Following the examples of Canada, Finland, New Zealand and the Netherlands, Japan is considering giving free money in the form of ‘vouchers’ to poor young people. Surveys showed that under-34s in Japan have cut their spending and the government could stimulate economic activity by injecting free money into the system which will pay for itself in time by expanding the economy while maintaining social cohesion among the classes. Metro reports: Proponents of basic income say that not only does it reduce financial poverty but it has a number of other benefits, such as rewarding unpaid activities not recognised as economic contributions (parenting, for instance). Basic Income: What the Proponents Say Basic Income will help us rethink how & why we work A basic income can help you do other work and reconsider old choices: It will enable you to retrain, safe in the knowledge that you’ll have enough money to maintain a decent standard of living while you do. Basic Income will contribute to better working conditions With the insurance of having unconditional basic income as a safety net, workers can challenge their employers if they find their conditions of work unfair or degrading. Basic Income will downsize bureaucracy Because a basic income scheme is one of [...]