this post was submitted on 20 Dec 2023
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Futurology
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The only real tangible information that I can assume is correct from this experiment is the drop down to 12% for being un-sheltered. The rest seems to be less concrete. What poverty stricken person who was being trialed for getting $750 a month for a year would say it wasn't helping, or that they spent the money on drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol? Were the people chosen for the program chosen at random or cherry picked?
I don't mean to say that a basic income is a bad idea or that it doesn't work. I actually think it does work. I just don't believe the results of this particular study at the face value of the article, or the truthfulness of the answers the people in the study gave. Only 2% of the money was spent on cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs? Really? That's only $15 a month. In California. That's only a 12 pack of cheap beer or like 2 packs of cigarettes. No way is the average of 100 random poverty stricken people only going to average out to $15 a month for that.