UBI is one way to do it, but even direct provision is fine.
UBI is inefficient in a monopoly controlled distribution system, because monopolists will raise prices to absorb the UBI rather than expanding capacity to meet the economic demand. The appeal of direct provisioning is the elimination of waste. You don’t have production targeted to the maximal price point, you have it targeted to the social demand.
Not many millionaires are going to go down to the depot every month and get their government-issued bag of rice, even if they could if they wanted.
One of the first rules of being a millionaire is to never spend a penny more than you need to. Idk if they’ll go down themselves, but you can guarantee every one of their staff and contracting crew will be pulling out their allotment just so the boss doesn’t have to cover this as an expense.
Even within existing capitalist societies, we can provide for the basics of life for everyone.
The fundamental problem with capitalist structures of society is that people in it are going to pursue passive income wherever they can. Staples, being a socially necessary good, are an excellent source of passive income because they’ve got inelastic demand. You can keep raising the prices on these goods and people won’t stop buying them. Middlemen and speculators thrive in this kind of economic environment, unless regulators or public brokers exist to cap their profit-seeking.
UBI is inefficient in a monopoly controlled distribution system, because monopolists will raise prices to absorb the UBI rather than expanding capacity to meet the economic demand. The appeal of direct provisioning is the elimination of waste. You don’t have production targeted to the maximal price point, you have it targeted to the social demand.
One of the first rules of being a millionaire is to never spend a penny more than you need to. Idk if they’ll go down themselves, but you can guarantee every one of their staff and contracting crew will be pulling out their allotment just so the boss doesn’t have to cover this as an expense.
The fundamental problem with capitalist structures of society is that people in it are going to pursue passive income wherever they can. Staples, being a socially necessary good, are an excellent source of passive income because they’ve got inelastic demand. You can keep raising the prices on these goods and people won’t stop buying them. Middlemen and speculators thrive in this kind of economic environment, unless regulators or public brokers exist to cap their profit-seeking.