Scott Santens
Writer and full-time advocate of unconditional basic income (UBI); Citizen of Earth and New Orleans; Bachelor of Science in Psychology; Editor of Basic Income Today
New on Vocal: Why We Need Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) and Why It Needs Universal Basic Income (UBI)
Also available to listen to in podcast form
It's published!!! At just shy of 14,000 words, my latest article is the closest thing to writing a book that I've done so far. Despite its length, it's still meant to be readable like an enjoyable book, and not a heavy academic slog that no one will read. I hope readers will agree.
I've long avoided . . .
Posted in: analogyautomationbullshit jobscostdebtevidencefunding methodsmoneymotivationproductivitysciencespendingunpaid laborvoluntary labor
The Monsters, Inc. Argument for Unconditional Basic Income
How to convert an economy based on fear to one based on joy
Every year since 2002, there is a North American Basic Income Guarantee Congress held in either the US or Canada. On the eve of this year’s NABIG in Hamilton, Ontario, I’d like to share with you my favorite presentation from 2017. It was a talk given by Ken Burak and it centered around the Pixar film “Monsters, Inc” as an argument for basic . . .
Posted in: analogybullshit jobschild povertyfearmoral argumentmotivationphilosophypovertyprivate propertyproductivityslaveryunpaid laborvoluntary labor
Forget the future of work. What about the future of consumption?
Discussing the future of work is all the rage these days. Some say we're on the verge of the robot apocalypse of jobs. Others say jobs will always be created in sufficient numbers (and at sufficient rates) and that everything will be fine. Regular readers know where I fall on this particular question, that either way, our goal should be . . .
Posted in: automationbullshit jobscreativitydebtinequalitypatreonrich supportspendingstudent loanstechnological unemploymentunderemploymentunpaid laborvoluntary labor
Humanity Needs Universal Basic Income in Order to Stop Impeding Human Progress
My latest article on HuffPost Politics
I published a new article yesterday on HuffPost Politics that they actually put on the front page of The Huffington Post. It's called "Humanity Needs Universal Basic Income in Order to Stop Impeding Progress".
Excerpt:
Putting humans out of work should be a public relations win, not a loss, and so mankind . . .
Posted in: automationbullshit jobshuffington postmoneyproductivitytechnological unemploymentunionsvoluntary labor
Robots Will Take Your Jobs
My article in the Ideas section of the Boston Globe
My first ever article to be published in the Boston Globe is now available online. It's titled "Robots Will Take Your Job". For those in and around the Boston area, this story will also be in the Sunday print edition on February 28th. So please pick up a copy if you can.
In it I explain how quickly artificial . . .
Posted in: automationboston globebullshit jobsentrepreneurshipself-driving vehiclestechnological unemploymentunderemployment
Jobs, Work, and Universal Basic Income
a world without jobs ≠ a world without work
I recently spoke at the first World Summit on Technological Unemployment that took place in the Time Life Building in New York City on September 29, 2015. I was not the only one. Very well known names like Robert Reich and Joseph Stiglitz were also there to speak, and others just as well known like Larry Summers and John Markoff spoke via . . .
Posted in: bullshit jobs
Debunking the Debunking of "Humans Need Not Apply" and More
The fallacy of "the luddite fallacy"
This gif is the kind of imagery that gets our attention and gets us all wondering about what is going to happen to the people who did these jobs now being done by robots.
There are a lot of people wondering about the answer to this question, and drawing conclusions like 47% of all current jobs are at risk of being automated within 20 . . .
Posted in: automationbullshit jobshumans need not apply
