[scorpion]

The proper implementation of a GBI would not be as a wealth redistribution program in the vein of Social Security (meaning existing money is taken out of a tax pool and distributed), but rather as monetary creation program that distributes new money (purchasing power) to citizens. This is an important distinction and one that is lost on most people. Zelcorpion's post on the first page talks about this and I advise people go back and read it carefully. Basically, a proper GBI would require a total overhaul of our banking and debt-based monetary system. Instead of being borrowed into existence, new money would simply be issued by the government directly into the hands of citizens where it could be spent as purchasing power to consume the goods produced by the economy. The system could be designed so that the amount of purchasing power created matches the amount of goods and services being produced, hence no inflation. This is fairly arcane financial and monetary territory, but that's the basic idea. The point I'm making is that it's more complicated than simply taxing a working man's earnings to give to some layabout. An ideal GBI doesn't take money from anyone's pocket. It is not a redistribution scheme. It is an entirely different means of injecting purchasing power into the economy.