Even as we go more and more into a cyberpunk dystopia, I feel like it will inevitably be introduced in some way just because it will be necessary for money to flow, just so economy doesn't collapse entirely.
this post was submitted on 22 Aug 2026
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I don't see how billionaires and politicians would be happy to give free money to everyone. They would think it's some kind of communism.
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It's a nice idea, but given human nature we're fucked. UBI might be implemented in a few places, but I'm willing to bet everything it will never actually be universal, and those who stand to benefit the most will be the least likely to implement it.
If AI and robotics were to form viable replacements for the human workforce I honestly can't see another option.
That's a pretty big 'if' though.
no
I think we might have that someday, and then even after that a cashless society like star trek
I like the idealistic idea behind UBI too, but I think the wealth gap will persist and grow more, with any form of UBI or other welfare as an excuse that the poors are being provided for, so they should be happy with that. The UBI on Earth in The Expanse is what we may end up with. The reason the population on Mars is better and doesn't rely on that is because it's much smaller and has a common purpose for long term focus and employment (terraforming). Interestingly, the canon for Star Trek might be along similar lines, as the Federation and the rest that follows only happens after the devastation of World War III.
When Draper visits Earth she learns that the Martian impression of UBI recipients being lazy isn't true at all, they're just trapped in the system with only a few able to claw their way out. By design, can't have everyone prosper, the rich might have to settle for less.
after the vulcans came to earth, they likely helped developed some of thier tech and gave medical knowledge too, although slowly instead of alot at once.
realistically, yes, at least in america. the reason is simple: it makes the economy go up. if people have more money to spend -> more consumption -> more revenue for companies -> more profit -> higher stock valuations. it's very simple actually. it's very much in the interest of the state and everyone in power to do exactly that.
if the world is to keep going at a technologically advanced level. yes. its basically that or collapse although it won't necessarilly stop collapse.
The ruling class right now I going for a darker future. You can earn money or you can die of exposure.
I really hope so
Right now only wealthy families benefit from UBI that is controlled by oligarchy. They never actually go bankrupt like the rest of us or suffer from housing instability because all of the systems that control the flow of resources and capital reward the in-group. I have lived in Texas for 20+ years and cannot understand why oil and gas money doesn't fund a sovereign wealth fund that would support the lowest income folks in an unpredictable economy. The fact that seasonal/temporary work exists but UBI doesn't is stupid. Poor people are basically trapped.
USian perspective:
Things are currently going in the opposite direction where safety nets are being removed.
In 2027, a huge chunk of low income people will lose Medicaid. It will be hard to see who can stay on it, because in most states with a higher minimum wage, working 80 hours would put them very close to or over the income limit. And people not working also lose it. There are problems people have that aren't considered "real" disabilities, yet prevent having jobs. Obamacare does provide a low income discount, but there are still multi-thousand dollar deductibles. My prediction is that this is going to put a massive strain on hospitals because people simply won't be able to pay. We'll probably start to see some smaller ones go under (already are, actually, but it's going to get worse, IMO).
I think the Medicaid purge is relevant because working people got jealous that unemployed and poor people had better insurance than they did in some ways, and stripping that made them feel better about their own situation. That goes completely against the spirit of UBI, which is paid to both rich and poor and people in any situation.
UBI would likely result in price hikes where the UBI money wouldn't provide a real leg up as everything just became more expensive. We just saw that happen with the COVID stimulus checks. Or for another example, McDonald's using the app provides a "discount", but not even close compared to the prices they used to have pre-COVID.
20hrs is already over the limit for most states. even in lower cost states 20hrs is way over, as red states likely arnt expanding medicaid to raise the max income for it. i know someone that works only 18hrs/week to stay on medicaid/ Denti-caid, actually less because lunch isnt counted as pay.
i think it should be referred to ACA, obamacare is coined by conservative media to make it a boogeyman so republicans will also vote against it. i dont think people got jealous, schumer+republicans ended the shutdown it already made millions drop out of thier aca plans because thier premiums doubled or quadrupled in cost.
Thanks for disagreeing with me without hostility or personal remarks. Appreciate you!
As a leftist, UBI is a concept that both excites and scares me. It is a last ditch effort to save a consumer economy, and further removes people from labor organizing. With price hikes and unethical corporations and governments, a UBI could simply become a way to increase the price of every object and service, while also preventing the one method through which average people have ever genuinely impacted change: the union and strike. How do we unionize around ourself when we are removed from work? It's a scary concept.
I love the idea of removing the means of survival from meaningless work, and I truly believe that is the direction we need to go if we wish to continue basing our economy off of consumerism and money (which, frankly, I don't think we need to do), but in order for it work and be anything other than an actual nightmarescape, UBI has to be coupled (in some concrete, irreversible way) with things like price controls, rent controls, and some way for people to functionally unionize as citizens outside of their respective employment.
But all that said, we can't even get single payer healthcare in the US, so this is more of a "what they should do in Europe" situation, as here in the US the answer to "will we get a UBI" is "go fucking die in a hole, you disgusting poor. But not that hole. That's my hole."
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Not particularly, no. A lot of tech people have been pushing the idea for years largely because it means that they would know what everyone would get on a monthly basis, and could adjust their subscription fees accordingly. The real solution is just to make society more equal, would effectively accomplish the same thing (at least in the US) if there were no more billionaires and public funds were properly allowed (ie Medicare for all) to improve the basics of society.
ubi is a bridge to abolishing capital. as long as a majority of the world agrees that capital is worth having around, we won't get ubi no matter how bad things get.