Basic Standard of Wealth Ceiling

My brother came to me with an idea for a system. His system was for robots to replace the lower class workers and for the average individual to be supplied by the government a basic standard of living. I believed he called it the basic equality. Although his general overview of his idea was simple, I questioned about the loop holes of his ideas. I believe he has still yet to come to a solid conclusion of how it would work. I proposed a similar idea of which I will explain. This idea is not new and has supposedly been around since the 1930s. I read a book a while back in which a famous economist explained a system in which automated manufacturing would be the solution for the future. I don’t remember the book because it’s been so long ago, but it also gave questioned a similar system to what my brother had in mind. His general thesis was that manufacturing could be used to create a quality of living in which people were able to obtain a basic standard of lifestyle with the ability to climb up the latter of success. My brothers idea was to use government to create a basic lifestyle foundation in which people had a house, a car, and given money to raise in society as they obtained a desire for a career or pursuit of passion. Robots would be used to replace workers and provide everyone with the ability to strive for future endeavors. Although it sounds good, there are many drawbacks from a current era western-minded civilization. People who do not want to work pose a thread of comfort in such a system which could render the idea potentially stifling. I came up with my own suggestions building on his idea and the idea proposed in the book I once read and put together a more functional and more psychological take on such a system. This system goes as this: There are two fundamental ideologies, one of freedom of the people and one of control. This idea is for freedom of the people. It is not Marxist, despite having a partial similar element to a socialistic foundation. The system goes like this. I proposed a system in which the local government provided their state with a basic standard of living, a safety-net for all people and families. An idea that could replace welfare entirely for something more productive and functional. Students can live on their own, families could live together despite financial hardships, the retired could live on their own without the need for worry in financial instability. I call this system the “Basic Standard of Wealth" ceiling. The quality of life is much of a low standard as one could obtain a reasonable size apartment room, a vehicle which is fairly inexpensive, a very bare-bone basic income for food and clothes. Instead of replacing jobs with robots(like my brother's idea), have these jobs open for the “starting or restarting class”. Robots can be applied to larger scale mass manufacturing so that people can obtain products more cheaply (purchase vehicles, electronic devices). The greatest part of such system is that education is completely free for students of all ages. Students can return to school whenever the want. Institutional faculty, teachers, and boards will be paid well by the local governments. Local government will allow for competition among the Basic Standard of Wealth (BSW). This might allow people to migrate to other states that provide greater benefits for the system. States will compete in this basic standard of wealth system because it will help cultivate their cities bringing more wealth and value with the need to fill in jobs, career opportunities, and create heavy business competition. The overall point of this system is to give people the stable foundation in which they can peruse their educational desire for trade or passion. There is a problem, however. There will be those who will find comfort in doing nothing with their life. This can be done through a lack of motivation and inspiration, negative environmental culture, or those who feel isolated due to the potential pace or perception of usefulness to this system. To get people to not become ignorantly supported by this Basic Standard of Wealth, they have to get approved every month by presenting a plan to an office that provides with these services. Those who apply to collect small payment from this system will have to convince officers that they have a goal and are taking steps to achieve that goal and are providing the evidence of that effort. If they are not approved, they must find approval elsewhere (perhaps according to county jurisdiction).  With the fear of not being approved, people will not do crime and will desire to be on board with the requirements for this system. I want to think this is using psychology against those who are ignorant or wish to maintain a long duration constant comfort of living for the sake of unethical or selfish desires; hopefully changing their ideologies of hording handouts. Another issue with instant implementation is the challenge of rediscovering the quality of ethics, because of the culture created by poverty, this will have to be changed with the oncoming generations with education. The system doesn’t come without it challenges. This problem for this system could reside in the transition to this system from our current system in which I will explain later. The use of developmental education will be the biggest importance to this system. Schools will compete in education and in talent. Much like the strict quality of Asian schools, children at an early age will be taught ethics as ethics will play an extremely vital role in the quality of society. Due to the psychological results of education in Asia, there will be lenience as it’s critical for students to have a sense of moderate independence and vital importance of not only gaining intelligence and understanding, but to grow in hyper intellectual capabilities. There is still yet to experiment with education such as the influence in psychology for potentially more productive learning ideas such as the use of addictiveness found in games or the use of personalized curiosity, and a handful of alternate methods (such as catering to student adaptive learning capabilities)  to teach students. In this system, when individuals obtain a job or career, they can improve on the quality of lifestyle they desire. They can purchase a new car, a bigger home, assets of luxury, and so much more. If they fail or lose their job, the Basic Standard of Wealth ceiling will be a reliable source to fall back on. It still is sink or swim, it’s just that there is a foundation in which people will be not be afraid to fail. The implementation of this system seemingly simple without perhaps factoring the human elements. Much like the use of promissory notes without value, this system can be done through the use of debt and growth. The switch could happen overnight (as an example there is a reason this shouldn’t happen yet). It can be done by instantly leveraging the quality of all occupations to the idea of importance or how much value a job provides to the state. A teacher and farmer will further be regarded as high paying occupations. Manufacturing will need to be revolutionized for mass manufacturing of good. Essentially with technology and mass manufacturing we can create a super economy by artificially paying companies and businesses temporarily and having the state pay them back later, much like a loan but in reverse.  Another way to put it is the state is the small business and it takes on a loan to the companies in which the state pays the companies back as mass productivity rises. I believe this to be the temporary start to building this super economy. The reason I stated this idea should not be implemented immediately is because this idea needs to be tested. Much like the Mouse Utopia experiment by John Calhoun where mice were used to test out utopic ideas in limited space, with the use of psychology and sociology, it’s my hypothesis that if the rats in the Utopia experiment had an incentive to climb to a greater quality of life, they would do so as the negative stimuli would provide a level of guilt in which they have to endure a level of constant discomfort to continue doing the wrong to which I believe subconsciously acts against human nature to achieve. You do good, it is rewarded with a greater quality lifestyle, do wrong and it’s difficult to get what you want. The best thing about this system is my belief that it uses psychology to naturally persuade people to desire a raise in a better quality of lifestyle because of how easy it is. With the use of this idea, I also believe the financial institutions can not only return to the gold standard but they can also switch to a precious metal and jewel standard. Taking it a step further than that, they can also test Jacque Fresco’s resource based economic system. Overall, this is my idea of a more functional system to go along side with our current system of government. A system in which prizes individual freedom and success, eliminates crime, creates a basic standard of wealth in which individuals don’t have the fear of losing everything when they fail, the economy can switch to a super-fast pace hyper economy due to intense competition, where people are highly educated and have a high degree of ethics, and which to my belief is the formula to become a space-exploring civilization. I want to believe this is the next evolution in creating a greater America. Its main idea of this support structure is much like the 1930s book I described and my brothers idea, however this provides my take on the full mechanics of this system.
 

Artwork from NeoTokyo

(this article is subject to minor changes and improvements)

03/16/2019 

I believe quality of education is the key to the incentive of this safety net system idea. I believe a system of education that is based on psychology of the students; utilizing the best methods, strategies, and structures of learning and teaching; looking at the most functional system of education around the world and adopting compatible methods, strategies, and structures; utilizing and training the best teachers that will inspire and motivate students by making subjects interesting, providing experiments, and developing a sense of exploration and personal experimentation will be the greatest tool for the success of this system and the overall nation. 

I believe a requirement to stay within the safety net system is to show personal initiative of providing academic related test results; producing products; producing useful research or journalism; delivering or show incremental progress of quality art; and providing acceptable services. Essentially they need to portray a social or personal value (something that can contribute to culture, themselves, or society) and personal perseverance towards progress. 

If they purposefully do nothing, produce nothing, or care for nothing, they will be abandoned by the system until they choose to participate in the system. If they are thinking of living off this system without producing or showing something of value then it is a personal choice they have made. This simplicity of this system is that even the person that is most incapable, can produce something of value.

Perhaps another incentive could be the quantity, quality, or excitement of what an individual is producing could present a bonus addition of money (perhaps adding $100) to the safety net system. 

Payments are done bi-monthly. 

Perhaps if they produce less than expected or forecasted, if they don’t deliver, or if they show signs of falling behind dramatically, they can be docked money (perhaps losing $200). 

The system should be a system based on a desire for progress. One’s ignorance is what will get people living on the street. It’s a system that is difficult to lose and easy to gain; a system in which one has to desire to fail in order to fall from the system.  It's also a system in which is easy to get on and help redevelop oneself.