While Phony Maggot and his cronies are trying to return Australia to the dark ages with their oxy-moronic “work for the dole scheme”, the first European country (Switzerland) is now voting on giving every adult a basic income, no matter what their work status is. The “basic income solution” is being discussed all over Europe, especially in Germany and Austria . The reality is , we live in a world where automation and third world salary debasement are putting a lot of people out of work and there is no going back, so new solutions will have to be found. Of course someone will still need to pick up rubbish and maintain parks (until robots can do this too), but these are jobs that people need to be paid for adequately, not at dole (slave) wage salaries.

The “Basic Income” was already proposed at the beginning of the 20th century by the visionary Rudolf Steiner, who claimed that when people have all they need, their creativity will lead them to do more important work in areas like science, the arts or helping the community. The cliché dole bludger sitting in front of the telly, smoking and drinking beer, often feels disenfranchised by the community , leading to depression and hopelessness. What is the point of looking for jobs that are simply not there? What is the point of trying, when you are guaranteed to be unsuccessful due to circumstances out of your control? The “basic income solution” could restore people’s dignity and enable them to express themselves in many ways.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/04/us-swiss-pay-idUSBRE9930O620131004