Cailian, a base income would untap talent that currently gets wasted because it's not nurtured and developed. It would increase badly needed economic mobility in the population which benefiting all -- including the wealthy.

It would also remove pressure from protectionism in trade by squashing the "saving jobs" ruse. Also, the anti immigration folk would lose much of the fear factor. The UBI would allow our engines of prosperity to be stepped up -- they being innovation, trade and immigration. The increases in productivity could actually pay for the UBI and the fruits of the new structure feed into this also.

One of the big obstacles to introducing this economic structure (apart from the zero sum game people who can't imagine a pie expanding) is SPITE. The attitude that one group will not vote for it because another group will also benefit (American history is replete with examples of this). The work ethic notion will also be a challenger.

With increasing automation and AI the current "safety net" is archaic. Traditional ideas of "jobs" and "workers" are in for a change. And a good one.

Great article. Thanks.