Against a universal basic income

Book review

“…Frey supports the solutions that require less bureaucracy, stimulate employees' mobility across industries and regions, but also decrease social inequality. This is why he does not support the introduction of universal basic income, unlike other studies (McDonough and Bustillos Morales, 2020). The solutions Frey supports seem feasible in the short run when the social and economic impacts of growing automation are still manageable -i.e., when people who lose their jobs in one industry/geographic region because of automation might be hired in another industry or region.…”

Critical Theory and Universal Basic Income

“…Because the idea of introducing a UBI enjoys ‘support from the both the left and right’ (Murphy, 2019: 13), a la Brexit, it is possible that a coalition of populist forces could be united to rally to the call. The promise of a left UBI would appeal broadly and the power of the neoliberal media could succeed, again, in obtaining the necessary support to propel the idea.…”

“…1 The COVID-19 pandemic has increased interest in UBI further still, both among sociologists and within the wider activist community (see Nwogbo, 2022a). It is clear to theorists studying alternative societies that the idea of UBI is ‘not going away’ any time soon and merits serious consideration (Martell, 2023; Murphy, 2019: 15). For Phillipe Van Parijs (1991, 1992), UBI’s attraction comes from the fact that it is ultimately a ‘disarmingly simple idea’.…”