P2P Foundation » Blog Archive » The Pirate Party’s solution for the global job crisis: valuing the swarm economy

One model for the swarm economy could be a basic unconditional income for every citizen. This would solve many problems, such as the Iron Law of Wages, and promote the industry-fundamental nonpaid work. It would not fundamentally change society’s economy model, as everybody is already guaranteed basic food, board and necessities through welfare systems, but making it unconditional would remove a whole lot of costly red tape.

This would enable society as a whole to remove the Iron Law of Wages and allow entrepreneurs to employ people for five hours a week, as well as allow somebody to work five hours a week paid and the rest on nonpaid but society-positive contributions, if they prefer. I don’t believe in doomsday prophecies that nobody will want to work when guaranteed a basic sustenance: again, Wikipedia and GNU/Linux, and case closed.

It is true that about 10% of the population will choose to not work and become “professional slackers”. On the other hand, these are — if I am allowed to be blunt — people that don’t work while employed either, people that employers would rather keep out of the workforce, so it doesn’t really change anything in terms of actual production. They avoid work already where they can.

I am sure that there are other models of making noncounted production count as production. I would be interested in hearing and understanding them. However, my main point is this:

The world’s Pirate Parties are in a unique position to understand the coming Swarm Economy, having firsthand experience with its unpaid fundamental production. We are able to make meaningful policy around this and bridge the gap between the industrial society and its successor, and today’s parties aren’t. My question is: should we?”

via blog.p2pfoundation.net

Comments

[Joepdx]

Why do you think Zizek glosses over this aspect of basic income? He says that basic income would engender resentment, but doesn't saying that rely on the assumption that humans are basically vain and lazy? Is there somewhere to go putting Zizek in conversation with the kind of argument for basic income offered above?

[www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawmJ70ZMpvll1jBPd5rmtbCE5OgTMlWdSz4]

Are you familiar with the late Andre Gorz? He advocated a basic income and fewer working hours for decades in France.