In America, this is the problem that has to be addressed before we can consider rolling out projects like UBI. I agree with you that regulations have to exist for this to work, and we simply don't have the regulations in place right now to enable it widely.
I was suggesting that regulations have to exist in general. Over the entire market. But what you said just flat out confuses me. That we shouldn't implement something because we currently don't have regulations for it? Why would we? We haven't implemented it. I mean with that kind of attitude we can't get anything done.
Do I expect hiccups and bumps in the road? Yeah, why wouldn't I? Humans aren't perfect. Never have been, never will be. But just because there are speedbumps in my neighborhood doesn't mean I should never go to the store. I still need to eat at the end of the day.
> That we shouldn't implement something because we currently don't have regulations for it? Why would we? We haven't implemented it. I mean with that kind of attitude we can't get anything done.
I think before implementing UBI, we have to address the broader issue of anticompetitive behavior in American business, due largely to decades of ill-advised deregulation, coupled with regulatory bodies who refuse to prevent anticompetitive mergers. Once we have undone the damage of deregulation, then I believe it's prudent to start putting UBI proposals on the table, but not before. Otherwise we risk making the situation worse for consumers and better for rent seekers.
I mentioned something similar in another comment. But I'm confused why everything is becoming an "or" conversation. We're a pretty rich nation, we can have more than one cake. There's lots of talk about regulation, we don't have to focus on only one topic at a time.
I agree with you generally, but believe this is a case where the two events have to occur one after the other.
Putting UBI on the table today without already having a reformed regulatory framework in place from day one will result in a failed project, IMO. Opponents of UBI will use this to say that UBI is broken, instead of pointing to the real problem, that regulation is broken.
