[bdavisx]

I think we need to be careful about what "tolerable lives" means too. I've seen "guaranteed income" proposals talking about something in the $25,000 USD range or similar. That's basically poverty level - and while that's better than nothing, it probably won't work as more and more jobs go away.

Imagine a world (or the US) where 75% of the people are at the poverty level and 25% are "rich". How long do you think that's going to last?

[maxerickson]

$25,000 is a very reasonable existence for a single person, as long as it's present buying power and after tax.

You can rent for less than $1000 and should be able to do utilities for ~$300.

That leaves about $200 a week, which is certainly not the lap of luxury, but it's plenty for food and necessities (I've done 2 people eating well enough for ~$100 a week so I really don't feel full of shit saying that).

There's no planning for the future in that, but part of the idea of a basic income is to de-risk things like that no?

[paulryanrogers]

For the young and healthy that may be true. But we're all going to get old, and most of us will need medical care that could easily exceed that.

[maxerickson]

That's fair, but that's a problem we have to solve regardless of whether a basic income is installed or not.

(At least, if we means the US and we keep providing Medicare and similar)

[toomuchtodo]

> Imagine a world (or the US) where 75% of the people are at the poverty level and 25% are "rich". How long do you think that's going to last?

Only as long as it takes for those 75% to make it to the pitchforks.

[brightball]

$25,000 is plenty to live on for single people in certain parts of the country. When I was in college I could live large on about half that with no problem at all.