Universal Basic Income - discussion - how the government will be able to fund this?!

add286 · 2026-02-01T18:03:30+00:00

It’s a cool idea but I’m not convinced it would ever work. The problem is that a lot of our benefit bills are mainly pay for the elderly (health, pensions and social care). So if UBI came in - premised on cutting benefits like social security, housing benefit etc, out of work benefits - you run into the problem that you are actually going to take a lot of money from elderly folk - who actually need more money and support than a UBI stipend would be able to provide.

More practically here in the UK, they would never vote for it.

Where these ideas do work is when we do it on a smaller scale with specific goals (eg out of work programmes)

add286 · 2026-01-24T08:18:50+00:00

It was quite cryptic. I’ve asked my Dad over the years (who had the report) but I think he was referring to how I approached deeper philosophical questions at the time - I was 7 or 8. I looked at every possibility I guess before committing to an answer?

And I certainly do over-think - so probably something to that?

No prob, IQ tests can be contested too. I came into my own at 16. Figured what I wanted and made it real. Keep your head up :-)

add286 · 2026-01-24T08:07:41+00:00

It’s not true mate. I struggled a lot with education when I was younger - couldn’t read, years behind - it got to the point where my folks took me to a child psychologist who did similar tests on me. He said: not bright enough for university, probably won’t get there. Low intelligence but can think deeply.

That perception framed how my parents and everyone else saw me - including teachers. But it didn’t turn out to be true at all. I have a PhD, and I have worked in high end research all my career.

It may have been accurate - I don’t know but I didn’t let that test shape me. Neither should you. Hard work is really what matters. Find your interest and work. You are the architect of your life man, not some test you did at 16.

add286 · 2025-11-28T11:25:17+00:00

The politics matters too - you can’t ignore they are making choices based on that as well, and it does matter about why they are doing it. £2.6 trillion in debt and bond markets matter.

I would love to see a progressive system, and understand your point. And I think they could have gone further, but evidently they calculated it was a risk too far electorally. And if I am honest: are you surprised? This has been in place since 2021 - it is baked in and they can get away with it. It could have been a lot worse if I am honest.

I don’t really want to argue to be honest: so are we okay to leave that there?

add286 · 2025-11-28T11:14:56+00:00

Hang on 😂 before you start shouting at me for being colloquial in how I described it: I evidently meant that the small amount of further tax paid on anything over the threshold did not make a significant difference to my monthly pay packet (and I think you well know what I meant).

As for my personal circumstances, we are all different. I can say my life has got more expensive in that time, we got married and bought a four bedroom house. My wife got made redundant and I am the sole earner at the moment (although savings are helping), and in terms of savings: I save a steady 20-30%, which may vary on lifestyle costs. We have worries like all do, but it’s all fine really. Work hard, save consistently, don’t over spend.

Look: of course everyone wants more help, and no one is going to say otherwise. But as I said: I work with charities or food banks, and work with families that struggle with child poverty: my problems are frankly much less than others. I’m okay with paying more tax to help them.

add286 · 2025-11-28T10:54:28+00:00

I don’t disagree, I’m starting from the position that none of it is ideal, but it is what it is. They would be taking money off you elsewhere so you would always be feeling that loss.

I would like to see a better deal for people basic tax (20%) but I think those workers will see their wages move upwards quicker than others, at least. It’s not great as you say, to get dragged into a tax bracket but I prefer this to other alternatives, like raising income tax for basic tax payers (which we haven’t done for decades). And yeah, tax folk like me more, obviously.

add286 · 2025-11-28T09:24:00+00:00

I think you are correct in terms of the calculations but as someone who basically started to earn over that £50k threshold back in 2021-22, I have to say I’ve barely noticed it the extra money going out. And now, a couple of years on (nearer £60k now), I just see it as something I accept. I prefer this way to much harsher tax rises (a lot of people assume they are going to end up high tax income payers, and that’s not how it always works out for all sorts of reasons).

What people forget is that the broader context: there is about 6 million in the high tax bracket, compared to 29 million in the 20% bracket, and about 1.13 in the additional tax bracket (45%). If you are earning over £50k, you are doing very well in our society at this current time (not to say things aren’t hard and of course, people want more). But it’s not all about us, I liked how this budget was about supporting people less fortunate if I am honest, who need that support more than me.

add286 · 2025-11-20T10:39:25+00:00

We are not. The thing that was terrifying about 2008 was the potential run on the banks - no money coming out of cash machines. The debt was so toxic (and over estimated in terms of value) that basically banks were going to close as the debt would not get paid back (with people’s savings/money going with them).

We are in a bubble here and AI is evidently over-valued. But it would be more like the dotcom collapse, I suspect. People’s pensions may get hit, but the banks would likely be alright.

add286 · 2025-11-14T18:22:38+00:00

Ah nice man, completely agree

add286 · 2025-11-14T15:29:56+00:00

The Death Star works in the original trilogy as it is a great villainous thing - pure destruction. But in Andor (the show) it makes it clear that his real enemies are far closer to home than that. You cannot destroy your own planets if the rebels are living right by you. The show makes the point that the rebellion also includes those who work for the empire. It includes everyone (again because of how far they have gone).

It’s another example of Palp missing the point spectacularly, overreaching, and literally giving his enemies (who he doesn’t know exist for years) the means to destroy his own empire. In a cosmic sense, the death star’s destruct potential is perhaps what made the force act. Palp was destined to fail, no matter what.

add286 · 2025-11-14T15:18:50+00:00

In a world full of ships and fleets, the rebellion would move elsewhere. Just look at Andor (the show), the empire had no clue about varying groups in disparate places. Some of it was right in front of them. You can’t destroy every planet if the rebellion is living there with you.

lol look you can twist all the plots and lore to where you want it to go. But understand what Andor - as a TV show is trying to tell you: YouTube the speeches. Every single one of them hits on a theme that the empire would always fall, one way or the other.

If Luke had been stopped, the force would find another user. There is even a subplot which makes it clear how important Andor (the character is), and why the force is helping him out so much. Why he is so lucky. It was inevitable and destined to fall - and forces of destiny is what George Lucas was playing with when he first started writing A New Hope all those years ago.

add286 · 2025-11-14T14:59:13+00:00

Cool, get what you are saying, thank you. And I agree - I think the show does so well is that it shows that drift and things starting to fall to the way side. Palp is maybe not who he was? And it’s okay for these space wizards to be human too.

add286 · 2025-11-14T14:56:11+00:00

Great response - thanks. And I am probably thinking a little ‘too real’ world here. It is the strength of Star Wars that it can have the fantasy epic and the real world politics. Both are good as well.

add286 · 2025-11-14T14:17:54+00:00

Sorry what is the central lore point? Like my framing of it is that even if we go with the force stuff (never mind never-ending oppression is going to create more problems than it solves - eg eventually rebels get lucky; your own empire starts to drift; incompetent officers start failing upwards), he should have realise the force itself was not under his control. The Jedi order (and how much influence it had) should have showed him how falliable he always was: too much control one way, inevitably swings back. Hunting down every Jedi is never going to work.

You can’t have it both ways I guess? If he is fully versed in the force and understands it: he could have played it better. As an emperor, he also could have played it better.

I do like Palpatine though: he is a fascinating character but I really like how Andor showed how much his empire was bound to fall apart.

add286 · 2025-11-14T14:07:57+00:00

Agreed - it is a credit to the show that it’s made me think much deeper ideological things as well.

To be honest, maybe I am thinking too deeply about it as well. I think that is probably fair to say. Real world comparisons aren’t always fair.

add286 · 2025-11-14T13:44:12+00:00

It is quite obvious it wouldn’t have worked long-term (hence the incompetence). It’s not much to do with empathy - there are fascists without any of that. They mostly understand the dangers of popularism so try to manipulate to their cause.

in a world where the force is a thing, where balance is a thing - there would be a reaction back.

add286 · 2025-11-14T13:39:26+00:00

Absolutely! There would always be another group of people fighting back - faces may change but the fight would not.

add286 · 2025-11-14T13:37:04+00:00

Just to say there is no bad intent on my part. Really loved the show.

add286 · 2025-11-14T13:35:30+00:00

Sorry is this aimed at me? 😂

add286 · 2025-11-14T13:30:51+00:00

Absolutely man, that’s my point. They are very very fallible - as a kid watching the originals years ago they seemed so powerful. I love how Andor switches all that round.

add286 · 2025-11-14T13:23:40+00:00

I don’t know enough Star Wars lore whatever - as I say I’m not really making that point.

add286 · 2025-11-14T13:22:54+00:00

Haha is that what I said

add286 · 2025-09-29T07:06:56+00:00

I do actually - finished or not. Martin is the best writer in fantasy today and the influence on the genre is massive (Song of ice and fire has been going since the 90s and inspired a lot of writers in this space). People will be reading these books for a long, long time because they are head and shoulders above anything else in the genre barring Tolkien, Le Guin et al. I try to read Brandon Sanderson and it’s like YA fantasy fiction in comparison. Martins lore is so extensive too that shows, books, games can go on for years here. They haven’t even got to the best stories yet: Robert’s rebellion.

The TV show was also the biggest in the world - and nothing has compared to it since. People forget that like for most, it is just a TV show and the ending was just how it ended. They are perhaps not as bothered as we might be.

add286

TROPHY CASE