The case for free, universal basic services - Aaron Bastani
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TED Talk
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Several crises are set to define the next century — but journalist Aaron Bastani believes we have the technological ability to meet our biggest challenges and create unprecedented levels of prosperity for all. He shows how we could get there by adopting "universal basic services," where governments would freely provide life essentials like housing, health care, education and transport.
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Explore the first-ever UK report on the merits of universal basic services and how they can address a range of public policy problems. It also provides an introduction to the idea of universal basic services and why it's preferable to a universal basic income (UBI).
People have become increasingly worried that the threats we face today, like climate change and rising inequality, can’t be solved by a capitalist economic system. So, is that true? And if it is, can we fix capitalism or do we need to tear the system down and build a new one from scratch? Explore the different types of capitalism and the role it plays in our society.
Income and wealth inequality are not new. In fact, economists and historians who have charted economic inequality throughout history haven’t found a single society without it. Which raises a bleak question: is inequality … inevitable? Explore how economic inequality can be measured and how it is impacted by different governmental policy choices.
In his book, Aaron Bastani outlines the challenges confronting humanity over the 21st century, and the simultaneous emergence of new technologies which will not only mitigate them but make possible new vistas of abundance. It also details the role of universal basic services, and a form of social democracy (with markets) in navigating our way to a different kind of economic system. Learn more here.
People have become increasingly worried that the threats we face today, like climate change and rising inequality, can’t be solved by a capitalist economic system. So, is that true? And if it is, can we fix capitalism or do we need to tear the system down and build a new one from scratch? Explore the different types of capitalism and the role it plays in our society.
Income and wealth inequality are not new. In fact, economists and historians who have charted economic inequality throughout history haven’t found a single society without it. Which raises a bleak question: is inequality … inevitable? Explore how economic inequality can be measured and how it is impacted by different governmental policy choices.
In his book, Aaron Bastani outlines the challenges confronting humanity over the 21st century, and the simultaneous emergence of new technologies which will not only mitigate them but make possible new vistas of abundance. It also details the role of universal basic services, and a form of social democracy (with markets) in navigating our way to a different kind of economic system. Learn more here.
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- Speaker Aaron Bastani
