[ahoy]

The counter to that is that I understand what services and goods are essential to me better than the government does (or anyone that isn't me, for that matter). If the goal is to do the most good with the least waste, basic income is probably better than a hodgepodge of universal services.

That said, I'm all for either or a combination of approaches. Anything to catch the US up with the rest of the developed world socially.

[marcosdumay]

That. I think a combination is the way to go, for no other reason than the fact that some desirable services have huge scale gains (transportation), and some services have huge positive externalities (health). It would be unwise not to incentive people to use those.