• PM_ME_YOUR_ZOD_RUNES@sh.itjust.works
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    1 year ago

    I’ve always been a big proponent of UBI. But after speaking with my communist brother recently he opened my eyes to something. If UBI get’s implemented, big corporations will just increase prices and completely/partially negate it.

    What we need is a NEEDS income. We establish what are basic needs, housing, healthcare, food, etc… and make sure that all of these needs are met.

    • PM_ME_FEET_PICS@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      Canada’s LPC recently issued grocery stores to price their goods fairly otherwise they are going to step in and regulate.

      The same could be the same with other companies.

    • bighatchester@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      The government would also need to put restrictions on how much companies can charge for basic needs . Food , power , rent etc.

    • Wogi@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I’m so glad people are starting to see this.

      In 2008 there was a first time home buyer credit announced, and suddenly overnight every house on the market went up by about 10 grand.

      The market is only a measure of how much wealth can be squeezed out of the working class, and the market always goes up. If UBI became a thing, suddenly everyone has another 2 grand to spend, and everyone will want their cut.

      • bookmeat@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Those prices were going to go up anyway. They’ve been doing so for years before and after that credit.

        • Wogi@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          They raise prices knowing we aren’t making any more money, now imagine what they’ll do when they know everyone has a lot of extra money to spend?

    • J12@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Agreed. And start regulating and capping the prices of the needs like housing and healthcare

      • Queen HawlSera@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        The fact that there are still no caps on medicine costs in America baffles me. And I am an american, do you have any idea how much a single bag of saline cost to produce? I’m not even sure it’s $5, but that won’t stop them from charging you thousands on the bill when you leave the hospital.

        • J12@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          It’s absolutely insane what they charge. Another example is an MRI

          I had an MRI done a few months back. I took probably max 30 minutes of the machine’s time. My bill was $5000. Fortunately insurance covered all but $200, but collectively it raises all of our insurance rates when a hospital charges $5000 for an hour test.

          I did some math. A new MRI is 1 million to 3 million dollars. We’ll go on the upper end of 3 million.

          Let’s say they do 8 MRIs a day.

          They make $40,000 a day per MRI A 5 day work week they bring in $200,000/week $800,00/ month

          That MRI is paid off in 4 months.

          I get there’s other expenses. Rent is a few thousand a month. The techs probably made $20 a piece while I was there. There’s definitely maintenance on the machines. But come on? $5,000 for an MRI?

          Let’s go a little deeper and see why the actual machines are so expensive. Are they actually that expensive or is GE, Siemens, Phillips making a huge markup?

          I don’t hate capitalism like a lot on here, but I believe our needs health, education, housing, electricity needs to be highly regulated and it should not be for profit.

          Also sorta unrelated but not really, but I love bringing up that Corporations should not own single family housing.

    • CeeBee@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      But after speaking with my communist brother recently he opened my eyes to something.

      I was certain this comment was satire at first, but now I’m not so sure.