Quote:Switzerland is considering giving every adult citizen a guaranteed income of $2,500 a month. No questions asked.
...
Those in work and earning less than that would have their pay topped up. Those out of work would be handed the full amount.

Discuss.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/24/news/eco...ic-income/

I mean I Know Switzerland is liberal in their general policies.. but I wouldn't think that they're this stupid

(06-03-2016 07:36 AM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  

Quote:Switzerland is considering giving every adult citizen a guaranteed income of $2,500 a month. No questions asked.
...
Those in work and earning less than that would have their pay topped up. Those out of work would be handed the full amount.

Discuss.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/24/news/eco...ic-income/

So why work and make less than that? Who are they going to find to flip burgers and dig ditches? If you work, you should live better than if you don't.

BTW, we should pull all our military support for Switzerland right now, kick them out of NATO, and give Russia and/or Germany the green light to move in. If they had to pay for their own defense, they couldn't afford this economic mockery.

(06-03-2016 08:04 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(06-03-2016 07:36 AM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  

Quote:Switzerland is considering giving every adult citizen a guaranteed income of $2,500 a month. No questions asked.
...
Those in work and earning less than that would have their pay topped up. Those out of work would be handed the full amount.

Discuss.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/24/news/eco...ic-income/

So why work and make less than that? Who are they going to find to flip burgers and dig ditches? If you work, you should live better than if you don't.

BTW, we should pull all our military support for Switzerland right now, kick them out of NATO, and give Russia and/or Germany the green light to move in. If they had to pay for their own defense, they couldn't afford this economic mockery.

Maybe you should call up the Swiss and let them know they're in NATO... I bet they'd be surprised!

(Hint: Switzerland isn't in NATO)

Eh, good luck to Switzerland but pretty sure some eggheads will want the US to try the same thing not even considering population differences, etc.. Swiss govt estimates it will cost approximately $215 Billion per year with $155 Billion of that coming from new taxes.

Quote:The vast majority of Swiss people say they'd continue working even if the basic income becomes reality. Research by DemoSCOPE said only 10% of voters people said they would consider quitting their job.

"Only?"

So Switzerland considers a 10 percentage point increase in unemployment as nothing.

(And I bet that 10% is understated)

(06-03-2016 08:12 AM)VA49er Wrote:  Eh, good luck to Switzerland but pretty sure some eggheads will want the US to try the same thing not even considering population differences, etc.. Swiss govt estimates it will cost approximately $215 Billion per year with $155 Billion of that coming from new taxes.

Yep, figure if mimicked here, it'd be $2,500 x 12 months x 250 million adults... So, that'd cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $7.5 trillion per year. That alone is over double what the federal government gets in tax revenue per year.

What's their immigration and citizenship policies.

(06-03-2016 08:17 AM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  

(06-03-2016 08:12 AM)VA49er Wrote:  Eh, good luck to Switzerland but pretty sure some eggheads will want the US to try the same thing not even considering population differences, etc.. Swiss govt estimates it will cost approximately $215 Billion per year with $155 Billion of that coming from new taxes.

Yep, figure if mimicked here, it'd be $2,500 x 12 months x 250 million adults... So, that'd cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $7.5 trillion per year. That alone is over double what the federal government gets in tax revenue per year.

It would make no sense here. Heck, even in Switzerland the costs would be approximately 30% of GDP.

(06-03-2016 08:10 AM)BobcatEngineer Wrote:  

(06-03-2016 08:04 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(06-03-2016 07:36 AM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  

Quote:Switzerland is considering giving every adult citizen a guaranteed income of $2,500 a month. No questions asked.
...
Those in work and earning less than that would have their pay topped up. Those out of work would be handed the full amount.

Discuss.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/24/news/eco...ic-income/

So why work and make less than that? Who are they going to find to flip burgers and dig ditches? If you work, you should live better than if you don't.

BTW, we should pull all our military support for Switzerland right now, kick them out of NATO, and give Russia and/or Germany the green light to move in. If they had to pay for their own defense, they couldn't afford this economic mockery.

Maybe you should call up the Swiss and let them know they're in NATO... I bet they'd be surprised!

(Hint: Switzerland isn't in NATO)

Touche... but they rank 41st in the world in military spending. Someone is protecting them and my bet is it is us. If not through NATO than by some other means.

http://www.globalfirepower.com/defense-s...budget.asp

(06-03-2016 08:27 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(06-03-2016 08:10 AM)BobcatEngineer Wrote:  

(06-03-2016 08:04 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(06-03-2016 07:36 AM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  

Quote:Switzerland is considering giving every adult citizen a guaranteed income of $2,500 a month. No questions asked.
...
Those in work and earning less than that would have their pay topped up. Those out of work would be handed the full amount.

Discuss.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/24/news/eco...ic-income/

So why work and make less than that? Who are they going to find to flip burgers and dig ditches? If you work, you should live better than if you don't.

BTW, we should pull all our military support for Switzerland right now, kick them out of NATO, and give Russia and/or Germany the green light to move in. If they had to pay for their own defense, they couldn't afford this economic mockery.

Maybe you should call up the Swiss and let them know they're in NATO... I bet they'd be surprised!

(Hint: Switzerland isn't in NATO)

Touche... but they rank 41st in the world in military spending. Someone is protecting them and my bet is it is us. If not through NATO than by some other means.

http://www.globalfirepower.com/defense-s...budget.asp

I'd imagine there's a under the table agree with the Swiss along the lines of, "you guys let us hide all our money here and we'll protect you" or something along those lines, etc.

(06-03-2016 08:10 AM)BobcatEngineer Wrote:  

(06-03-2016 08:04 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(06-03-2016 07:36 AM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  

Quote:Switzerland is considering giving every adult citizen a guaranteed income of $2,500 a month. No questions asked.
...
Those in work and earning less than that would have their pay topped up. Those out of work would be handed the full amount.

Discuss.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/24/news/eco...ic-income/

So why work and make less than that? Who are they going to find to flip burgers and dig ditches? If you work, you should live better than if you don't.

BTW, we should pull all our military support for Switzerland right now, kick them out of NATO, and give Russia and/or Germany the green light to move in. If they had to pay for their own defense, they couldn't afford this economic mockery.

Maybe you should call up the Swiss and let them know they're in NATO... I bet they'd be surprised!

(Hint: Switzerland isn't in NATO)

that need is unnecessary.....they have a firm stronghold on watches, skiing, and most importantly, magna *** laude money launderers....

(06-03-2016 08:27 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(06-03-2016 08:10 AM)BobcatEngineer Wrote:  

(06-03-2016 08:04 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(06-03-2016 07:36 AM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  

Quote:Switzerland is considering giving every adult citizen a guaranteed income of $2,500 a month. No questions asked.
...
Those in work and earning less than that would have their pay topped up. Those out of work would be handed the full amount.

Discuss.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/24/news/eco...ic-income/

So why work and make less than that? Who are they going to find to flip burgers and dig ditches? If you work, you should live better than if you don't.

BTW, we should pull all our military support for Switzerland right now, kick them out of NATO, and give Russia and/or Germany the green light to move in. If they had to pay for their own defense, they couldn't afford this economic mockery.

Maybe you should call up the Swiss and let them know they're in NATO... I bet they'd be surprised!

(Hint: Switzerland isn't in NATO)

Touche... but they rank 41st in the world in military spending. Someone is protecting them and my bet is it is us. If not through NATO than by some other means.

http://www.globalfirepower.com/defense-s...budget.asp

Yeah, I can't imagine the US isn't supporting the Swiss in some regards. Keep in mind they have a very active militia as well. I love this WW2 quote about their militia.

Quote:In World War II, the Swiss had defenses no other country had. Let's begin with the rifle in every home combined with the Alpine terrain. When the German Kaiser asked in 1912 what the quarter of a million Swiss militiamen would do if invaded by a half million German soldiers, a Swiss replied: shoot twice and go home.

(06-03-2016 08:27 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(06-03-2016 08:10 AM)BobcatEngineer Wrote:  

(06-03-2016 08:04 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(06-03-2016 07:36 AM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  

Quote:Switzerland is considering giving every adult citizen a guaranteed income of $2,500 a month. No questions asked.
...
Those in work and earning less than that would have their pay topped up. Those out of work would be handed the full amount.

Discuss.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/24/news/eco...ic-income/

So why work and make less than that? Who are they going to find to flip burgers and dig ditches? If you work, you should live better than if you don't.

BTW, we should pull all our military support for Switzerland right now, kick them out of NATO, and give Russia and/or Germany the green light to move in. If they had to pay for their own defense, they couldn't afford this economic mockery.

Maybe you should call up the Swiss and let them know they're in NATO... I bet they'd be surprised!

(Hint: Switzerland isn't in NATO)

Touche... but they rank 41st in the world in military spending. Someone is protecting them and my bet is it is us. If not through NATO than by some other means.

http://www.globalfirepower.com/defense-s...budget.asp

that's how global politics work....

(06-03-2016 08:39 AM)BobcatEngineer Wrote:  

(06-03-2016 08:27 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(06-03-2016 08:10 AM)BobcatEngineer Wrote:  

(06-03-2016 08:04 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(06-03-2016 07:36 AM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  Discuss.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/24/news/eco...ic-income/

So why work and make less than that? Who are they going to find to flip burgers and dig ditches? If you work, you should live better than if you don't.

BTW, we should pull all our military support for Switzerland right now, kick them out of NATO, and give Russia and/or Germany the green light to move in. If they had to pay for their own defense, they couldn't afford this economic mockery.

Maybe you should call up the Swiss and let them know they're in NATO... I bet they'd be surprised!

(Hint: Switzerland isn't in NATO)

Touche... but they rank 41st in the world in military spending. Someone is protecting them and my bet is it is us. If not through NATO than by some other means.

http://www.globalfirepower.com/defense-s...budget.asp

Yeah, I can't imagine the US isn't supporting the Swiss in some regards. Keep in mind they have a very active militia as well. I love this WW2 quote about their militia.

Quote:In World War II, the Swiss had defenses no other country had. Let's begin with the rifle in every home combined with the Alpine terrain. When the German Kaiser asked in 1912 what the quarter of a million Swiss militiamen would do if invaded by a half million German soldiers, a Swiss replied: shoot twice and go home.

their landscape is definitely an asset like ours....their's is just hillier and frozen...

it's funny how they use subtle pacifism whilst hiding behind a different form of iron curtain and are able to support their masses

sounds pretty dadgum smart to me....

one day, tech will destroy that psyche.....however, that isn't today....

(06-03-2016 08:18 AM)Paul M Wrote:  What's their immigration and citizenship policies.

what is "gotta be white" for 2000, alex"....

answer: "what is Utah and Switzerland"

It would be worth looking into in our country in my opinion. You could cut out a lot of bureaucracy and red tape, cut down on waste, fraud, and abuse. Take away all welfare and food stamp programs and just leave it at this fixed amount, it might be a net savings.

(06-03-2016 09:27 AM)boroeagle2 Wrote:  It would be worth looking into in our country in my opinion. You could cut out a lot of bureaucracy and red tape, cut down on waste, fraud, and abuse. Take away all welfare and food stamp programs and just leave it at this fixed amount, it might be a net savings.

that doesn't change incentive....you know...that driving force behind capitalism....

the us and swiss only have 'I scrub yours, you scrub mine' in common

they only understand the singularity of culture.....

most here understand what would happen if the swiss had an ellis island freeway...incarceration facilities and genocide would pop up faster than a ten year old pecker whilst peering into the sears lingerie section in the xmas catalog...

I think this will be fascinating to watch, as Switzerland is maybe the exact type of country (small, relatively homogeneous, prosperous) that could pull this off.

Here is what I need an economist to explain to me. If everyone in the country is guaranteed $30,000 Swiss Dragoons or whatever currency they use, why doesn't a bottle of ketchup go from $4 to $40, effectively making the $30,000 guaranteed income a big failure as no one really has any more money to spend?

(06-03-2016 09:27 AM)boroeagle2 Wrote:  It would be worth looking into in our country in my opinion. You could cut out a lot of bureaucracy and red tape, cut down on waste, fraud, and abuse. Take away all welfare and food stamp programs and just leave it at this fixed amount, it might be a net savings.

I'm totally in favor of this approach.

And as for the Swiss military comments, we could learn a lot from them there, as well. They get more bang for their buck by having a relatively large portion of their military manpower in a reserve status--trained and ready and there if needed, but not occupying full slots on the payroll when not needed. In addition to cutting costs, that approach avoids the huge temptation to send in the Marines every time some other country doesn't do to suit us. It would keep us out of wars that we don't fight to win, because we don't have the resources to fight them sitting around doing nothing.