Thomas Paine's Modern Arguments For A Universal Income System

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American society’s inability to reduce rampant levels of poverty is a stain that becomes more apparent with each passing day. The ever-growing wealth gap and the concerning projections regarding a future conflict between the unskilled labor force and the robotic labor force, demand the implementation of an effective and efficient social security system, such as a universal basic wage. In fact, it is morally obligatory that one support a solution to the wage gap, high levels of poverty and future labor fears which includes the concept of an universal basic income. A universal basic income is a system which entails a regular dividend be provided by the government unconditionally to each individual resident or citizen of the aforementioned government’s …show more content…

That is to say, maximizing the good and reducing the bad. First, the implementation of an universal basic income, would prevent many of the forgotten individuals or those left behind by current social programs from missing the needed support, since it is unconditionally allotted. Additionally, it would help to eliminate the overly complicated and inefficient welfare system that is currently in place. One problem created by the inefficient current system and solvable by the basic income system is the unemployment dilemma. The dilemma occurs when the total net amount of money one would earn is greater on unemployment than it would be with a job that is subject to income taxes. Third, since it is provided universally to all residents, it would have the greatest effect on those in the worst cases of poverty. Each one of these propositions would lead one to conclude that a universal basic income would be beneficial for the poor but if one is to say it is morally obligatory that the government institute it, one must prove that it will provide the greatest increase in happiness (benefit) overall and in the long run. There are many more arguments that attempt to address this concern in further detail, such as the arguments from various political positions (Clark