Should you get free money from the U.S. government every month simply for being alive? That may sound like a crazy idea to many of us, but the truth is that this will likely be one of the biggest political issues in the 2020 presidential election. At this point, 40 percent of all Americans already “prefer socialism to capitalism”, and the concept of a “universal basic income” is starting to catch fire among grassroots Democrats. Many liberals are convinced that the time has come to fight for the right to “a minimum standard of living”, and one study by a “left-leaning” group found that giving every adult in the country $1,000 each month would increase the size of the U.S. economy by more than 2 trillion dollars…

Giving every adult in the United States a $1,000 cash handout per month would grow the economy by $2.5 trillion by 2025, according to a new study on universal basic income.

The report was released in August by the left-leaning Roosevelt Institute. Roosevelt research director Marshall Steinbaum, Michalis Nikiforos at Bard College’s Levy Institute, and Gennaro Zezza at the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio in Italy co-authored the study.

What an incredible idea, eh?

All we have to do is give out free stuff and the economy grows like magic. And the study also discovered that the larger the universal basic income is, the more the economy would grow.

So why not make it $10,000 a month for everyone?

Well, it turns out that there is a catch. According to the study, the economy only grows if the universal basic income is funded by deficit spending. If we have to raise taxes to pay for it, there is no positive benefit to the economy at all…

These estimates are based on a universal basic income paid for by increasing the federal deficit. As part of the study, the researchers also calculated the effect to the economy of paying for the cash handouts by increasing taxes. In that case, there would be no net benefit to the economy, the report finds.

Oh.

What a bummer.

Getting free stuff from the government always sounds like a great idea until you realize that we are going to end up paying for it one way or another.

Unfortunately, that little detail isn’t stopping potential Democratic presidential candidates such as Mark Zuckerberg from “exploring” the idea. And actually, it is being reported that Hillary Clinton almost made a “universal basic income” part of her platform in 2016…

In her new book “What Happened,” and in a recent subsequent interview with Vox Editor-in-Chief Ezra Klein, Clinton explains how she seriously considered including a version of universal basic income — a radical solution to poverty, currently being tested in cities and countries around the world — as one of her platforms in the 2016 US presidential election.

The platform would have been called “Alaska for America,” in homage to the state’s Permanent Dividend Fund. Every year since 1982, Alaskans have received a yearly check — typically ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 — as a kickback from the pot of money that has been set aside in case oil reserves dry up.

If the left is ever able to get this implemented, do you think that we will ever be able to take it away?

Over time, government just keeps getting bigger and bigger and so does our national debt. In fact, we just hit a major milestone in that regard. According to CNS News, we just surpassed the 20 trillion dollar mark for the first time ever…

The federal debt officially surpassed $20 trillion for the first time on Friday, as the debt subject to the legal limit set by Congress jumped $317,645,000,000 in one day–following President Donald Trump’s signing of a spending-and-debt-limit deal that will fund the government through Dec. 8.

If the left wants a “universal basic income”, they are going to have to get the money from somewhere. Our budget deficit is already larger “than the entire GDP of Argentina”, and hard working Americans are already being taxed to death.

The truth is that the money simply isn’t there. As it is, we need to dramatically cut back our borrowing because the path that we are currently on leads to national suicide. Just consider the following numbers…

Here’s the problem: the national debt is growing MUCH faster than the US economy. In Fiscal Year 2016, for example, the debt grew by 7.84%.

Yet even when including the ‘benefits’ of inflation, the US economy only grew by 2.4% over the same period.

This is not even close to the realm of being sustainable. We are steamrolling toward an inevitable financial collapse, and yet most Americans don’t seem to care.

And thanks to our rapidly aging population, our entitlement spending is set to absolutely explode in coming years. The following comes from David Stockman…

The Federal spending machine is almost entirely on autopilot and heading for disaster owing to ballooning populations and debt. Ten years from now the combined cost of mandatory programs and debt service will reach $5.12 trillion compared to just $2.87 trillion during FY 2018.

Entitlement spending will be nearly double — even if Congress took a 10-year recess!

As shown below, that means the Federal spending share of GDP is now inexorably climbing toward 30% owing to baby boom retirements, even as revenue under current law is stuck at about 18% of GDP. The CBO’s latest projection of the widening fiscal gap — soon more than 10% of GDP annually — leaves nothing to the imagination.

There is no such thing as “free money”. In the end, we all have to pay for any “free stuff” that the government gives out.

But the “free stuff army” is going to continue to demand more free stuff from the government, and the Democrats are going to be more than happy to give it to them.

To many of you this may sound like complete and utter insanity, but the truth is that the path that we are already on is completely insane as well. If we don’t find a way to right the ship, it is just a matter of time before it goes under, and anyone that tries to tell you otherwise is not being straight with you.

The post Hillary Almost Proposed ‘A Universal Basic Income’ In 2016, And The Idea Is Catching Fire Among Grassroots Democrats appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.


Source: http://www.thesleuthjournal.com/universal-basic-income-catching-fire/

all the poor people see is the word "free", and they stop thinking about anything else...nothing is free,there's always a payment...

This is brilliant , except for the fact that half the working people would probally start working part time to avoid the higher tax burden put on them, than all the Sudan the government runs out of money. The liberal minds who come up with these plans are like someone putting water or sand in the gas tank of there mower so they wouldn't have to mow. Real good plan.

Shshshs and where is that money coming from we can't even get the homeless off the streets our elderly have to pay for their care while prisoners don't even work to maintain the prison's and make them self sufficient... Therefore we pay for those as well..

Heck just cut the Taxes and let us take home more.. I pay over a $150 a week in Taxes... Just let me keep what I make instead and I would be happy..

Anytime it says FREE there is a big catch to it nothing in Life is Free~~ You will get screwed one way or the other when it is something in this magnitude....

hahaha... that pic is great! sums it up nicely for all the freeloaders that think "freebes" is the answer... the world owes them nothing...

Lazy! Just amazing! Part time,tax burden then throw in the lousy insurance and cost or lack of. I wonder how many people are living this scenario?

the people that can only see the word "free"... nothing else matters, because they are taught not to think for themselves in school

A whole lot less since Trump has been POTUS . That's why we can't let the liberals. regain a majority in this government. After 8 years of shrinking our economy , our military and our trust from allies, and our basic morals and values it will take a while to reverse and get back to where we were the lunatics took over

I don't know if you realize how badly entrenched officials in the world with these views are in place. Do you think they are going to convert? Maybe just maybe be voted out? How bout fired? wishful thinking. Then you got look at and realize the mentality of the upcoming generation.

Little Like Trump said it's either the most corrupt, the most incompetent or insane.

in honor of Trump supporters, I will say

"What we have is failing."

and

"I dont want more of what we have had."

and

"It can't get worse."

it can always get worse...

High-Grade Insanity!

Most people living off the government (our tax dollars) are already getting more than $1000 a month when you add up food stamps, rent credits, cash benifits, heath insurance,and tax credits. If we want to make it truly socialism we should put them in government housing with strong restrictions, give them only a bag of rice, loaf of bread, box of dry milk, and other limited foods. If they can't work they shouldn't be having sex, and having babies (if they can do that there is no reason they can't work) Put them on birth control or sterilize them. If you can't feed your children or put a roof over their heads that's child endangerment (women or men) emigrants need to work and pay taxes or be deported, no more free rides, and no more free college. If you want something get a job and pay for it. It cost about $150,000 to send a child to school K-12, if you chose to be unproductive or leave the country you should be required to pay that back. Certain prisoners should be forced to serve in the military, others should be put to work doing other things, and a few lifers should die, they have no purpose to society.
Its tough with the increasing number of aging Americans, many have paid into social security for years and the government has chosen to spend that money on other things. Maybe we can put some of the unemployed people to work helping seniors, we should allow seniors more options to work even if for a reduced wage and not penalize them for doing so. Sooner or later the dollar is going to become worthless as the government continues to spend money it doesn't have, however like the economic crash of 2008 the US is "to big to fail" and it would crash the world economy if the dollar failed. Its time to start paying down the debt instead of continuing to add. And the.only way to do it is to get rid off the freeloaders.

where are your numbers from and what do you consider 'living off' tax dollars?

where do you think the Welfare-Dollars are coming from?

TANSTAAFL

welfare comes from the state and the federal taxes, but that still doesn't answer my questions regarding where the numbers given are from or what he defines as 'living off' of (as opposed to merely receiving)

for example, I 'receive' roughly 500 a year from my ex, Id hardly say I can or do 'live off' of it though.

Well let's start with health care with no deductible,that is worth about $600 a month. Then lets look at section 8 housing, that's probably about $800 a month. EBT or food stamps is probably $240 a month and. there is a cash payout each month too. Then they get an earned tax credit, that means they get more money back from taxes than they paid in. If they have children they get more money from each of the above along with $1000 tax credit for each child. There is a reason people on welfare can run around with new iPhones. Ya you have to give somethings up, but for those who know how to live off the system they do pretty well for not having to work. From income tax, sales tax, property tax, social security and Medicaid that takes over 30% of my wage, that doesn't include the fact my employer also pays tax on my income along with all the other hidden taxes on things I buy paid by the producers. The politicians don't understand where the money comes from that they keep wasting.

Well let's start with health care with no deductible,that is worth about $600 a month. Then lets look at section 8 housing, that's probably about $800 a month. EBT or food stamps is probably $240 a month and. there is a cash payout each month too. Then they get an earned tax credit, that means they get more money back from taxes than they paid in. If they have children they get more money from each of the above along with $1000 tax credit for each child. There is a reason people on welfare can run around with new iPhones. Ya you have to give somethings up, but for those who know how to live off the system they do pretty well for not having to work. From income tax, sales tax, property tax, social security and Medicaid that takes over 30% of my wage, that doesn't include the fact my employer also pays tax on my income along with all the other hidden taxes on things I buy paid by the producers. The politicians don't understand where the money comes from that they keep wasting.
Dont forget , these usually are the same people standing on the corner holding a please help me sign.

And selling drugs. Almost forgot about the cost of their social worker too!

unless they go to hospital, they really are not using those healthcare costs

not to mention there is no indication that 'most' people on assistance get all forms of assistance available

Section 8 housing, food stamps and the cash payout are barely enough to get by, but not really cash that one can 'live off' of

All people who have children get a child credit.


The reason people on welfare can have iphones is because of discounts and sales and the fact that its a one time purchase or perhaps because they had the iphone before the situation that caused them to need assistance

Those who know how to live off the system are far and few between

what you get right is the average food benefit (for a family, not a single person) which is around 300

and IF someone is 'living' off of assistance, they are that rare oddity that is milking it because assistance is hardly a living ....

Hey, I resemble that image.