When I first came across the idea of universal basic income I wasn’t for it at all. My first thought was giving people money for nothing would make them lazy and contribute little to society. After looking deeper into it I realised I was wrong and not only is it a good idea, it’s a necessity.
With the rise of AI we are on the eve of an enormous job crisis. Projections show that in 5-10 years there will be few taxi drivers, truck drivers, call centre agents and factory workers. Even medical students are running from radiologist roles as AI can spot subtleties in grey that the human eye cannot. The impact AI is going to have can’t fully be realised at this point.
The average truck driver in the US (the most common job in 29 states) is a 49 year old male with a high school education. With government retraining programmes having a success rate of between 0-15% all these people won’t be able to just “find another job” as many suggest.
So they get UBI, now what? Do they just sit around watching Netflix all day?
Not according to Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist who’s theory (Maslow’s hierarchy) states that people must first satisfy lower level needs before being able to satisfy higher level needs.
He states that humans have a strong desire to achieve all that they can in life but their ability to do so is often disrupted by failure to meet their lower level and basic needs.
He put them into the 5 levels:
The bottom two levels are classed as basic needs. Needs that in todays world are all too common to not be met. Without them people are unable to get much, if any, genuine fulfilment from life.
When physiological needs like food, water and shelter are not met people are in survival mode and not thinking about safety needs like friends and family. When safety needs like employment, property and social stability are not met you’re not looking for a sense of belonging… and on we go up the pyramid.
Though as the name suggests UBI is not just for the unemployed. For someone in full time employment that’s getting by on a month to month basis having that extra income may allow them to save to put their kid through school or start that Buisness idea that they have always dreamed of.
It won’t make people lazy, it’ll inspire them to look upward and move forward.
Additionally, there is a clear correlation between inequality and crime. UBI will seriously help reduce inequality which in turn will reduce crime. A lower crime rate is something even those who oppose UBI would love to see in their communities.
Much like AI the impact Intercoin can have in communities can’t be fully realised at this time, though I’m sure it’ll play a pivotal roll in improving the lives of people and business around the world. It’s great to be involved and I look forward to the journey and I’m increasingly excited to see what the future holds.
) thinks that it’s intentional in some way. Divide and conquer. Keep control by having us divided and arguing over politics, race, religion and separated by wealth/social status. United and strong communities are a frightening prospect for those “in power” - it’s supposed to be the other way around. That’s why this whole Web 3.0/DeFi movement is so important to give people their sovereignty back.
Yeah the bottom level has to be the most important. For someone that’s struggling, making sure they can guarantee food and shelter for their family will increase their happiness/quality of life more than anything. There’s no bigger fear in life and Intercoin can remove it.