Food, shelter, and safety – these are the three most fundamental human needs. If these needs are not met, everything else becomes irrelevant. Thus, historically, the only times humanity has been able to make social advances is in times of plenty. We are currently in an unusual time where abundance is being deliberately destroyed and the middle class is being forced back into serfdom by the rich. A primary Sumptuary Tax is the ability to own a house, especially a house with land.
This was a really cool YouTube video I came across on a German company that built a 3D printed house. Yup, that’s right – a 3D printer can now build a house with a little bit of highly skilled human help.
In 2020/2021, people who were formerly trapped in a cycle of paying exorbitant rent for lousy apartments have lost even that. Tent cities in Vancouver are not immigrants. Mainstream media does not like to show people who used to own their own businesses or worked full time jobs who have lost everything. Many people who still have a roof over their heads are in constant fear of losing it and ending up on the streets. Many homeless people have jobs, some even work two jobs, but still cannot afford the high cost of rent. Then you have retired individuals, the elderly, and those that require assisted living who require a place to live as well.
We do not need a “basic income” if that level of welfare still does not cover food and rent. What we need is less welfare and more jobs, and place the emphasis less on handouts and more on clean, safe, quiet AFFORDABLE housing. Human rights require a hand up, not a hand out.
