Universal basic income aka #UBI

Capitalism need saving again.
In the 1930's FDR save capitalism introducing 40H workweek, minimum wage and social security.
The effect of those measures last literally till today in America.
Europe and the rest of the developed world, Japan, Canada and Australia, respectively add to their social network programs like universal healthcare, living wages, tuition free college education and retirement programs. The benefits from those programs build strong middle class and the positive effects last also till today.
It give to capitalism much needed boost to the system that couldn't resolve the boom and the bust cycles on its own.
Until the crash of 2008 when the world went the opposite way, ripping all the safety nets wherever they were weak enough to be torn apart with various degree of austerity measures or spending cuts depending on what side of the Atlantic and the Pacific ocean one lived in.
The crises continue masked as recovery enabling mass transfer of wealth from the middle class to the rich. No-one really cared for the poor this time around, amidst the widespread slather of the middle class.
Electing Trump just put the nail in the coffin of the whole millennials generation of the middle class Americans. The brexit killed a generation of the english middle class.
Greece, Portugal, Spain and Italy are devouring their public sectors and their commons as homage to Germany and France.
Japan is in perpetual decline as economy and as nation.
What can be done to save capitalism nowadays?
Europe come up with an idea called UBI or universal basic income.
Living in America i can't really tell how popular the idea is in Europe, except that is the only idea circulating around the world as waves hitting the shores of every country.
Theres no other way they say, automation will displace vast majority of the labor force and taxing the robots to pay the labor is the only solution.

Not to mention the corporations who abandon the western countries in search for cheap labor across the globe and left the native population fighting over service jobs and diminishing standard of living.

Soon all wages will flatten to some substandard level where full time job will not pay the rent while the renters will wear I-phone watch on the wrist. Cause progress you know.
So someone come up with the idea of universal basic income: use the taxes instead of wages to supplement the income of the majority of the population who are facing extinction as human beings.
It sound horrible, but that is what most of the developed countries are facing: native population decline as combination of reduced natality rates, increased suicide and homicide rates and decreased life span.
We have less babies, we kill ourselves in desperation, we neglect our bodies and therefore die younger of stress related deceases as obesity, diabetes and heart failures.
Will UBI save us?
It will save capitalism for sure.
It will give him another century or two, to sharpen its teeth and devour its host.
Host being us, the people and the planet Earth.
UBI and the renewable energy breakthrough.
The Elon Musk of the world.
Not the precariat. 
And the poor people campaign that will accept anything in desperation.
The Age of Flattening is upon us.
Chinese wages will rise, African wages will rise, Latin wages will rise, and European wages will stagnate, American wages will stagnate, Japanese wages will stagnate until the whole world wage equilibrate into one flatten minimal standard of living amidst unimaginable technological exponential advantages no-one can foreseen today. It will change the way we look at class. Penniless labor force able to purchase the amazing 21 Century technology.
The exponential technologies of the future world.
And in that centuries that UBI will deliver to the capitalism, the negation will germinate.
It will not be called Socialism, cause socialism run its course and burn out in flame.
It will be the name no-one knows or use today in my humble opinion.
Cooperatives, democracy at work, resource based economy, all reminiscence of the world we live in today will come to past, and new ideas will develop to organize a world were energy will cost zero, ideas will flow freely and new conscience will be destine to follow.
I don't think i will see the light myself, i just hope it will dawn on my children children faces one day.
That or some grotesque version of Darth Vader future. Army of robots in service of one very religious man and the clergy around him. Empire strikes back: all the technological benefits lost in egotistic vanity spree.
Lets go back to the present.
Universal Basic Income is inevitable.
Inevitable for humanity and i hope my generation will be the first generation to enjoy it.
And for my generation it will be beneficial.
Those who are earning poverty wages will be given a lift into secure future without stress of not having the basic needs met. The poor will not be poor anymore. They will have money to pay the rent on time, money to buy real food, meat and veggies and fruits too. Money to go to the movies. Money to even see the ocean. They will feel stability for the first time in their lives. They may even be embolden to go back to school and follow their dreams.
Vast majority of the people will perceive UBI as that supplemental income they always wish for to pursuit leisure. Money for that house in that neighborhood with an extra bedroom for the kids. Money for that trip to Paris, or to see the pyramids of Giza.
Money for that van to fit the kids and the dog in the back and be save. Money for a cabin in the mountains. Money for that fancy dining out. Money for that that new furniture. Money for a pool in the backyard for the kids to splash in. Money for that business idea one cherish from high school. Money for....take a pick, people never run out of ideas how to spend their extra money.
That will boost the overall world economy not just the economy where the universal basic income will be introduced.
The rich will benefit cause their businesses will increase in volume. Growth: abracadabra word of Capitalism.
For the world of my generation it will be period of renaissance in art, music, travel and leisure.
The world will benefit, cause there will be no need for refugees migrations and domestic crimes.
Overall happiness will rise up due stability in one families as the building cell of the society.
And the renaissance could spur the innovation unleashing the human potential breaking new frontiers and probably saving the earth from climate change.
Why then theres so much resistance against it?
Cause no-one is more stiff in parting with their money then the rich.
Cause the money for UBI must come from the rich.
Not the middle class.
The rich. The one percent rich of this world and their Corporations.
Taxing the rich and their corporate business, impossible mission.
They will not allow the middle class to vote away their wealth.
Not as long as they have option.
The Roman Emperor and the Roman senators could have send money to pay the Visigoths tribes or send food to the outline posts and prevent their march on Rome and fall of the Roman empire, but they didn't.
Louis XVI could have unburden the serfs from taxes amidst the financial crises caused by the American war and the crop failures in France, and prevent them from storming of the Bastille, but he didn't.
Will the Bezos and the Zuckerberg of this world learn from the past?
And if they don't, what kind of revolution awaits?

Marie

Taxes that build middle class

American debt is staggering $21,21 trillions and no end in sight, because we do not generate yearly revenues to cover our current expenses, in excess of $779 billions for FY 2018. 
Meanwhile latest GOP tax cuts plan reduce the tax burden across the taxable brackets of our income earning population giving the lion share to the business community, from 35% to 21% in particular the corporate world. 
No wonder the federal deficit is on the path of $1 trillion per fiscal year or more.
GOP and president Trump assured the public that their tax cuts will create such jobs boom that the revenues will flash flood the federal and the states budgets.
At some level even the most dedicated red hats make America great Trump supporters will have rude awakening and face the reality: you may get a job, but you will need another one to get ahead on the greatness path if any awaits your communities.
Theres no jobs that will generate enough revenues to cover the shortage created by GOP tax cuts.
Many reasons why, and i will address that in the near future, point is, America needs new tax system.
I do not assume my proposal will get any legs anytime soon, but i will make one anyway.

First: payroll taxes. 
American economy generate GDP of $56,446 per capita.  
I believe the national country GDP per capita should be the amount of income tax exemption.
Anyone who make below $56,466  or $27.1375 per hour in a year should pay zero payroll income taxes.
Employers should be paying for their employees their social security and medicare taxes too, currently 15.30%.
Employees who make more then $56,446 in a year should pay 10% payroll deduction on every dollar above the taxable exemption amount. For example if employees make $28/h he/she would have to pay income taxes on $1794 dollars or $6.9 per paycheck on biweekly payroll income.

Second: income taxes. 
Establish the yearly tax exemption, as previous GDP per capita.
i will use the above mention amount of $56,446.

Income brackets and taxable percentage 

Income	individual	family	tax rate
basic bracket	0-56.446*	0-112.892**	0%
median bracket***	56,446- 1.000.000	112.892-1.000.000	10%
high end bracket	1.000.000-***	1.000.000-***	25%

*   Stands for GDP per capita in the current  fiscal year.  

**  Stands for twice the amount of the GDP per capita in the current fiscal year. 

*** Over $1M all income is subject to 25% income tax rate 

Anyone who make in a fiscal year up to the previously established GDP per capita for that year, will belong to the basic income bracket and will not be subject to any payroll or federal income taxation.
Income over previous FY GDP per capita for individual and double for family, will be subject to 10% tax rate on every dollar above that amount up to $1M, no matter the income source: wages, dividend, capital gain, interest, rent etc.
Anyone who generate income above $1.000,000 - will be subject to 25% tax rate on every dollar thereafter.
No deductions or tax exemptions apply.
Collected revenues will increase according to the available data compared with the current taxable income brackets.

Third: Corporate taxes. 
I don't know how America drop the ball and allowed the tax burden to shift from employers to employees, from wealthy to middle class, from business to individuals, but i guess it start with diminishing the corporate taxes.
Current corporate income taxes are $21%. I don't mind the percentage if we eliminate every tax exemptions from it.
Corporations should pay their employees Social Security and Medicare taxes, currently 15.30% on top their income taxes of 21%.
No deduction and no tax exemption whatsoever.
If we take the current tax expenditure between individuals and corporation and apply them into the current budget, without any additional change of any proposal i make here, they will still cover universal healthcare for all, tuition free college education, and much needed cost free childcare, cause they amount to about $1.5 Trillions of dollars last year according to CBPP. 

FICA taxes should not have a cap on income and employees FICA taxes should be completely paid by employers.
Currently eliminating the tax cap on social security will affect only the 6% of the top earners. 

According to Bureau of Labor statistics, 93% of all occupational employments in America are making less then the current GDP per capita per year.
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The cost of current public healthcare  in America is $1.38T according to CBO. 

Federal Program	Cost in 2016in billions
Medicare (over the age of 65)	$612
Medicaid	$203
Medicare ( under the age of 65)	$80
Medicaid (ACA expansion)	$64
Tax deductions for health insurance	$272
Veteran Healthcare	$63
ACA marketplace subsidies	$43
ACA premiums tax credits	$32
Childrens healthcare programs	$13
Total *	$1382

Cost of public college attendance in USA 2016/17

Student enrollment	Cost per student	Total
14.8*	$6817	100.8**

*  Figure in millions

** Figure in billions 

Cost of childcare in America 

Child care per child*	weekly rate per child	month expense per child	year expense per child
Child care center	211	844	10128
After school sitter	242	968	11616
	hourly rate	40 hours week	year income
minimum wage in USA	7.25	290	15080
Number of children in USA enroll in childcare	preschool 0-5	K12
in millions	4.7	24.7
National cost of childcare (current system)	25.8	N/A

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Fiscal policies only generate revenue the Nation can spend on social priorities.
The American fiscal policies are the last thing that couldn't be more wrong.
And it is the first thing that can change literally overnight.
It is just a matter of passing a bill.
How many people are passing a bill?
As many as the American congress have 535: 100 Senators and 435 House of representatives in 50 American states.
2018 is around the corner.
I don't know how many democrats are willing to support fiscal politics that will build middle class on the back of the corporations, but i know that not one republican is willing to even consider tilting the odds in favor of middle class.
For some strange reason, republicans are winning elections, holding whole states as hostages and they never stop paying the corporations and the owners tributes.
Strange indeed.
Marie

Why #Medicareforall instead of #Obamacare

"It is believed by many that America has the world’s best health care system. But by what measure? By three key criteria — costs, access, and results — America’s health care system is abysmal, the worst among the democratic industrial countries. In fact, no nation anywhere pays more per person for health care and has an unhealthier population." 

William R. Nester: Doctors and drugs: The Medical Industrial Complex

Americans are having the worst healthcare system of any developed country, period. 

We spend the most money per capita in the industrialized world, 17% of our GDP goes on our healthcare spending, so the answer why the results are so poor is obviously one and only:  

- Completely monopolized private for profit ownership of the industry and insurance corporations as mediators between the providers and the payee of healthcare services. 
There comes 2018 election and the issue of healthcare is number one political issue driving voters all over again. 
Medicare for all is what the democrats offer, while republicans watch the dow jones performances of their healthcare industry stocks and cross their fingers the trend continue as it is. 

What is Medicare for all what democrats push for actually? 
It is elimination of the medical insurance corporations as primary payee between the providers and recipients of medical services, nothing more. 
America is not willing to change the system, America just want to modify it under the pressure of its population suffering in neglect and depravation of the basic healthcare even among the people who have coverage via their employers or via popular ACA and hated Obamacare so brainwashed they don't even know it is one and the same bill. 
America will not tackle the Medical industrial complex, it will just compartmentalize it. The insurance corporations will restructure becoming supplemental insurance options just as medicare has it now. 
That is what America will do, if it do anything at all. 
The political drama surrounding this tragedy is Shakespearean as always. 

Nothing ever really changes in America. 

Its like new shuffle of the same deck of cards offering somewhat improved or worsen hands the next time around, and the game has no ends in sight. 

What will the real change looks like? 

Public ownership of the medical services vs public paying for the services. 

Unfortunatly, almost all health care systems are a mixture of public and private paying for services, and its the ratio that varies. In America, that ratio is in favor of private over public coverage.
What can be done immediately, cause overhaul of the whole system is not practical at this time, disruption takes time for adaptation:
Place Medicare for open enrollment to every citizen and legal permanent resident of United State no matter their age or medical history.
Deduct from the citizens who enroll the same percentage they pay in their payroll taxes currently for medicare for their coverage under the name family health care coverage, and respectfully their employers too.
Employees can have a choice to keep their current employer provided healthcare insurance or opt out.
Eventually, as more and more employees opt out for public instead of private insurance, the system will transform itself into one Medicare for all system.
Currently Medicare deduct 1.45% from employers and 1.45% from employees. 
Opening Medicare for all will respectfully means contributing 2.90% from each, employers and employees.
What happens to people who are self employed or who are uninsured via employers?
They should be able to enroll in Medicare for all paying 5.80% of their income according their tax returns filings from the previous year in monthly installments or a lump deduction when filing for taxes the following year.
Every member of Medicare for all will enjoy the same coverage as current Medicare participants age 65 and over.
Its a simple start.
It is not breaking the Medical Industrial complex, but it is a stepping stone from the current injustice we all endure under the current American healthcare system.
The employers will have to offer the option to their full time employees.
Part time employees will have the healthcare coverage not having a bill to pay every month cause they can opt out for tax return filings.
I am sure part of the population will always opt out for private insurance, so god speed to all.
It is completely different issues how to fix medicare, and i will not dwell into that theme now.
Political victories are one step at the time until those step increase and turn into sprint and overrun the current system. We are not there yet, but we are warmed enough after the ACA to move to the next step.
And Im sure democrats will compromise and make Medicare for all something else then what I think is needed to be done, but whatever Medicare for all look like in the future, it will be step ahead breaking new grounds.
It will be transition toward universal healthcare system America desperately need.
It is a rational and right thing to do.
I hope 2018 midterm will flip the house and make advance in the senate, so we as a Nation will be closer to valid Medicare for all bill passing in my lifetime.
I will welcome any universal single payer healthcare system in America.

Notes about #PoorPeopleCampaign: A call for moral revival

I have this blog since 2010, when i was called upon my conscience to say something about the current affairs happening all around me.
It was popular for a while mostly among conservatives and libertarians who mocked my imperfect english writing ignoring I have never learn english ever. My attempt to write in language i barely speak depend on google spelling correct, so i took the mockery & i kept writing.
I was deeply moved by Obama presidency and deeply disappointed in Democrats and the American democracy. Coming from Europe, being born and raised in socialism there was certain occurrences that make no sense to me.
Growing up I learned about capitalism from Marx and from his followers naturally, not mandatory, not voluntary, marxism was part of the schooling curricula in every high school in former Yugoslavia.
As someone who graduate macroeconomics, i become economist who study the adopted version of marxist economics as applied in the society i lived in.
We learned that between the european capitalism, the asian capitalism and the american capitalism, this of the United State was the most backward.
We learned that America legs behind on human rights, labor rights, civil right behind every developed country in the world.
We learned, but it didn't look that way when i first come to America in 1997.
I found job easily, i get full time benefits less then a year after i start working in America, i got healthcare, 401K, i was able to save, and take my family on vacation, live was good, even i worked minimum wage job, cause i supplement my income with tips.
The story we learned about systemic racism and classism & civil injustice where invisible to me.
First crack on the perfect image shield I have about America start breaking when Union attempt to organize the dealers in Vegas casinos.
The labor struggle of union busting employers tricks become open and visible.
I was shocked, but i was immigrant and i kept to my self.
The second shock come after 9/11. Overnight so many people become laid off cause Vegas become ghost city in fear of another airplanes being hijacked and slam into buildings.
In that horrible psychological stress the nation was facing, labor was the mass preemptive victim to capital preserving its interest.
The casino industry show no compassion or mercy or empathy.
I was petrified & I said nothing. True I offered to work less hours if that can help anyone else from being laid off, even i was pregnant with my second child and expecting in december.
By the time i was returned to work after delivery, many of the part time labor were returned to their part time jobs and the rest we never heard about.
Years pass by and then 2008 happened.
The recession we called crises of Capitalism was major this time.
I watched people being laid off again, without compassion, mercy or empathy.  This time i didn't offer my hours reduced, cause I knew the crises was coming and i knew what will bring.
The crises was not some terrorist attack, it was natural occurrence of capitalism.
I get involved this time politicly and helped President Obama being elected and i have high hopes things will get better. They didn't.
I watched the rise of the Tea Party, I watched the protests going on against the ACA, against any measure Democrats attempt and nothing make sense.
Years after years nothing make sense.
I start writing on my own. I couldn't keep quiet anymore. I was leaving public comments in New York Times, in the Nation, on Huffington Post, and i become really active on twitter.
And then i start blogging.
I write for years, but my hopes start melting with each day passing.
The more i read the more i get disappointed, and i read everything i could have find in my local public library, i read the opposition too. Hell I read Hannity books too. Imaging my suffering.
Nothing make sense to me.
Not one solution offered from both political party make sense to me.
I supported Sanders, but i was deeply disappointed in his solutions too.
Anyone who advocate Medicare for all without addressing the private medical industrial complex is placing a band aid on open gangrene wound hoping natural immunity of the host will heel the sick.
Then again compared with ACA, Medicare for all is only option. No sense I tell you.
Advocating $15/hour is like advocating food stamps for all, but compared with $7.25/hour is blessing.
Gun control, justice system, foreign politics of perpetual wars, nothing make sense to me.
It was like the whole nation is saturated with greed, with oblivion from history and subscribed to survival of the fittest policies of a slave owners who feed and clothes their slaves and occasionally punish them, but never use the whips.
The whole nation.
Till i discover Poor People Campaign.
Not everyone is slave owners in America.
And I don't know if i am ready to join them and march with them and be arrested, but i am glad they are out there for me.
Someone is talking true in America at last.
Someone born and raised here.
Someone who understand the interlocking of systemic racism, classism and civil injustice with what they called predatory Capitalism.
Its a start.
Its a long way before they figure out Capitalism always was and always will be predatory, but Americans must start somewhere.
God knows Socialism of 20th Century give bad name to Socialism maybe to the point it will never recover. Maybe the next society will not start with the letter "S" at all, and thats fine with me.
I may not see the promised land, but i remember being there once in my youth and i know how it looks like to live there.
I know how it looks like to have no need for a second job or food stamps because the least skilled and educated labor make a living wage, have healthcare, education, housing, sick pays, vacation and job guarantee from high school till full retirement.
I know how it looks like when police have no guns on their belts, and its there to help and protect, not arrest and submit.
I know how its like to have no idea how drugs look like because family lives are so rich and organized in the community that no-one need escape from reality.
I know how it looks like to serve in army that will never fight on foreign soil.
I know, cause i remember my youth, my parents happy stress free lives and neighbors who never locked their doors.
I don't know how far will Poor People campaign comes close to change anything in America.
Occupy Wall Street get nowhere.
MLK was assassinated.
I am just happy i heard they are aware and they speak out and stand up.
Thank you.