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Move the debate from Universal Basic Income to Universal Basic Services | UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab

en.unesco.org /inclusivepolicylab/analytics/move-debate-universal-basic-income-universal-basic-services

Universal Basic Services (UBS) is an alternative case to UBI.

Under UBS, the provision of free public services must go beyond health or education to cover other basic necessities (e.g., housing, care, transport, information, nutrition).

UBS can be more egalitarian with a strong redistributive performance and impact on income inequalities.

UBS can also be more sustainable by decarbonizing the economy in a just way - rather than disproportionally loading the costs on the lower income brackets - and by supporting sustainable consumption corridors.

14 comments
  • I think this is the better move overall. With a monthly stipend companies will quickly start charging more for the same product just to get a taste of all of that money going to the population. They'll call it inflation again, and we'll all get fucked. If the services themselves are free, they can't inflate and fuck over the lower class as easily.

    They still will.

    It'll just be slightly less convenient.

  • When I was creating a Star Trek expy, this was how the Federation worked: there were a lot of universal basic services, and one of the governmental departments looked to expanding what services qualified as UBS and looking maintain and improve state offerings so they are competitive to commercial offerings.

    UBS would still be prone to corruption and exploitation, but its absolutely a viable bridge towards post-scarcity communism.

    As a note, clothes, laundry and hygiene would need to be included in a starter set of UBS. I suppose if UBS and UBI came together, and the program would seek to add common UBI purchases into th3 UBS category.

14 comments