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RE: Universal Basic Income - a bipolar story
What would you do? Close the borders and shoot at immigrants? Restrict UBI?
Yes. Immigration should be strict. I don't believe in 'no borders' idealism. People require citizenship of x years to get UBI, and/or proper refugee/immigrant papers, just like income assistance currently in Canada.
Of course, with Canada there can be no migrant problems at the extent it gets in Europe.
ok, that would rule out UBI for at least Europe.
I do not know how the Canadian constitution should comply with inequal payouts versus the right of equality, but in Germany, or for that sake any European country, citizenship-based UBI would not survive a case in the respective highest courts. It would not even get anywhere near there as some members of parliament know a bit about legal matters, too.
Or at least, they know, whom to ask.
Let alone the European court. Inequal treatment according to citizenship? No chance.
The mere idea would get fried in midair in a poltical debate.
Besides, the x years of waiting til citizenship would merely buffer and delay migration pressure. It would not solve the problem.
The only way to comply with the constitution would be to excempt foreigners from financing the UBI by means of tax allowances. Which would be tantamount to massive subsidies for foreign workers, hence disadvantages for citizens on the job market. Baaaad idea.
Creating a massive incentive for acquiring citizenship may not be a good idea either.
Canada gives immigrants/refugees assistance right away, sometimes more than what citizens applying for income assitance get.
You've raised some interesting points which I can't really comment on but I'd like to research if there are arguments on those points. The functionality of UBI elsewhere I've never thought about much. I know it could work here in Canada. there'd be no difference in incentives, as already there are the free income benefits for immigrants greater than what many of them could get in their homelands even from working 24/7
Canada is not easily reached from south Asia, Africa or Arab countries.
You can afford to select and control immigration.
We have so far proven to be unable to.
Canada has a low overall population density. Which means that if any problems with immigrations occur, it is going to be a long haul.
However, it is an entirely different thing to have people living on welfare. With conditions applying. Or to give them money no matter what. Completely different mindset.
I have seen welfare going absurd in Denmark.
A very nice country. I like it. Know their culture. Speak their language. And I could not stand living there. Totally overwelfared.
Why do you say overwelfared?
the migrant crisis in europe looks really bad. I like how Hungary built a razor wire fence around one part of the border.
The impact of the refugee crises on the European community is in fact desastrous. And welfare was a major attractor to refugees in Germany.
The Danes were tougher. Made sure some bad stories were told about them on the social media.
Overwelfared means that people loose their fangs when being overpampered. No need to be overly hard working, no need to give your best. The state is going to take care. Actually, the same thing happens over here.
It does not affect everybody. But it affects far too many people, who will become less and less active. It is like growing couch potatoes.
And these potatoes will not be more satisfied. They will complain more, demand more.
I am glad that my country was trying to find a good balance. At least, it used to. But the same thing strickes here. And what I do not like is the lack of self-responsibility, which shows by making others responsible for ones own misery.
Talking UBI, it is a little risky to judge from oneself and assume that the rest of society would get as much out of UBI as you and I would.