RationalPolitics

Friday, April 17, 2026

Universal prosperity

Universal HIGH INCOME via checks issued by the Federal government is the best way to deal with unemployment caused by AI. AI/robotics will produce goods & services far in excess of the increase in the money supply, so there will not be inflation.

The Vigilant Fox

@VigilantFox

I respectfully disagree. It doesn’t address the sense of purpose issue. A lot of people go to work every day feeling needed. Like they matter. Take that away, and all you’re left with is unlimited free time, meaning more Netflix, video games, and consumption of X-rated content over doing something productive. I love my free time when I get it, but if I don’t work for it, I don’t appreciate it. Too much free time without any structure might not be the best thing for humanity.

Techno_funda

@dhru_withlogic

36m

You are partially right about the purpose issue, but there is another side of the picture where many humans do labor work. I have seen many old men, women, and some young kids doing labor work which they don’t love at all but have to do just for a living and to survive with inflation. If we have the technology (robots) to do it and we don’t use it, it’s a shame on humanity. Is it possible that everyone has some purpose but they are somehow lost in the survival cycle? What is purpose at the end? Is it happiness? I think it will come along as humanity grows.

Useful way to think about immigration

Stephen Miller

@StephenM

A useful way to think about migration is to consider what kind of societies the migrants have built in their home countries and to what extent you would like those conditions replicated here.

Matt Van Swol

@mattvanswol

Another useful way to think about migration: You don't marry someone assuming they'll magically adopt your values AFTER marriage. Who they were BEFORE you, is who's moving in with you. Immigration policy is the same idea, just at scale, so we should be even more careful.

CoffeeNChaos

@CoffeeNchaoss

I think it’s better to think of it as allowing immigrants to leave those conditions behind while pursuing the American dream and promoting the integration into an American society.