A Universal Income needs a focus on citizen responsibility | Raf Manji | TEDxChristchurch

Lots of people are talking about Universal Basic Income: the idea that every citizen deserves a minimum income by right. But this focus on rights neglects one of the most important characteristics of being a citizen: our duties to the state. In this wide-ranging and historically eye-opening talk, Raf Manji explores why we definitely need a Universal Basic Income -- and why we can't stop there.

Raf is a Christchurch City Councillor and chair of the Strategy and Finance committee. His main focus has been the Council's financial position, as well as its strategic direction and risk management.

Raf graduated from the University of Manchester in 1987 with a degree in Economics and Social Studies, after which time he spent 11 years trading global markets for investment banks in London. In 2000, he left banking to help start up and develop Trucost, which helps companies measure their environmental footprint in monetary terms.

In 2002, he moved to New Zealand with his young family and has since been actively involved as a volunteer and trustee with Christchurch Budget Services, Pillars, Volunteer Army Foundation, Christchurch Arts Festival, as well as investing in and helping out early stage companies. He has a Grad Dip Arts in Political science, and a Masters in International Law and Politics from the University of Canterbury.

Raf is interested in overt monetary fina

[paulpeterson]

In addition to a huge amount of unpaid work in our society, there is also a huge amount of highly compensated sloth. Rich rentiers do no work but collect vast incomes based on a system actively designed to channel wealth to wealth.

[ronwisegamgee]

I think a UBI like the one proposed by Andrew Yang will allow us more leeway to actively engage in citizenry, instead of spending the majority of our waking hours working just to survive and having much less energy for anything else. IIRC, there was one quote Andrew Yang told Sam Harris in a Waking Up podcast that went something like this: "The Uber driver, working 16 hours a day, 6-7 days a week is a monument of misanthropy."

[kellyhuxley-roberts]

What a competent speaker. So clear and well-paced.

[chrismitchell]

A brilliant presentation by Raj. Why is Raj and TOP party not polling higher for this 2023 election. Let’s hope Ilam voters do their bit to get all our votes across the line.
❤❤

[quintinspina]

Most underrated TED Talk. And never more relevant than now in 2022...

[maglassproductions]

A challenging subject; this speaker manages to support the idea with good historical ideas. Ok he has convinced me, it may be a good idea!

[DeirdreKent]

Superbly comprehensive sweep of history of human rights and duties and the need for a basic income being built in.

[GlobalBizlife]

A thorough and convincing talk. We need to make this happen for ALL countries around all the world. Stop the corruption and start paying that money to the citizens, it can be done and should be done, it IS our human right!

[melbop]

Tough crowd, frank joke.... nothing wars joke nothing till women comment. New Zealanders are tough.... That said a very good talk well executed.. Good work MANJI 1

[bruce]

I believe that the problem lies in the belief that money can, in any way, be used as a measurement of social value. We don't need money! We need to share resources
equally and it is the concept of money and ownership which prevents that.

[petuniaromania]

As for me, I've been unemployed since August 2018 and whenever I had a temporary assignment from a temporary agency from October to December, once the job ended the government denied me continued unemployment - it has created a horrible crisis in my life and I'm still not employed. I take one class a semester at our local college and am hoping to achieve an Associates Degree, in the meantime, and as I continue to look for full-time work that will pay all my bills, if I remain unemployed and were to receive financial assistance in the form of a universal income, I would want to continue taking my class each semester, work a job, and volunteer - I especially would like to deliver meals to the elderly through Meals-On-Wheels, and work other volunteer opportunities that would allow me to go into homes of low income or indigent elderly and cook, clean, and provide basic help and friendship to them. I picture myself one day being able to take them for outings to places they miss and want to visit - I want to see them smile and have a better quality of life and that whenever they close their eyes to sleep at night, it's with a smile on their face and lovely memories in their mind.

[sonicspring]

He starts with "Imagine a world where there are 50 percent fewer jobs."
But we don't have to imagine that any more, it's on our doorsteps now with the coronavirus pandemic.

[admiralmurat]

I don't like the way China is doing that system. They can discriminate against your credit score on anything even your friends credit.

[efortune]

-3:20 “How are we going to afford that? Where does all the money come from? Well, let’s get that out of the way straight away. In the last eight years global central banks have created $12 trillion dollars out of thin air. This is the balance sheet of all the Federal Reserve banks in the U.S. The balance sheet expanded by $4 trillion dollars in six years so that they could buy bank assets and improve the balance sheets of the banks. Now where did that money come from? Well I’ll tell you, literally an excel spread sheet. Now, if they can create that much money to bail out the banks I think we can find the money to sort out a basic income.”

~Raf Manji

[skotheadley]

Under pinning this entire idea is getting the courage to wrestle vast wealth from a very few elite. They wont simply shrug and comply...

[Syklonus]

The Finnish experiment was NOT a proper UBI. It was not unconditional, it was not universal, and it did not cover basic needs. It was a half arsed sham. Scotland are gearing up to try UBI trials in Glasgow and Fife in the next few years though.

A Basic income acknowledges the value of an individual as a human being rather than just their labour.

[jackjackson]

Standing ovation ! Fabulous comprehensive eagle's overview !

[tiahnahgobel]

Great talk! Thank you for stats and info I have not heard before that really creates a greater picture of this argument!

[ra]

So i dont get it. It wont be unconditional? If thats the case then how is diferent then what we have today?

[petuniaromania]

Also, with a universal basic income or in the present situation, a stimulus payment here in the United States, I would expect that all of us are reinvesting and/or spending the funds back into our local communities and payment our bills - so the money continues to be redistributed throughout the nation.