SOCIALISMO O MUERTO!!!
Or, why we should be all be kinda hot for Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN)
When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.
Dom Helder Camara
There is nobody in this country who got rich on their own. Nobody. You built a factory out there - good for you. But I want to be clear. You moved your goods to market on roads the rest of us paid for. You hired workers the rest of us paid to educate. You were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for. You didn't have to worry that marauding bands would come and seize everything at your factory... Now look. You built a factory and it turned into something terrific or a great idea - God bless! Keep a hunk of it. But part of the underlying social contract is you take a hunk of that and pay forward for the next kid who comes along.
Sen Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
The news that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) is set to submit legislation introducing the words “Universal Basic Income” into the American lexicon is something I find…intriguing. Having long believed that poverty sucks (a unique point of view, I realize), I’m excited that someone- in this case, a Progressive Democrat- is thinking outside of the box.
Of course, that Rep. Omar is the Congresswoman introducing the bill should prove to be entertaining. Indeed, I can almost hear Trumpbot Republicans on Capitol Hill reflexively choking on their own spit in paroxysms of righteous outrage.
SOCIALISM!!! HANDOUTS!! SOMETHING FOR NOTHING!! WELFARE QUEENS!! OMIGOD, CAN’T YOU SMELL THE UNAMERICAN INJUSTICE OF IT ALL!!!
Because, like every good, righteous, and patriotic American will tell you, poor (i.e., non-White) Americans are wholly undeserving of compassion, kindness, and- even worse- financial handouts. Money for nothing, bailouts, and tax cuts are rightfully given ONLY to corporations and wealthy (i.e., White) citizens.
And everyone who knows ANYTHING about American history (when subtly commingled with Far-Right propaganda) knows that SOCIALISM!!! will only and inevitably lead to one thing- (GASP!! Hide the women and children!) communism.
We’ll skip over the fact that most of those making this argument couldn’t define “socialism” or “communism” if the ghost of Vladimir Lenin held a gun to their heads. I can only handle so much foolishness and ill-informed dezinformatziya at one time, knowhutimean??
Civil government, so far as it is instituted for the security of property, is in reality instituted for the defense of the rich against the poor, or of those who have some property against those who have none at all.
Adam Smith
We should probably begin by defining what the actual purpose of government is. Truthfully, it’s something few Americans ever seriously consider- WHAT is a government supposed to? What is its Prime Directive?
If you’re really into debating what the true purpose of government SHOULD be, you’re my kind of date. Since this is my sandbox, we’ll proceed with what I believe is the primary/sacred duty of ANY governmental body:
TO LOOK AFTER THE WELL-BEING OF ITS CITIZENS.
This can be defined in many different and distinct ways. For me, Job One of government is to care for its citizens. This means providing health care, educational opportunity, job training, financial support, mental health and/or substance abuse treatment…and the list goes on.
If a government can’t provide its citizens with these basic services, it doesn’t really matter what its economy and/or military look like. But, as a sage man once said (Milton Friedman? Alfred E. Neuman? Pee Wee Herman?), “You can’t eat guns and bullets.”
So why should a universal basic income (UBI) plan be so important? Because as citizens of the world’s top economic and military power, Americans should be ashamed at the sight of people sleeping in their cars or under bridges. Because in America, no one should have to decide between paying their rent or feeding their family.
Because poverty sucks.
Let’s begin by defining what UBI is. Like I do with all challenging concepts, I start by looking to Wikipedia. It’s on the Internet, so you know any definition will be spot-on…right??
Universal basic income (UBI), also called unconditional basic income, citizen's basic income, basic income guarantee, basic living stipend, guaranteed annual income, universal income security program or universal demogrant, is a sociopolitical financial transfer concept in which all citizens of a given population regularly receive a legally stipulated and equal financial grant paid by the government without a means test. A basic income can be implemented nationally, regionally, or locally. If the level is sufficient to meet a person's basic needs (i.e., at or above the poverty line), it is sometimes called a full basic income; if it is less than that amount, it may be called a partial basic income.
The idea behind UBI is to ensure that no one lives in poverty. It’s not a panacea or a perfect solution, but the idea behind it is solid enough. Provide people with enough money to ensure they can meet their basic needs. Do even that much, and poverty begins to recede.
You need not be an economist to understand that if you provide people at the lower end of the economic scale with money, they will use it to meet their needs. They’ll pay bills, feed their families, and put gas in their cars. That’s money circulating within their community. The benefits extend and multiply beyond the individual receiving UBI payments.
Omar’s plan is hardly a get-rich-quick scheme for poor Americans. Instead, her plan would create a program that would send $1,200 a month to most Americans. It will start small and grow over time as more is learned about how a UBI program will work in the U.S. and which aspects will need to be tweaked.
The SUPPORT Act — co-sponsored by progressive lawmakers Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Dwight Evans (D-Penn.) and Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) — would first create a $2.5 billion grant program to fund local pilots in guaranteed income. These would run in hundreds of communities across the country from 2023 to 2027 and provide findings for a national program.
The national guaranteed income program would start in 2028, sending $1,200 per month to adults making up to $75,000 per year, or heads of household making up to $112,500 per year, as well as providing $600 monthly per child. The payments would phase out for higher incomes.
Importantly, undocumented people who file taxes with an ITIN number would be eligible. The legislation would also establish a banking system through the postal service for “unbanked, underbanked and individuals experiencing housing instability” to receive payments.
“Poverty is a choice. For too long we have prioritized endless growth while millions are homeless, hungry or without healthcare,” Omar said in a statement. “We as a nation have the ability to make sure everyone has their basic needs like food, housing and healthcare met.”
Yes, poverty is a choice, but not one made by an individual living in poverty. No one chooses to be poor. No one sets out to sleep in their car and go dumpster-diving for their meals.
Poverty is a choice made by society. It’s easy to fall into, but it can be challenging to crawl out of. Sadly, America does an abysmal job of extending a hand UP to those in need…because too many of us resent the poor. We hate seeing them, we hate the way they live, and we HATE the idea of spending money to help them.
In America, we have an unfortunate tendency to conflate “hand UP” with “handOUT.” This makes it easier to demonize the needy, perhaps because at some level, we fear the “There but for the grace of God go I…” possibility.
How serious is the problem? A federal report in 2019 showed that nearly 40% of Americans couldn’t afford to cover a surprise $400 expense.
Consider this for perspective, though: The SUPPORT Act’s pilot program would cost $2.5 billion. That’s slightly more than the $2 billion that rolls through the front door of the Pentagon EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
How can we interpret a defense budget of $730 billion as morally defensible…and a $2.5 billion UBI pilot program as morally INDEFENSIBLE? I’d submit that such an argument is as hypocritical as it is inhuman.
Certainly, I’m betraying my bleeding-heart Liberal bona fides, and I’m OK with that. I’ll prioritize people over weapons systems any day of the week and twice on the weekend.
Why? Because my beliefs are pretty simple:
Poverty sucks.
Compassion is not the moral equivalent of SOCIALISM!!!
Kindness is not proof of moral weakness.
We truly are our brother’s (and sister’s) keepers.
To those whom much has been given, much should be expected.
The contents of a person’s bank account do not define their worth.
A $730 billion defense budget is corrupt and immoral.
As a country, we’re failing at our responsibility to our fellow citizens.
NO ONE should have to sleep in their car or under a bridge.
Education and healthcare are human rights.
The color of one’s skin is unrelated to the contents of one’s character.
Poverty sucks.
That’s not an all-inclusive list, but it’s a good start. UBI isn’t a new concept. It’s been tried in several different places with varying degrees of success…and UBI programs have proven to be successful in the main.
The federal government sent three rounds of stimulus checks to Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. That was a basic, short-term UBI program that reduced economic hardship.
Yes, UBI works.
My argument for UBI is straightforward: If we can afford a $730 billion defense budget, we can afford to support programs intended to help lift Americans out of poverty. That’s not SOCIALISM!!! That’s an investment in America.
When we prioritize multi-billion-dollar weapons systems over the well-being of our fellow citizens, our moral compass is irretrievably broken. Instead, our primary responsibility should be to care for our brothers and sisters. When we lift others, we do the same for ourselves.
Poverty sucks.