Zuckerberg: Calls for Universal Basic Income

[accadacca]

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg called on the need to consider universal basic income for Americans during his Harvard Commencement Speech.

Zuckerberg's comments reflect those of other Silicon Valley bigwigs, including Sam Altman, the president of venture capital firm Y Combinator.

"Every generation expands its definition of equality. Now it's time for our generation to define a new social contract," Zuckerberg said during his speech. "We should have a society that measures progress not by economic metrics like GDP but by how many of us have a role we find meaningful. We should explore ideas like universal basic income to make sure everyone has a cushion to try new ideas."

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2017/05/25/mark-zuckerberg-calls-for-universal-basic-income-at-harvard-speech.html

[Sombeech]

I don't know whether to laugh or gasp in fear

[Iceaxe]

It's easy to tell who doesn't live in the real world.

[hank moon]

I would prefer single payer health care. No work and free pay make Jack crazy.

[Iceaxe]

I would prefer single payer health care.

Just another name for a free handout (entitlement). But yeah, if I have to pick my poison it would be single pay healthcare.

[twotimer]

"We should have a society that measures progress not by economic metrics like GDP but by how many of us have a role we find meaningful. We should explore ideas like universal basic income to make sure everyone has a cushion to try new ideas."

The problem with people like him is that they really want to believe people would make the most of the opportunities placed before them.

The problem is the reality...so many would squander what is given them then then demand more. There are millions who are just plain born losers, they'll never have what it takes to earn more than 12 bucks and hour their entire lives. Give them more so they can do what? Buy more stuff? Because that's exactly what would happen.

Those with the gumption will earn it...gaining experience and having a work ethic. I did it myself...I was thrown out into the street at 16 and only have an 8th grade education, but I worked hard everyday and made myself a millionaire. It really wasn't that hard. Anyone who isn't a fool or lazy or both can do it, too.

Of course, public funds must be provided for those that are indigent, but otherwise I say get a job and work your way up. I also have no mercy for those that borrow tens of thousands to get a degree in bullshit that doesn't pay. Sucks to be them, work your way out of it.

Zuckerberg should put his money where his mouth is and fund education in the inner cities and minority neighborhoods. That's what I'd be doing if I had so much cash to burn. You can't just sprinkle pixie dust and make happy...people have to do that for themselves. Guidance, not just a little more money, would be better for his dream of "Meaningful roles".

[Iceaxe]

You could give everyone in the US a million dollars tomorrow, and in 10 years 80% of them would be back to living hand to mouth. People are not poor because they don't have money, they are poor because they don't know how to manage money.

[uintafly]

You could give everyone in the US a million dollars tomorrow, and in 10 years 80% of them would be back to living hand to mouth. People are not poor because they don't have money, they are poor because they don't know how to manage money.

Yeah, but think of how many sweet new cars and trucks would be on the road for the next 10 years.

This must be the lefts version of pure libertarianism. They both sorta sound good in some utopian world, but would be terrible in real life.

[devo_stevo]

Exactly. I can't believe all of the comments that I've seen about government budgets and crap like that. There are so many people that whine about rich people and they way that they just save their money instead of "putting it back into the economy" like poor people do when they spend everything they get. It makes me want to scream because if the poor people would just stop "putting money back into the economy" by spending every dime they make and do some saving instead, they would eventually become rich people. You know, by doing the things that rich people do. They don't become rich by spending every dime they make on new cars and big TVs.

STOP THINKING AND ACTING LIKE POOR FOLK AND ONE DAY, YOU'LL LOOK UP AND YOU WON'T BE POOR FOLK!

There. That feels better. And full disclosure, I tend to act more like poor folk than rich folk, so I'm also yelling at myself here. At least I know the problem is mine and not the government that's screwing me over.

[Scott P]

Here is the full speech:

https://qz.com/992048/mark-zuckerbergs-harvard-speech-a-full-transcript-of-the-facebook-ceos-commencement-address/

Although I don't agree with everything he says, it is worth noting that it doesn't say anything about handouts. It says that people should have meaningful work and that a lot of previous meaningful jobs are going to be replaced by technology.

He goes on to say that even janitorial work is meaningful work. I like this part. As long as someone is trying to make a living, whatever that may be, instead of just wanting a handout, he or she has my respect.


You could give everyone in the US a million dollars tomorrow, and in 10 years 80% of them would be back to living hand to mouth. People are not poor because they don't have money, they are poor because they don't know how to manage money.

This is true. Lottery winners, NBA players, and movie stars all go broke on a regular basis.

The big exception is medical bills. Any average person receiving a $1,000,000 medical bill will likely go broke, regardless of how he or she manages money.

[hank moon]

Humans are heavily conditioned by their upbringing. In other words, our outlook on life, society, etc. is largely shaped very early in life, before we are even able to think about it and make "informed choices." Education, important personal relationships, prison life and/or other dynamics can sometimes re-shape that early conditioning, but the norm is that people go through life with their early conditioning largely intact.

The template "if only people would just do X instead of Y then the world would be a better place" is a pipe dream, smoked by right and left alike.

[devo_stevo]

Humans are heavily conditioned by their upbringing. In other words, our outlook on life, society, etc. is largely shaped very early in life, before we are even able to think about it and make "informed choices." Higher education, important personal relationships, prison life and/or other dynamics can sometimes re-shape that early conditioning, but the norm is that people go through life with their early conditioning largely intact.

The template "if only people would just do X instead of Y then the world would be a better place" is a pipe dream, smoked by right and left alike.This is all true, we are a product of our upbringing for the most part. I struggle with saving money. My parents are a big influence on me in this regard. They are retired, but still have a mortgage and credit card debt and they spend every dime they bring in every month. I'm doing better than that, as I've avoided credit cards, but I don't save nearly as much as I could/should. I'm working to change that, but it's slow going. One day I'm going to get there.

[rockgremlin]

It's easy to tell who doesn't live in the real world.


100% accurate.

Dear Zuckerberg: It's not that simple....you might say "it's complicated." :haha:

[DiscGo]

I believe that a Universal Basic Income will become a necessity. I believe less than 5% of current jobs will still be around in 30 years. Think about you do for a living and ask yourself if it really couldn't be replaced by automation. In 50 years (I believe) it will be considered barbaric that we used to allow humans to perform surgeries. Doctors, Surgeons, Truck Drivers, Farmers, Lawyers, Insurance Agents, etc. can and will be replaced by automation. My views are generally Libertarian but as a Technologist, I believe that a Universal Basic Income will not only be necessary but will also usher in the next renascence. Once nobody has to perform the jobs that nobody wants to perform, we will be free to pursue our interests.

I actually have more to say on this but I assume someone will attack me for largely agreeing with Zuckerberg on this matter, and I'll save my additional comments for those responses. In short, I believe a Universal Basic Income is a matter of when and not if. I do not believe it is time yet, but I believe the time is fast approaching.
https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2015/02/05/screen-shot-2015-02-05-at-3.31.37-pm_wide-4d717d2b8b195d2a98b70cd42ed16ee61fb4d365.png?s=140 0

[hank moon]

"The world is what we make it"

So if automation is to replace normal, productive human activity, that's on us. Personally, I think it's a terrible idea and hope to be long dead before that era (if it arrives) is in full swing. People need to work in order to live, that's basic. Not just economically, but psychologically. Take that away and (to my mind) we're headed more toward something like Judge Dredd and Mega-City One.


"Four Hundred Million Citizens
Every One a Potential Criminal"

87156

p.s. The 2012 Judge Dredd movie (https://youtu.be/JqqgrUna28w) is a blast (but ultraviolent)

[DiscGo]

People need to work in order to live, that's basic. Not just economically, but psychologically.


Mankind will begin to spread out through the universe. And we will continue to work (most of us) but we will work to pursue our interests and the betterment of mankind and not just to survive.

[rockgremlin]

^^^ There's still decisions that computers can't make that require the input and directive from a trained professional -- surgeons for example. All surgeries aren't the same for everyone. Always gonna be extenuating circumstances.

[DiscGo]

^^^ There's still decisions that computers can't make that require the input and directive from a trained professional -- surgeons for example. All surgeries aren't the same for everyone. Always gonna be extenuating circumstances.

People used to say the same thing about manufacturing but machines are able to build things more tightly and consistently than humans.

[Iceaxe]

So when are they going to replace hookers with automation? A friend was asking.........

[DiscGo]

So when are they going to replace hookers with automation? A friend was asking.........
https://www.google.com/amp/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3754587/amp/Sex-robot-brothels-commonplace-streets-Britain-says-professor.html

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[Iceaxe]

https://www.google.com/amp/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3754587/amp/Sex-robot-brothels-commonplace-streets-Britain-says-professor.html

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


Are they life like? And by that I mean do they tell you that you're doing it wrong?

:roflol: :roflol: :roflol:


Dang, look at the size of those hands. I'm not getting my favorite body part any where near those root pullers.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/23/12/37821B7600000578-0-image-m-12_1471953131570.jpg

[twotimer]

Are they life like? And by that I mean do they tell you that you're doing it wrong?

:roflol: :roflol: :roflol:


Dang, look at the size of those hands. I'm not getting my favorite body part any where near those root pullers.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/23/12/37821B7600000578-0-image-m-12_1471953131570.jpgOh God! If this becomes a popular reality then we're truly not far removed from a cross of Mega-City and Idiocracy.

I can't think of much that would be more pathetic than making out with that thing.

[twotimer]

I believe that a Universal Basic Income will become a necessity. I believe less than 5% of current jobs will still be around in 30 years.

I actually have more to say on this but I assume someone will attack me for largely agreeing with Zuckerberg on this matter, Oh, nobody is going to attack YOU. You're always such a nice guy! I agree with you but I don't see this happening in a big way in our lifetimes.

Too me, REALLY thinking about this is like trying to seriously consider science fiction. I think it's at least 150 years off, if it really happens.

Universal Income for just being alive? Trippy, man.

[hank moon]

Oh, nobody is going to attack YOU. You're always such a nice guy! I agree with you but I don't see this happening in a big way in our lifetimes.

Too me, REALLY thinking about this is like trying to seriously consider science fiction. I think it's at least 150 years off, if it really happens.

Universal Income for just being alive? Trippy, man.

You just THINK you're getting paid. In reality, another battery in the Matrix® !!! Mwhahahahahaha !

[Scott P]

https://www.google.com/amp/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3754587/amp/Sex-robot-brothels-commonplace-streets-Britain-says-professor.html

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

:facepalm1:

[Iceaxe]

I can't think of much that would be more pathetic than making out with that thing.

I can tell you right now we're going to need a lot more illegal aliens in this country to do the work American's won't do. Who else is going to want the job of cleaning out the sex robot after you're done with it?

[Brian in SLC]

Hilarious...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_and_the_Real_Girl