Free Lunch Society — Doxa 2017 film
This could truly be the most thought provoking film that I viewed at the festival this year. Imagine a world where welfare was unnecessary and people worked because they wanted to, not because they had to? Could this even be possible? Yes, it is.
Providing unconditional basic income is not a new concept. It gained popularity back in the 1970s, and has already been experimented with in many places including Germany, Alaska, Namibia, to our very own Dauphin, Manitoba.
The naysayers believe that giving people money without requiring them to work for it will make them lazy. However, time after time it has already been proven that this is not the case. As a matter of fact, when one’s essential needs are being met, research says that it does the opposite. People get creative, excited, are motivated to pursue passions and work because they want to, not because they have to.
This provision would remove the tyranny of wage slavery and is a great step toward accommodating a disappearing job market that mechanization is creating. Did you know that studies have shown that increasing minimum wage actually increases unemployment within the black community specifically?! When employers are faced with paying their unskilled employees a higher wage, they get rid of them or won’t hire them because they are not qualified enough [now] for the positions. Furthermore, with technology rapidly replacing many jobs and many people, moving toward a world where having a job isn’t practical or even necessary is a step in the right direction. We already have robots doing many jobs, and with self-driving trucks delivering our goods . . . way less people are and will be necessary! For those things, anyway.
People are resilient, forward moving, and typically have generous conscientious spirits — if they are not worried about their next meal or where they are going to live. Just look at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. He said it all many years ago.
Watch this film and become a believer and advocate yourself!
