It looks like basic income is a foregone conclusion as automation makes working increasingly irrelevant.
Whether it comes sooner or later, there will be an automated economy in which smart machines are doing so many jobs people are left with more leisure time, and governments are left with less tax revenue.
Whether this is a problem or not depends on how bold we are today. Basic income will give humanity time to grow a pair. 😂
I welcome the automated economy no matter when it comes. If we take prudent moves in the near future, the majority of people will feel the same way. Since most people on the planet dislike their jobs, the automated economy can be a boon. But first we need a collective attitude adjustment.
Work feels like a life-sustaining, engaging activity that also rewards people with income used for leisure activities, necessity satisfaction and keeping the economy going.
Work that doesn’t feel that way
A fortunate few do work that feels like play. It’s their passion, their calling, fun, etc. This 80s music video perfectly captures how jealous others feel about people whose work feels like fun.
People sometimes confuse these two, thinking any kind of socially constructive work is life-sustaining and engaging. That’s a problem. Most people work because they need to, not because it’s fun.
People love things they find engaging and worthy. Rarely do such people consider this activity work, and they exert a lot of their best energy pursuing such activities. I’m referring to hobbies, pastimes, vocations, and passions such as child-rearing, home remodeling, and creating art.
Time spent in these activities is far more engaged and creative, and higher-quality than time put in at “work”. Imagine what life might be like if we all did things we loved, instead what we must to earn a living.
Why can’t we pay people for things they love to do instead of things they feel they need to?
That’s the opportunity I see with the automation economy. Automation will not eliminate work born of human passion and enthusiasm, a desire for self-development or expression; of connecting with others; of sharing creativity; of exploration and finding joy and fulfillment. Sure, we’ve invented computers that can create art, but human-expressed art in all forms is not likely to go away until robots actually become human. Even then, human art and post-human art will still have their places.
Art in human terms can be all kinds of things, not just painting, sculpture, music, or performance. It can be creating solutions to human or ecological problems, it can be exploring space, creating new, satisfying, and creative ways to house more people on the planet. It can be finding solutions to ecosystem restoration and preservation. Art has many forms the definition of which is often up to the creator. As an artist myself, I know this.
As mentioned before, we can prepare for the automation economy, which if done will bless humanity. That requires preparing humanity itself. Maybe basic income moves us in that direction.
What a blessed humanity looks like
We could offer every human being on the planet all the food needed to thrive. I’m not talking about caviar, foie gras, and Kobe beef, but basic, healthful food produced sustainably and distributed widely. Even with those exotic foods excluded there’s still plenty food on the planet to eliminate hunger and feed everyone.
We can also offer housing to everyone without them paying for it. Again, I’m not talking about mansions, luxury condos, or those cute tiny houses, and definitely not subsidized government slums, but basic housing that serves to shelter a person while providing a modicum of dignity, safety, and comfort.
We’re at the point now where we can provide everyone with basic housing that is lovely, well-appointed, functional, and durable, at no cost to them. If people want a custom home, they can still pay for those, but there’s no reason why humanity should tolerate any homelessness, nor constrain an innovator because she has to earn a living to pay a mortgage or rent.
We can offer basic functional clothing to everyone, thereby eliminating the need to spend our money on clothes. If you want that Armani suit, you’ll still have to buy that. But it is an easy matter today to give everyone all the basic clothing they need to be protected from the elements and work hazards.
There’s no reason today why anyone should have to pay for any of the education they receive. We have the ability today to provide everyone with all the education they desire, sparking a revolution in human capacity through the one thing everyone recognizes is key to success—a great education. Basic income will not provide that. But we can see already organizations providing these things at no cost to their consumers.
Then there’s healthcare. No human being on this planet can survive, let alone thrive, without healthcare and there’s no reason anymore to continue charging people for this basic need. As with all the other four things above, which in Copiosis we call “necessities”, we can today provide all the healthcare people need while not charging them a dime.
Fear is the mind-killer
No, that doesn’t mean creating the socialized care right-wingers fear, which is supported through super-high taxes and comes with long lines and poor service. It means care that is fantastic, accessible, proactive, and no cost.
We are capable of doing all of this today. There is no need to wait for the automated economy to force us into some kind of catastrophic shift. All we need to do as a civilization is act like the advanced civilization we are.
I firmly believe this. That is why I founded and am creating exactly what I describe in this piece through Copiosis. With untold numbers of people around the world watching our progress, and with a moderate number of talented individuals helping me, we are creating a reality in which all I’m describing here is a real. We’re in the mid stages now, and results are promising.
Basic income is a nice idea opening the door to the future. But it’s not the future. The automated economy we want without the disruption scenarios people fear, is on the way, through the door UBI opens.
Through Copiosis people provide more than our current system ever can, while eliminating most of our current troubles. Copiosis offers a road map to and through a full-blown automation economy. It leaves humanity freed up and empowered for the destiny they were born to—lives of freedom, joy, and prosperity.
I encourage you to find out more about Copiosis at Copiosis.com.