- sbat,
a basic house, basic calorics... enough to survive without a job. around 800 in germany
800. In $ that comes to around $1000/month or $12000 per year. If the goal is mere survival, that could work - it would be extremely difficult in a large city, but the goal here isn't comfortable life, just survival. Interesting note, maximum unemployment benefits in some states are as high as $600/week, although there is a cap on how many weeks you can get unemployment checks. How much do you get on unemployment in Germany?
no, the state doesnt today and shouldnt even in this system. it would influence the free market system and its up to you for what you spend your money.
if your economy isnt good enough to produce products i need/want, its up to the economy to change, not to the state to stop that change.
a lots of people get support by the state and its up to them, for what they spend it... also companies get subsidies and no one cares if they import or not
We may be talking apples and oranges here. You're talking of the philosophy and I'm thinking about the implementation. I agree that its up to the economy to change if domestic goods can't compete with imported goods. I also agree with your implicit point that buffering domestic companies against import competition is not a default strategy for every country. I was just thinking, hypothetically, that if we were thinking of the states in the best position to actually do this, we're looking at Western Europe, with US trailing far behind (no political will to support this at all).
Such a policy would likely destabilize the Euro more than it already is if a country such as Germany or France gave all of its citizens 800/month from birth until death if left purely to free market means. Think about the credit offerings to help the unemployed who are lazy stretch their pay into more consumption with balloon interest rates - there would have to be legislation preventing that. There would have to be legislation around what minors can purchase with their money - how problematic would it be if the market for illegal drugs got bolstered by these payments to citizens? There would need to be monitoring to ensure that people aren't using the money for currency swapping or speculation, activities which work to destabilize the Euro as we speak.
Then there is also making sure that this system doesn't turn into an acceleration of the collapse of local markets as consumers express preference for foreign or imported goods - civil/social instability is often a result of over-rapid market liberalization, as we have seen throughout the history of the IMF
sure preventative care is allways the best way.
about, companies are good for giving people what they ask for, is half true half fals.
if you dont know that something exist, you dont ask for it.
so, if i start to offer cigarettes and make it popular, then it was the company who offered it, not the consumer who asked for it.
the state has to controll in thouse cases the companies.
but to tax just soft drinks cause they make people fat is stupid and nothing more as a symble. if the really wants to fight fat people, he has tp tax way more, close all subway and make new york a bicycle city
Agreed.