Basic Income has gotten some attention recently with several well-known people speaking out
in favor of its idea.
While this in itself should open the discussion about basic income further,
another idea has been discussed as well.
The robot tax, a taxation on companies that replace robots for people, which is essential
at the core of basic income.
While the idea of basic income often gets seen as a left right divide, there is a fundamental
issue that needs to be addressed.
When robots and automation will replace millions of employees, that are not able to get a new
job or need to go through training and education to pursue another field, they will need support
from the government and if only for this transition period.
This means on one side, that there needs to be a working system in place that lets people
go through education or training even if they are in their late 50s or older.
On the other side, millions of people need a working welfare system in this transition
period to get reintegrated into the labor market.
But even if you are able to reintegrate many people, you can’t reintegrate all and especially
not everyone instantaneously.
The robot tax solves the economical issue for this transition period, but at some point
even people who go through education are not able to get a new job or only get a very poorly
paid one.
At the same time automation continues and makes universal basic income, which could
be partially or completely paid by the robot tax, more important than ever.
While this has to be thought through over the next years and decades, it is worthy of
discussion right now.
And while there are always people that will discard the idea, it would be great to hear
different approaches, which could resolve the problems automation will bring.