Let's imagine paradise as envisioned by the technocratic visionaries of the future: No one has to work anymore, machines do the dirty work, and the state pays every citizen a "universal" income. A digital blessing, delivered punctually to their account every month. Heaven on earth—if you appreciate irony. Because whoever pays, commands. And whoever receives, obeys.
This isn't a philosophical paradox, but an age-old law of power. Even children know: pocket money isn't free; it's a pedagogical tool. Those who don't tidy their rooms get nothing. Those who argue too loudly don't get anything either. Only well-behaved children deserve rewards. Now, if we replace "Mom and Dad" with "state and central bank," the scenario suddenly seems less idyllic and considerably more like a digital gulag.
The unconditional basic income (UBI) is therefore the opposite of what it promises. It doesn't create freedom, but rather dependence – in its most modern, algorithmic form. An account that can be blocked at the touch of a button if you exhale too much CO₂, share the wrong meme, or grab a plastic bag at the supermarket. But hey, at least you get your 1200 digital coins as long as you behave.
The appeal of a basic income lies in its packaging. It sounds humane, social, progressive – like a philosophical organic yogurt. But the list of ingredients reads like a dystopian screenplay: total financial control, behavioral manipulation at the push of a button, the abolition of economic personal responsibility. Freedom isn't abolished. It's simply automated.
Work, however unsexy it may sound, gives meaning. It is not a punishment, but a form of self-determination. Humans create in order to become. Without activity, without responsibility, without pride in one's accomplishments, only consumption remains. A population that no longer produces anything will eventually become a product itself – bred, managed, distributed.
But of course, they'll never tell us that. The PR machine of progress sells the UBI as salvation from capitalism. In reality, it's its sterile successor: a mixture of digital charity and moral blackmail. A printed smile with a biometric security chip.
This whole thing is called "social justice," when in reality it's "programmed compliance." Anyone who rebels against the system rebels against their own livelihood. A gentle, smiling system of blackmail—no whip required, just a QR code.
Of course, people will say, "But AI is taking our jobs!" Perhaps. But if robots are doing the work, why should humans have to obey? Why should technological liberation become a digital leash? Because it was never about work. It was always about control.
Universal Basic Income (UBI) is not the end of poverty, but an upgrade. Poverty 2.0 – with a stable internet connection and push notifications from the Ministry of Finance. "Your basic income has been suspended. Reason: Lack of loyalty to the system." It is the most elegant form of tyranny ever devised. No bloodshed, no gulag, no resistance. Just a population that has learned that silence is economic.
The idea is ancient, only the branding is new. It used to be called communism, now it's "social innovation." Back then you had to toil for the state, now you just have to smile for it – in front of the camera. The basic income is not the unconditional gift of progress, but the digital collar of a world that can no longer afford freedom.
And if you think that's an exaggeration, just imagine what happens if the algorithm decides tomorrow that you said too much, criticized too much, and applauded too little. Your bank account will remain empty – but your conscience will be full.
Freedom means earning your wages. Dependence means asking for them. The basic income scheme aims to turn free citizens into supplicants – polite, closely monitored, algorithmically vetted supplicants. This isn't a vision of the future. It's an instruction manual.
So yes, a universal basic income might be coming. And with it, an era in which humanity finally understands what it means to be "provided for"—like pets in climate-controlled cages. And as long as the food arrives on time, many will mistake that for freedom.
True freedom lies in having the courage to forgo it…
"Dravens Tales from the Crypt" has been enchanting for over 15 years with a tasteless mixture of humor, serious journalism - for current events and unbalanced reporting in the press politics - and zombies, garnished with lots of art, entertainment and punk rock. Draven has turned his hobby into a popular brand that cannot be classified.
My blog was never designed to spread news, let alone get political, but with current affairs I just can't help but capture information here that is otherwise censored on all other channels. I am aware that the design page may not seem "serious" to many in this regard, but I will not change this to please the "mainstream". Anyone who is open to non-state-compliant information sees the content and not the packaging. I've tried enough to provide people with information over the last 2 years, but quickly noticed that it never matters how it's "packaged", but what the other person's attitude towards it is. I don't want to put honey on anyone's mouth to meet expectations in any way, so I'll keep this design because hopefully at some point I'll be able to stop making these political statements, because it's not my goal to go on like this forever 
I leave it up to everyone how they deal with it. However, you are welcome to simply copy and distribute the content, my blog has always been under the WTFPL license.
It's hard for me to describe what I'm actually doing here, DravensTales has become a culture blog, music blog, shock blog, tech blog, horror blog, fun blog, a blog about found items on the internet, internet bizarre, trash blog, art blog, water heater, zeitgeist blog over the years , Scrap blog and grab bag blog called. Everything that is right ... - and yet not. The main focus of the blog is contemporary art, in the broadest sense of the word.
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