[rbritton]

But where does it stop? When are people expected to assume a degree of personal responsibility? It may sound cruel, but what value to society are people who mooch off the effort of others and provide nothing of their own? There are 6 million [0] open job positions, surely a person could find something suitable in one of those, even if just a stepping stone?

Individuals and businesses extracting wealth by providing a good or service is capitalism. Yes, there are bad apples in the bunch, probably most often those at the highest income levels. But the vast majority of those who are currently taxed for the various welfare services and who would be further taxed to implement a UBI are not in that bunch. What right does a minority of society have to demand a portion of their labor?

[0]: https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2017/job-openings-rose-to-6-poi...