[colemannugent]

But we all know they are talking about wealth, not paper money. You can't create wealth out of thin air. The closest you get is things like stocks, but those are worth what people are willing to pay for them and thus still have real value.

Printing money without adding wealth means each unit of currency is worth less, which tends to ruin the whole "free money" thing.

[JoeAltmaier]

No, it doesn't. The amount private citizens are paid in a UBI would be very small compared to the economy. Inflation would still be a thing, but this is a small part of it.

We print money now; but its loaned out thru the federal reserve. How is that ok, but not directly distributing it to citizens?

Economics is complicated. A UBI can work.