[programmernews3]

In England there are a large amount of people that live a better lifestyle than the mega rich lived say 100 years ago.

They can raise a family, get given a house, free health care, free education including university, TV, internet, computer games and even holidays.

They dont have to worry about dying from polio, TB, malaria etc. Very little hunger etc

On paper they live a lifestyle better than kings of the past did.

Yet depression and unhappiness is common. Drug use rampant. Suicides high.

[camtarn]

University isn't free in England. And if you're on benefits, you might scrimp and save to get internet access or the occasional computer game, and maybe even a holiday, but you'll be making sacrifices elsewhere (such as eating or keeping warm) for that. The amount of money you get on benefits, even with the maximum amount of disability and child benefit, is really not very much compared to a single full-time minimum wage salary.

On top of that, you have to deal with being demonized as a worthless scrounger by the press, and having the government do everything in its power to find ways to take your benefits away.

It's not a good situation. To be fair, in the end, it is free money and it's definitely better than being in a Victorian poorhouse, but it's still miles away from the UBI world view where it would be possible to not work and live a meagre but comfortable life, and one which society didn't vilify.