Forum Post: If you had a guaranteed income would you get a job?
Posted 12 years ago on Dec. 19, 2011, 10:54 a.m. EST by foreeverLeft
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You know, nothing fancy, rent, food, internet, health care, just a living. Would that be enough? Would you stay out of the workforce to allow others an opportunity?
No. I enjoy working.
I would get a job. When my parents died, I inherited property, with an income. But as a freelance artist, my work quickly dried up. I could have stopped working, but started teaching English in foreign countries instead because I couldn't stand being idle. I'm planning on going back to China soon to teach.
Nope; give me that, let me finish college, and a few months later I'd see what I could do as far as a startup. That way I take up one slot but create ten or fifteen more so there's a net gain. I think a lot of people would do that if given the opportunity and the funds.
Since jobs are scarce, I may bow out of the workforce so people who really need a job has a better to obtain one.
I would consider starting up a charity to help those in needs. There are too many people out there in seriously bad shape--I want to make an impact in their lives and in my community.
I think if everyone had a guarantteed annual income (for which there is enough wealth in society to provide) it would open up all kinds of possibilities, People would do the kind of work they wanted to do rather than what they felt they had to do to earn a living, If they were not trained to do what they thought they really wanted to do a guarantteed income would provide them the resources that they needed for them to train themselves to do what they really wanted to do, If there was socially necessary labor (such as trash collection) that was not getting done because nobody wanted to do it, some special incentive could be attached to that occupation to get people to do it, Some people are very poor housekeepers, but most people don't need an economic incentive to keep their homes relatively neat and clean,
I wouldn't work if I was guaranteed a liveable income. That's partially why I'm protesting with Occupy.
Good thing most people are not like you or nothing would get done! There would be no tents, sleeping bags, tarps...
[Removed]
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