Proposal for a Brexit Context UBI Campaign

[Mark Barrett]

Hi All

Given that UBI got the thumbs up plus plenty of Upvotes on the Byline
page, perhaps this idea can be linked in with the Bill of Wrongs
project? [ see https://bylinefestival2018.yrpri.org/group/1632 ]

Am thinking to set up an on line meeting / call out / action for
this, for the end of Sep. Please get in touch if you are interested.

Thanks

Mark

Rationale

Unconditional and Universal Basic Income can bring about a better
world by raising everyone above the poverty line. With Brexit in
Britain and Europe and the rise of Donald Trump the timing is right to
build a grassroots campaign for this, as a civil rights issue (which
can liberate from wage slavery and break people out of poverty)
locally nationally and worldwide. It is important that UBI is funded
from taxing the commons (i.e is seen as a share of the presently
stolen commons, by way of reparation and right) and a link should be
made between UBI and the need to develop new supportive relationships
with one another (another aspect of restoring the commons) at the
local level, in workplaces and, by extension in the longer term new
forms of participatory governance from the ground up.

Context
We live in a time of increased nationalism, polarisation and extremism
due to political and economic marginalisation, inequality and the
social compact having been broken. People are rightly looking for
radical solutions, but mostly in the wrong places. A movement for UBI
can reverse this by bringing people of all cultures, class, etc to
together locally, city wide, nationally and internationally around a
radical demand, a realistic and radical hope of a better world to
come.

UBI has received a reasonable amount of attention in academic and
journalistic circles. A number of regions and cities have run pilot
schemes and there are calls for more. UBI is included in a number of
party political manifestos albeit mostly fringe.

There is no grassroot clamour for UBI although it is only a matter of
time. One of the reasons for there being no clamour relate to the
fact that it has supporters and detractors from across the political
spectrum, which means that the kind of UBI that gets brought in will
depend a lot on the politics of the government that brings it in and
the movements that agitate most effectively for it from below.

Here in Britain there is the phenomenon of Brexit and the question of
the future, and future reform of the British constitution and /or the
EU project (assuming either / both stay intact). What is the place of
UBI in these two interdependent movements of change ?

It is important that the direction of UBI gets driven by a grassroots,
inclusive movement with empowerment, social, political and economic
justice for all people everywhere at its heart. Here in Europe we have
a golden opportunity in the phenomenon of Brexit and the general EU
crisis to bring about a radical extension and democratisation of
existing welfare systems and a new social compact that liberates every
single person individually while also generating a whole new,
collective culture.

A note about the Theft of the Commons
Despite its centrality to the modern British, European and world
historic experience, theft of the commons is neither widely understood
or taught in mainstream education. As stated above, a UBI sourced by
way of a tax on the commons (primarily, but not limited to land
values) is a potential reparation for this theft and therefore
potentially provides a major aspect of the moral case for UBI. At at
the same time, while UBI is unconditional, by explicitly linking the
campaign for UBI with the building of a new culture which has both
liberation ( by way of how people relate to one another and the wider
natural world, how we develop our individual and collective power
together, what becomes possible when we are further freed by UBI ) and
responsibility ( to take care of one another and the wider natural
world, and to restore the commons for its own sake and for each other)
at its heart we have the most chance of ensuring that, for the most
part, freedom is only won when we, as a culture are actually ready to
use it wisely. It therefore follows that the campaign should place
raising awareness about the theft of the commons, the potential
freedom that lurks in its restoration, and one possible / promising
path to that restoration being UBI, as central to its aims and
objectives.

Aims and Objectives

1) to raise public awareness about the theft of the commons with UBI
as a potential reparation
2) to build a fun, creative and effective civil rights campaign for
unconditional basic income (UBI)
3) to demand UBI
i) is funded from a tax on the commons, in particular but not limited
to, land value ( the wealth of the commons to eliminate most taxes and
benefits while funding a 'citizens dividend', free education, public
infrastructure and services)
ii) is paid to every person [in the UK, Europe and worldwide] at a
rate that lifts everyone above the poverty line
iii) does not not make the most vulnerable / poorest in society worse
off / relatively poorer as a result
4) to insist UBI is an unconditional and universal payment
5) to explicitly link the campaign to
i) Revillaging i.e recreating the village, rebuilding of the community
fabric and a restoration of human relationship with each other and the
earth
ii) grassroots / neighbourhood/ workplace i.e focused on the human
scale, but also city-wide and beyond - aiming together for an
alternative, decentralised form of globalisation.

Milestones

1) Sept 2018 - finalise aims etc - identify 'targets' ( perhaps a big
landowner who is willing to support?]
2) Sept 2018 - March 2019 campaign
i) getting social and main media coverage
ii) stimulating debate
iii) building cells of support
iv) working relationships between civil soc groups, parties and grassroots
v) funding
vi) organisational structure
vii) city based but ideally also going national Europe wide and beyond
3) August - Nov 2019 anniversary of iron curtain / Berlin wall

Strategies
name: got a great name for the campaign but it's not for public
dissemination at this point
to use a combination of direct action, community organising, think
tank / policy and media work to achieve these aims
some new kind of union ?
anonymity for anyone who wishes to be so
raising awareness about the theft of the commons / placing its remedy
in the context of UBI and 'Re-Villaging'

Symbols
white / plain coloured materials (white flag means peace / clean
oceans / human surrender ( in this context surrender of war on nature
and an acceptance that we are nothing in the grand scheme - i.e
humility) but plain green, or other colours, just as welcome :)

[Mark Barrett]

Apologies, one part of my earlier email - the bit titled 'A note about the Theft of the Commons'

was still in an early draft form. Here is the later edited version:

>>A note about the Theft of the Commons

Despite its centrality to the modern British, European and world
historic experience, theft of the commons is neither widely understood
or taught in mainstream education.

A UBI sourced by way of a tax on the commons (primarily, but not limited to land

values) is a potential reparation for this theft and therefore

provides a major aspect of the moral case for UBI.

At the same time, while UBI is unconditional, explicitly linking the
campaign for UBI with the building of a new culture to both recover and 

restore the stolen commons is important. 

This is because liberation and responsibility must go together.

Liberation meaning how people relate to one another and the wider

natural world, how we develop our individual and collective power

together and what more becomes possible when we are further freed by UBI.

Responsibility meaning taking care of one another and the wider natural
world, and restoring the commons for its own sake and for good of each other.

By putting both liberation and responsibility in this way at the heart of a movement for UBI we will be able to ensure 

that new financial freedom is only won when we, as a culture are actually ready to use that freedom wisely.

It therefore follows that the campaign should place

1) raising awareness about the theft of the commons; 

2) the  potential freedom that lurks in its restoration;

3) taking care of one another; and

4) the campaign for UBI as a clear path to that restoration

all as central to its aims and objectives.

<<<

A note about the Theft of the Commons [ see edited version above]

[Phillip]

The owner of this email address passed away in March 2018.  Please remove these contact details from your distribution list.

Thank you.

---

From: 'Mark Barrett' via lsxcampeconomics <lsxcampe...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: 05 September 2018 21:03
To: occupylondon; lsxcampe...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: Proposal for a Brexit Context UBI Campaign

 

--

---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "lsxcampeconomics" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to lsxcampeconomi...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[courtj]

In respect of the substantive theme:

1) Our plan for Co-operative Socialism ( as adopted by us 'as an alternative to capitalism' ) includes a guaranteed income scheme termed:

  A Living Income for Everyone = A LIFE for All, 

Since Everyone needs a LIFE!

  (Note the adjective 'Living', not 'Basic'.)

2) Here in Bromley (where our Bromley Peace Council, our Bromley Trade Union Pensioners' Action Association and our Bromley Co-operative Party branch have all endorsed and support our plan for Co-operative Socialism) have come a view on Brexit:

We propose a Co-operative Socialist Brexit, with:

  - No exit payment

  - The creation of an interest-free, not-for-profit Fair Trade Network involving the UK, The Commonwealth and any other Countries minded to participate in this, as a Co-operative Commonwealth.

  -And, finally, the implementation of the plan for Co-operative Socialism by the UK Government/HMG within one Parliamentary Term.

*** It would be helpful if Occupy London/LSX were to complete a GA Process in order to, hopefully, also adopt and promote this view. ***

In and for peace, through equality,

John Courtneidge

*********

Sent from Samsung tablet.