Zuckerberg is making a provocative point that wasn’t in A World Without Work, the program we did a while back before there was any conversation here in the States about this basic income idea. My radar is out for what can shift mass consciousness and I tuned into this concept when it was being toyed with in a few foreign countries. Since then, it has become a topic of more and more conversation here that has some feel of being on the march to happening. If we had a system that’s about taking care of everyone, it would be a huge step toward the caring world we want to be in.
Mark Zuckerberg called for exploring universal basic income in his Harvard graduation speech. Here’s what that means.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg greets graduating Harvard students as he walks in a procession though Harvard Yard at the start of commencement exercises Thursday. –Steven Senne / AP
Online voting. Personalized learning. Student loan relief. Higher taxes on the wealthy.
But of all the ideas he suggested, perhaps none were as radical or surprising as a thing called “universal basic income.”
Zuckerberg said he never would’ve founded Facebook if not for his relative financial security, something other potential entrepreneurs may not enjoy.
“We should have a society that measures progress not just by economic metrics like GDP, but by how many of us have a role we find meaningful,” he said. “We should explore ideas like universal basic income to give everyone a cushion to try new things.”
So what does that mean?
Universal basic income is actually a pretty straightforward concept. And while there are varying degrees and iterations, at its core it’s a proposal that the government provides every citizen a certain baseline amount of money, no strings attached.
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