Techno-feudalists hate UBI
In a Nutshell
The "tech right" (e.g., Marc Andreessen, Gil Verdon) opposes UBI, arguing it flattens incentives for innovation, creates state dependence, and that technology will always generate new jobs amid maximum automation. Rebuttals highlight that top innovators like Gates, Jobs, and Musk thrived with financial security, UBI ($1-2k/month) preserves work incentives without replacing high rewards, and it boosts demand in a constrained economy to fuel energy use and Kardashev scale ascent. Alternatives like Verdon's "universal basic tokens" resemble UBI, while critiques frame tech right views as enabling techno-feudalism that traps people in wage slavery.
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Hey everybody. Today, talking about the tech right. They are very against UBI and believe technology will always create new jobs. First, define tech right. Then steelman their arguments in good faith. Then offer rebuttals.
By tech right, Silicon Valley types: VCs or founders, generally pro-MAGA, pro-Trump, pro-military-industrial complex. Fans of Palantir and Anduril. Famous ones: Marc Andreessen of Andreessen Horowitz, Beth Jajos aka Gil Verdon. Decent humans, interacted a few times. Same goals: peace and prosperity. Can disagree on how to get there.
Gil Verdon's arguments:
- UBI flattens incentive gradients (no motivation to aim big).
- Goal: maximum entropy generation (create most useful information, be creative, invent things).
- Ascend the Kardashev scale. UBI and job elimination prevent these.
Marc Andreessen's classical conservative view:
- Work is good; humans need work.
- UBI creates dependence on the state, which is bad.
Both believe technology only creates new jobs. Tacit admission: if they truly believed it, no need to argue it. They are pro-maximum automation, automate everything regardless of consequences. Agree on automation for abundance.
Gil's arguments fall flat:
Maximize entropy generation (useful novel information): Best entropy generators like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk had financial security, came from wealthy families. J. Robert Oppenheimer from wealthy family. Charles Darwin chronically ill, afforded to stay in bed for weeks because gentry with stable income, worked decades on theory of evolution. To maximize entropy, avoid lost Einsteins phenomenon; universal financial security helps.
Flattening incentive gradients: UBI is not universal high income. $300k/year doing nothing reduces incentives, but basic income is $1,000-$2,000/month, not enough to cover rent. Still incentives to make more money, add value. For billion-dollar company builders like Gil, UBI doesn't compete with 7-10 figure exits.
Ascend Kardashev scale (capture/use more energy at civilizational scale): UBI fantastic because increasing demand increases energy budget per capita. Every American household gets UBI: spend thousands more/year, forces economy to produce more goods/services, generate more energy, innovate, ascend scale. Currently in demand-constrained economy: infrastructure/robots could generate more wealth, but households can't pay.
Philosophical/moral: Protestant work ethic (work good because reasons), reads as "peasants must toil" like French aristocracy. Humans benefit from meaningful striving, but wage slavery isn't best; like saying prison good for social life (forces toxic social life). Voluntary striving better.
These guys building techno-feudalism they want: feudal lords saying peasants keep working. Humans need to do stuff with body/brains for fulfillment; wage slavery not best, UBI doesn't invalidate that.
Structural agreement: 100% government-dependent citizenry bad. Marc says de facto UBI via free healthcare/food/housing (sort of, but not really). Transfer dependence: 8% in 1950s-60s, now 18%. Not 100%. UBI is a transfer like welfare. Don't put all eggs in one basket; UBI not only income source, people still work/incentivized.
Gil's latest: UBT (universal basic tokens), aka neuro capital (socialize compute instead of tokens; dollar is a token). UBI with extra steps.
Covered tech right, their arguments, rebuttals. Let me know thoughts in comments.
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