What if no one ever had to make impossible decisions?
The headlines this week in the UK are all about “security for working people” — but as the cost of living crisis intensifies, and with food prices in particular set only to rise further, more and more people are facing what The Trussell Trust rightly calls “impossible decisions”. 😣
The glib media statement is always “heating or eating” — but that’s not really the point. That’s just the material stuff we need to consume to survive physically. ☹️
To be able to thrive and, crucially, to contribute to society as Citizens — as humans by nature NEED to do — we need a far better foundation than that. ✊
We don’t just warmth and food. We need to live without fear, to be comfortable enough to concentrate, to be able to access opportunities. 💪
That’s why I believe basic income — or at least a guaranteed minimum income — is a basic condition for a Citizen society. 💷
This is entirely possible, and fundamentally necessary. It is the best investment any government could make, because it would unleash the power and creativity of people who currently cannot contribute because they are denied the means to do so. 💡
But to see it like this, rather than as a “handout”, “money for nothing”, we have first to see people for what we all are: #CitizensNotConsumers.
If you’re not convinced, maybe think of it like this: if you had to, what would you choose to go without? Could you still contribute to society without it? Would you still want to?
This is my latest #WhatIfWednesday post, where each week I start
from the deep truth that people are #CitizensNotConsumers as I look at a topical issue — I’m always looking at the comments for future post suggestions
