Universal Basic Income
- Thread starter GURPS
- Start date
A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government.
It can only exist until the majority discovers it can vote itself largess out of the public treasury.
After that, the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits with the result the democracy collapses.
It can only exist until the majority discovers it can vote itself largess out of the public treasury.
After that, the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits with the result the democracy collapses.
Larry Gude
Strung Out
You just laid out the case for a global ruling elite; don't let the unwashed ever figure out that THEY have all the power. You just made the case for the masses to set aside their petty wants and think of the rich and strong and powerful and their needs.
Thankfully, that's why we are not a democracy, for now, at least. So far our representative republic has been able to stave off such a monster.
Larry Gude
Strung Out
...one of us has no clue how representative gummint was designed to work.
I know how it works, and it's not a democracy.
Last I looked the "gimme's" were winning.
Just wait until the Bernie backers wade in in 2020.
( It's a Democratic-Republic, and the freebees are flowing like a river )
Larry Gude
Strung Out
Agreed. It's a representative republic whereby we send people we feel best represent us to manage our affairs for us under the control of our constitution.
People like...Donald Trump. Hillary Clinton. Nancy Pelosi. Barack Obama. The Bush clan. Harry Reid. Maxine Waters. Barney Frank. You know, people like us.
That's what we do, and the last time it worked was Nov 8, 2016. I'm not a Trump voter, but also NEVER a "never Trump'er". He gets his shot.
Were you disinherited by the Bushes, by any chance?
Restitution
New Member
Where exactly is it stipulated that Larry Gude cannot run for public office?
Ya' know.... people like us :shrug:
Larry Gude
Strung Out
I'm all for him getting his shot. He won. But I'm watching the GOP, not the D's, get in his way, big time. What's being done about that?
As for the Bush's, you could say that. He transformed our nation. He took what we had, what was.
This_person
Well-Known Member
You said we are nothing but consumers to be housed and fed like cattle. It was illustrative of being a consumer.
Let me boil it down a little less snarky - do you believe it is the responsibility of the government to ensure citizens have a minimum level of needs met (housing, food, clothing, etc.), or is it incumbent upon the individual (when capable) to meet these needs?
This_person
Well-Known Member
Pretty strong difference between earning an income and being handed charity.
Larry Gude
Strung Out
What I believe, what I KNOW, fact certain, is that we need less and less people every year to survive. beyond that, beyond food, clothing and shelter, sanitation, some medicine, we WILL have millions and millions and soon billions of people who need something to do from a 'free' market that does NOT need them or want them. Snarky or not snarky these are the simple facts of the matter.
So, then, what to do with them all? Find a way for them to find peaceful persist that may or may not benefit us all or let them fall into a state where civil unrest and war are viable options to just rolling over and dying?
Larry Gude
Strung Out
That's subjective. How many of those 'earning' an income are needed and how many is pretty much make work of the kind I'm talking about? Any business guy, even a loser like me, could run the gummint with less, far less people. Some say 20% less, some half as many and have the same or better results. Compared to the 'free' market, gummint could be run on 20% of the people we have now employed 'earning' that income.
I grant 'needed' is subjective, too. What I am confident we'd agree on is that a LOT of people at the office don't do much more than show up and collect their check.
Soylent Green.
Larry Gude
Strung Out
I said not one word about being cattle. That you use that term says more about you than it does my point. Let people go pursue interests. Maybe someone will find a cure for some obscure disease or write a great song or poetry or fish all day or whatever.
Larry Gude
Strung Out
That's a viewpoint. Not one I endorse in light of peaceful, motivational efforts to get people to choose to have less kids.
A little peanut butter spread, a fine chianti, you'd change your mind.
This_person
Well-Known Member
Whose responsibility is it to determine what to do with them?