I find the discussion fascinating. We really do need to have an in-depth review of our modern economy and is future. I've long been a fan of/intrigued by the concept of UBI as a new paradigm and its practical impact on the existing economy. One great advantage is the need for a much smaller bureaucracy. There would need to be three organizations in such a scheme: a dispensing administration; a policing agency (to prevent fraud); and some kind of oversight/review apparatus to study its impacts in the real economy.

One hitch on my thought experiment on its implementation is whether a limited-scale pilot program would be possible. In some respects it could be argued that paradigms exist in Alaska's Permanent Fund and some Indian tribes' gaming revenue distribution schemes (e.g. Tribal Gaming Revenue Sharing in California - some tribes distribute gaming revenues directly to members as a dividend as well). Those funds, however, vary from year to year. I'm not aware of any long-term implementation of UBI in any discrete community.

While the CCC and WPA were examples of JG-like programs, their duration and historical circumstances have not been duplicated since. America Corps is so limited in scope I'm not sure it counts. Further, I'm not sure how that would work on the scale that JG would require today. Moreover, SOME unemployment is necessary in a functioning economy to allow for job transition.

But this is the kind of thinking that has to be done to address our future economy.

A well reasoned argument is like a diamond: impervious to corruption and crystal clear - and infinitely rarer.

Here, as elsewhere, people are outraged at what feels like a rigged game -- an economy that won't respond, a democracy that won't listen, and a financial sector that holds all the cards. - Robert Reich