, that’s not what I’m arguing here.
That’s what it seems that you’re arguing. But as I said, “universal” can mean whatever we want. Let’s just give poor people money so they can survive a little better and not worry about what the exact connotations the name might imply.
UBI describes the policy I strongly support. The policy you support, I am on the fence about, and lean slightly against, for various reasons. It sounds like you, inversely, are pro means tested basic income, and anti universal basic income. Let’s allow people to make up their minds about these policies based on the facts and not anything resembling a semantic bait and switch.
By your own admission, your version of UBI wouldn’t be viable. You accuse me of a semantic bait and switch while misrepresenting the program the government is trying to implement.