While John Clarke makes some superficially good points, his response to
Leah Gazan confirms Elaine Powers' point about the opponents of basic
income reifying the commodification of labour and basically not
concerning themselves that much with how those who don't work for a living
get by other than calling for work for all, which is a debatable goal. I
say "superficially good points" because his essential argument is that the
basic income will be set at a low level that accommodates the conception of
basic income of Elon Musk rather than Leah Gazan or Elaine Powers. But how
is that different from current social policies like "employment insurance"
which currently is largely set at a poverty level for most folks and only a
fraction of the unemployed end up being eligible to obtain--far fewer than
in the pre-neo-liberal period? Clarke argues correctly that workers need to
fight to get EI rates higher and eligibility improved. But how is that
different from fighting to have a decent level basic income except that
they would be fighting for a larger group than those who can be reliably
counted upon to be able to take jobs and keep them? Maybe the term "basic
income" is the wrong one. Perhaps we should be talking about an "end
poverty grant" in which everyone has their income topped up to
above-poverty levels for their type of household with their special needs
incorporated. That should then be paid for from corporate income tax, a
hike of the capital gains tax to match income tax rates, and a special tax
on the wealthy. Anyway, I fail to see anything in either of John Clarke's
two pieces in Canadian Dimension that makes much of a case for there being
something wrong with basic income being tacked onto the social programs
that currently include EI along with medicare, CPP etc. A basic income
could replace disability payments and social allowances (the latter are
always much lower and seem to assume that recipients are not "disabled" in
workforce terms when, in reality, the largest portion of them are single
moms unable to work, Indigenous people who face employment discrimination,
etc.) along with the non-insurance seniors' programs. And can anybody
guarantee that they won't prove to be lower than the current program
payouts, which is what the Elon Musks and Pierre Poilievre would demand?
No, but I think that the coalitions that could be built to defend that "end
poverty grant" or whatever would be larger than the coalition involved for
current programs where smaller sections of the population have something at
stake.


On Wed, Feb 7, 2024 at 5:36 AM Dennis Raphael <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>
> https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/defending-the-left-case-against-basic-income
>
>
> Get a free copy of Social Determinants of Health: The Canadian Facts, 2nd edition
> at http://thecanadianfacts.org
>
> Join the new Socialism and Health Listserv at
> https://listserv.yorku.ca/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=socialism-health&A=1
>
>
> Join 850+ health leaders on the SDOH Listserv at
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> Dennis Raphael, PhD
> Professor of Health Policy and Management
> York University
> 4700 Keele Street
> Strong College, Room 334
> Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3
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> email: [log in to unmask]
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>
> Of interest:
>
> The Politics of Health in the Canadian Welfare State
>
>
> https://canadianscholars.ca/book/the-politics-of-health-in-the-canadian-welfare-state/
>
>
> Poverty in Canada, 3rd edition,
> Forewords by Cathy Crowe, Rob Ranier and Jack Layton
>
> https://canadianscholars.ca/book/poverty-in-canada-d3408482-0caa-489a-8a76-7faf7587d00a/
>
>
>
> Staying Alive: Critical Perspectives on Health, Illness, and Health Care, 3
> rd edition
> Foreword by Gary Teeple
> https://canadianscholars.ca/book/staying-alive/
>
>
>
> Social Determinants of Health: Canadian Perspectives, 3rd edition
> Forewords by Michael Butler and Maude Barlow, Carolyn Bennett and Roy
> Romanow
> https://canadianscholars.ca/book/social-determinants-of-health-3rd-edition/
>
> Immigration, Public Policy, and Health: Newcomer Experiences in Developed
> Nations
> https://canadianscholars.ca/book/immigration-public-policy-and-health/
>
> About Canada: Health and Illness, 2nd edition
> https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/book/about-canada-health-and-illness
>
> Tackling Health Inequalities: Lessons from International Experiences
> Foreword by Alex Scott-Samuel
> https://canadianscholars.ca/book/tackling-health-inequalities/
>
> Health Promotion and Quality of Life in Canada: Essential Readings
>
>
> https://canadianscholars.ca/book/health-promotion-and-quality-of-life-in-canada/
>
> See a presentation! The Political Economy of Health Inequalities.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NCTYqAub8g
>
> Also, presentation at the University of Toronto on how Canada stacks up
> again other nations in providing citizens with economic and social security.
> http://vimeo.com/33346501
>
> See what Jack Layton had to say about my books!
>
> http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/04/10/cv-election-ndp-layton-platform.html
> at 27:20
>
> To leave, manage or join list:
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>

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