Article Title: Universal basic income doesn’t work. Let’s boost the public realm instead

Article Summary

The article at hand is a collection of the author’s criticisms of the Universal Basic Income (UBI) scheme. The scheme claims it will be able to successfully reduce poverty and inequality. However, the author’ issue is that there is no evidence saying the development will be long-term, sustainable. She says that the scheme can improve realities only when subject to a lot of parameters. Stating examples of implementation of money-donating schemes in countries like India and Kenya, the author points out some key defects in the UBI structure. The needy recipients have no control over the amounts they receive and the durations for which they receive them, and the model having been only tried on selected groups, there is no evidence for whether it can improve the lives of a general population. Also, it may help some groups, but the root problems of inequality and poverty are not solved by UBI. Governments often cut down on the amounts they disburse through UBIs, and UBIs may divert money required for infrastructure growth that may actually improve public life, like creating better collective services. The improvement of the latter is more desirable, says the author, as it leads to the development of public life as a whole, compared to just giving the poor money and leaving them to their fates.

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Words to learn from this Article:

Copious: extensive, exhaustive.

Stigmatizing: something that hints at differentiating a person or organization from the larger whole of society, mostly one that brings negative connotations attached with the differentiation.

Viability: feasibility of sustenance.

Mitigate: lessen the severity of something painful.

Commodification: objectification.