Going to talk about this a bit more because I think its a point that gets lost in the discourse re: COVID-19, paid sick days, neoliberalism, etc https://twitter.com/quayys/status/1342214090480091136

In March, governments needed to implement massive economic relief programs. In Canada, we got CERB, which wasn't even a stimulus package, but a payment intended to just keep people and families afloat. We didn't see additional relief despite a pandemic.

Since pandemic's onset, so many have faced economic uncertainty. Universal basic income could have provided people with certainty during this time. I will preface by saying that economic issues are complicated and public policy responses need to be layered.

Universal basic income is essentially payments disbursed by the government to provide individuals with a baseline source of income. It alleviates poverty, generates entrepreneurialism, replaces jobs lost by technology reliance, and ultimately spurs economic growth.

Universal basic income is linked with reducing mass suffering because it is meant to service the most vulnerable populations. However, COVID-19 has shown as that the loss of a job or major illness can cause even upper middle class families to collapse.

With overconsumption, climate change and globalism at the wheel, we are headed towards an age of more and more frequent pandemics. Governments need to consider responses for long-term policy relief for wealth redistribution, or this year's suffering will not be an anomaly.

This isn't an argument of a hand up vs a hand down. It is about reframing the state's role to provide for its citizens.