Universal Basic Income

This will result in a proliferation of cheap, accessible goods, but it could also have psychological consequences. "I think universal basic income will be necessary, but the much harder challenge is: How will people then have meaning?" he says. "A lot of people derive meaning from their employment. If you're not needed, what is the meaning? Do you feel useless? That is a much harder problem to deal with. How do we ensure the future is a future that we want, that we still like?"

And here we are my friends to the purpose of music and the teaching of the arts, to give meaning to life and it will become more important. The above quote really puts into focus the inability of the education system to adapt to what is coming, not because of the teachers but because of government still trading in ideas that are to do with factory style thinking.

The idea of universal basic income (UBI) sounds a great idea; the problem I see is that the system that got us into this mess is now going to get us out of it?

The problem is about attitudes to wealth and ownership that goes back centuries and the theft of land from people and the environment and giving it to the favoured few. This keeps being revisited, whether it is the enclosures act, the taking of land from native peoples or the standing rock type theft of land use.

I am not sure whether the restrictions on what people can spend their money with UBI on is worth pondering here as it will probably be government designated things which will be cheaper and therefore things like learning a musical instrument independently may be problematic. Anyway it is a way off but not that far off as the effects are already being felt in the banking world of technology takeover. Some thinkers believe that this will be much bigger than the industrial revolution, think about that for a moment, BIGGER than the industrial revolution.

In principle UBI seems a good idea and to start with it might be if people can use the upside to create the time to learn something that adds something to their lives but the fall out of people having to reorient their assessment of meaning and their work will be difficult because that is how we have been programmed through education and social comment for decades if not centuries.

Even the way that we ‘work‘ using music will need to change. I have already made a percentage of my lessons being ‘time swaps’ where no money changes hands just skills. This includes computer and software repair and back up, yoga sessions and roadie-ing. Many art skills and therapy skills work well for this as it really adds value to people if you are swapping your teaching for their skill. Think of what you need doing; gardening, handyman, babysitting, and bookkeeping many aesthetic things that you would like that you might not have the money for; clothing, artwork for the house, interior design, photography, web design and hosting.

The solution for many of the problems that we are faced with is local, small governance, food supply etc. basically unplugging from the globalised grid of commerce as much as possible. This theory is the one driving local currencies and transition towns, use this idea for your teaching and work and give people meaning as well as yourself.

Vic

www.bluescampuk.co.uk three days of playing in a band learn the tricks from the ones who know.