Basic Income Grant

By Tino Rozzo CLAWS INTERVIEW FORUM RESULTThis is a exchange between Creating Living Alternative To Wage Slavery. As Socialists, we view oursleves as a labor party, but we are also a leisure party. 1. Why should People Collect a Basic Income Grant?To not share the wealth of a society in an equitable way is to ensure suffering, strife and will inhibit the evolution of both the individual and the group involved.2. Aren't people who don't want to work lazy? Shouldn't they contribute to Society?Everyone able should contribute to the society but this in no way requires anyone to have a dead-end job with subsistence wages and questionable benefits. All that are able should be required to supply a variety of services in their community at times as well as be encouraged to explore their natural talents and abilities.3. Some people think everyone can have a job, and that welfare recipients are leeches of society. What is your view?I do not agree, though the current welfare system is detrimental to both the recipient and the society. Based on the economic model that is currently utilized by the society of the USA not everyone can have a job. In fact the economic strategist plan and manipulate the system so that labor is always in abundance and therefore cheap thus ensuring that not all will be employed and that many who are will be under-employed and involved in meaningless labors.4. How would people handle a leisure society? Wouldn't their be work created through leisure?From personal experience I would say that those who are now or recently have been employed in a position where they willingly apply themselves to their tasks will have a more difficult time making the transition than their counterparts who have not invested so much of themselves into their work. The question should not be whether their will be more work created but rather whether it would more useful and satisfying work on both an individual level as well as a societal level.5. Is the economy really doing well, and is it an employee's market?The economy is based on false assumptions and many inequalities and thus has never worked well for all the participants. At present it is doing great damage to the environment and to any people that are not positioned in it's hierarchy.6. Are there any examples of good companies to work for that are progressive?What yardstick is 'Good' qualified by and who decided what standard is used? There are many well meaning people and thus well meaning companies and some that are called progressive or enlightened. But as they are subject to the rules of the current system of economics and the inertia of their underlying cultural beliefs I have yet to find any G'ood' (for the individuals, for the company, for all societies and for the environment) companies. Maybe I haven't looked enough. I would love to hear from anyone about "Good' companies out there.7. What political organizations do you support?At present none.* It should be noted CLAWS isn't part of the SPUSA and many CLAWS may or may not have political affiliations.8. Tell us a bit about the world of work today. The Harris Poll says Everyone is satisfied with their jobs. Is that true?No everyone is not happy with their work today. In fact a great number are not happy on some level (generally more than one). Personally I find the general concept of work in this culture (USA) supports and in fact forces people to become so busy with either work or the prospect of surviving that the possibility for a true democracy is undermined. In addition, the amount of work required has increased for many individuals which translates into less time for individuals/families to evolve and grow in meaningful ways. Work as it is currently contrived too often dehumanizes and thus steals true life experience from those who must work. Quite frankly there is a great deal of unnecessary work being performed and the workload as well as the benefits of it are not equitably shared. This leads to greater class distinction/differences and undermines the very concepts basic to a true democracy and leads to unneeded suffering and strife. It's a well designed machine ensuring that power and privilege stays in the hand of the few, and I'll add, any hope of true enlightenment for the masses.Thank you for the opportunity to not only express my current views but also by being involved with providing a forum where I might learn more via the comments/experiences of others.Chuck Kilmer