this post was submitted on 01 May 2026
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Or, now hear me out, we tax the shit out of the rich and their corps, and implement UBI. That was supposed to be the plan ever since futurism envisioned advanced automation - the tech does the work, human reap the benefits and just do whatever. Capitalism just came along and fucked it all up instead because that's how rich assholes and investors measure their scores.
I'm with you on being against capitalism, but UBI isn't convincing as a solution to me.
UBI pre-supposes that the rich and their corporations should have a monopoly on the means of production, and you still have capitalism, just that the population are guaranteed an income via high taxes. But the power structure, and undemocratic nature of capitalist controlling everything still exists.
UBI is some dystopian stuff if you don't combine it with getting rid of the ruling class and the other tools of capitalist oppression.
But yeah, I agree with you that we certainly ought to be working less than we are (yes, even if standards of living were more fairly distributed to poor countries), and in the future I also agree with you that we ought to be working way, way less of technology allows for it.
Psychopathic capitalists don't feel like they're winning unless everyone else is losing.
They always weasel out of taxes. My idea was to give each person something like carbon coins that works like an emission permit. Give everyone the same amount each month and keep it within nature's limits. Then, if someone wants to do something polluting like run a datacenter, they'll just have to purchase the coins for that from the open market from those willing to sell. The end result is still money going to the poor but not as a tax, and hard limit on pollution.
It takes one country to not play along and the whole industry rushes there...
Yes, there is a need for tariffs, based on worst cause estimates of pollution, for countries not playing along.
Isn't that the principle of carbon credits ? (cf message from Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com). It doesn't work very well in practice, it's riddled with loopholes.
That the same for taxes that UBI would depend on. See Panama papers. Corruption and loopholes are an issue in any system.
Anything but doing UBI, lol.
Oh and btw:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_offsets_and_credits
Essentially that but without the building thingie and without that ⬇️
Yeah, there seems to be a lot of resistance to giving money, replace systems and taxing parts of UBI.
Reworking existing systems seems easier.
Well it would cause massive deflation, which will cause loose monetary policy, which will debase your paycheck until its cheaper to hire you than it is to use a machine. Which is nothing like capitalism.