Maybe we all need to get involved in this exercise. In a world full of band-aids, we need to rethink our way to health. We are talking here about a guaranteed income for every man woman and child in this country. It is not an idle dream or a panacea. It is just a beginning. It is our future.
It is mainly liberal thinkers who have shaken this tree in the past but it is becoming more universal as more people see the essential fairness of the concept. It is as understandable as universal medical care. It is as complex as a heart transplant and as simple as resetting a broken arm. A guaranteed annual income for every Canadian is a basic human right.
When you consider the alternatives, you see the logic. Without the guarantee, you have to have structure and funds to cover welfare needs, parenting allowances, unemployment funding, seniors’ supplements, as well as supplements for the disabled and make-work funding for business. Instead business can attract workers by topping up perks and challenging their creativity and self-worth. It will be an entirely new world of business.
And it needs to be business that puts the revenue into the common pot to carry the plan. We have to rethink income tax in a world where work is more of a hobby, an emotional fulfillment, a fair exchange for time spent and challenges met. People will be able to work in their community to further the quality of life for all to enjoy. The arts will benefit from those who see creativity opportunities that enrich life. Children can be cared for in fulfilling environments, taught in schools planned and built by the community and universities can become centres of lifetime learning.
The danger in thinking of guaranteed annual income is of applying figures to it. It is a trap that demands debate but the figures are not the substance of the plan. It is the plan itself that matters.
Nor is the basic question as simple as: Can we afford not to do it?
The most disheartening argument against this is by the people who ask why they should pay for others. That is not only the wrong question but it is a display of ignorance. Nobody is being asked for charity here. There are no winners or losers. What do you want to do? Are you going to euthanize the old, the sick, the disabled and the challenged? Are you going to cherry-pick the genes you want for your progeny?
The human race is going to continue to evolve—let’s hope for the better.
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Copyright 2015 © Peter Lowry
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