a perfect case in point for #UBI (Universal Basic income)
@tshepang
I would need to give this idea some more thought.
You see, if a service does not cost anything at all, there tends to be waste and abuse.
If everyone is given a basic income to cover their (basic) needs, this would solve that problem too, don't you think?
In any event, public goods should be held by a (non-corrupt) state and not by private citizens or corporations (e.g. water rights).
Interesting thoughts.
Apart from health care (where I tend to disagree, as the inflation rate, including innovation had been 12-15%, depending on the country, even before the Pandemic . The #NHS is in a huge crisis and even in non-Oil countries, maintaining it open for all is gigantic and access must be limited for the system not to break. - Limited regarding the scope of the services, not regarding nationals and residents.)
...which universal basic services do you see?
@tshepang
In order for a state to take care of its citizens and (legal) residents who have to foot the bill, NO system can ever be open to all comers, as there are always limited resources.
Just have a look at the millions of war #refugees that had to be accommodated in the #EU.
Many low-income citizens and residents are already crowded out of an extremely tight housing market. Right-wing governments are already in place or might be soon. Asking for freedom...
...of movement for any human being a desirable as this may be, would simply lead to a breakdown of virtually all services provided by the state.
A case in point: the Lebanon, virtually a failed state.
No, a somewhat just solution would be that the old industrialized nations pay #ClimateReparations to the former #colonial countries, as the University of #Leeds recently suggested.
I strongly disagree with the "wealth" statement. Several G7 countries are greatly in debt and live on bortowed time. Many cannot even finance all that would be necessary to achieve the 1.5°C target.
Yes, of course immigrants bring new skillsets to a country. The problem arises when they become too many; just ask any surviving indigenous people of the Americas. 😉
I completely agree with the uneven wealth-distribution problem, however. In particular, the earth...
...cannot afford billionaires.
Capital markets
Here is an overview of the G20's and several NICa' state debts, customarily in % of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP, BIP in German.)
It shows, for how many years a country would have to use the complete monetary value of all of its goods and services generated in a year to repay their debts.
(Alas, it is in German, but most country names should be known from the Olympics.)
https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/684061/umfrage/staatsverschuldung-in-den-g20-staaten/
@HistoPol @tshepang You're not answering the question though, and answering it is critical. Who are they in debt *to*?
The answer is: their own private sector. And, further, these debts actually provide value to their host economies through stable government bonds.
Government debt is not the demon it's been made out to be and doesn't really have much bearing on the ability of an economy to support people.
@jsbarretto @tshepang
My knowledge as to the specific creditors is limited.
However, if you have read the Panama Papers, I seem to remember that e.g. Africa's wealth seems to be controlled chiefly by 3 families. (Don't quote me on that, it's been some years.)
But looking, selectively, at Russia, the US, Latin America, and many Arab countries, for instance, I'd hazard a guess: international #oligarchs.
(1/2)
Interesting thought, but alas, no, not quite IMO.
You can only cancel out things within one mathematical term.
The oligarchs and the corporatists that control these debts are "extra-national," often holding several passports, and are NOT under the control of national governments (maybe with the partial exception of #Russia--different story.)
They, in turn, control Western democracies through their lobbyists and the...
(2/2)
...politicians on their payroll. The US have become a clear plutocracy since #CitizensUnitedVsFEC (see thread.)
A pars pro toto, #Elon: he controls 50% of global satellite 🛰 internet communications, and hardly any government can risk to alienate.
So, no, they do not factor out. Different groups/entities.
Here are some links regarding lobbyists, if needed:
https://mstdn.social/@corporateeurope/110513996813840660
https://newsie.social/@nbcnews/110433183224846421
https://mastodon.social/@HistoPol/110663430156794308
https://mstdn.social/@corporateeurope/110514000647075242
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🚨 BREAKING: 🚨 new research from @corporateeurope & @stopcorpabuse exposes how the Big 5 oil & gas majors have brought 400+ lobbyists to the U.N. climate talks since the signing of the Paris Agreement. #KickBigPollutersOut 🧵👇 https://kickbigpollutersout.org/articles/new-figures-show-big-oil-gas-flooding-un-climate-talks-paris-agreement
Joshua Barretto
HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴
tshepang