Squo stimulus checks prove solvency but not enough to solve the aff --- that thumps disads

Governments are scrambling to respond, implementing emergency measures to prop up the economy that would have been unthinkable just a few months ago. The United States Senate voted unanimously to approve a $2 trillion package of federal spending in response to the crisis.

In that context, the demand for a basic income has gained new momentum. But the politicians who passed the emergency stimulus bill clearly saw that as a bridge too far. The bill gives most Americans a one-off payment of $1,200 and temporarily extends and increases unemployment benefits for laid-off workers. That falls well short of what’s needed.

Politicians who represent the interests of capital clearly grasp the point that a guaranteed basic income would tilt the playing field in favor of workers. That’s why they see it as a dangerous step. For the very same reason, the Left should see it as a vital opportunity.

Getting Money to Everyone

Advocates of universal basic income (UBI) sometimes like to think of it as a panacea for social problems. Although they’re wrong about that, UBI does form part of the necessary cure for the coronavirus pandemic. A basic income would provide a minimum level of protection against the havoc that the virus is already wreaking on people’s ability to meet their basic needs.

The 2008 Great Recession boosted the US unemployment rate to 10 percent, but this crisis will turn out to be even . Long stretches of time will pass during which more and more people will go without pay. Many will suffer, especially poor and working-class people, and cash transfers are an essential way to ease some of that suffering. It’s also an obvious response to inadequate consumer demand. When people don’t have enough money, we should give it to them, and a one-off payment won’t be enough.

A global pandemic is unpredictable, and so are its far-reaching economic consequences. We simply don’t know who will find themselves out of work or ill, or when. Along with comprehensive social supports and protections, we need a universal program that delivers cash to people straightaway in order to insulate workers from massive uncertainty.

Reactive and targeted programs aren’t going to be sufficient. Targeted programs that narrowly determine who needs what and who is suffering the most will leave far too many gaps. The impending financial crises inside families will stretch fairly high up the income ladder; earnings that may have been relatively high last year won’t necessarily protect people from this economic shock. A financial cushion of $2,000 a month per person — the figure  has been demanding, as well as the  — would alleviate suffering and reduce fear.

The Problem With Selectivity

Of course, benefits paid through unemployment insurance should also be made more widely available. The stimulus package takes a few steps in the right direction, though not nearly enough. But the problem with unemployment and sick benefits is that they aren’t sufficiently blunt, and they won’t cover all social needs. The rates and rules governing benefits also vary widely from state to state. This introduces needless complications that make it harder to get money into people’s hands.