Quest for Dignity : The Right to Basic Income

Everything we hold sacred-morality, ethics, self-respect, truth, fairness, justice, equality, progress and dignity-stands violated in the presence of widespread poverty and deprivation. Why is it that our brilliant inventors, brightest entrepreneurs, cleverest businessmen, and most savvy political leaders, who can successfully build inexpensive rockets to take us to space and construct lengthy bridges across dangerous rivers, cannot eliminate poverty in their neighborhoods? Unless, of course, poverty is an acceptable byproduct of our economic progress. But this book is not about poverty. It is about dignity. It is about the deceptively simple idea that a basic income that enables payment of essential needs such as food, shelter, and decent clothing can eliminate the stigma of targeted welfare and restore dignity to people impoverished by the damaging consequences of an unfair social, economic and political system. It is about constructing a newer, more equitable and happier society. This book makes the case that every citizen over the age of 18 deserves a monthly living allowance to pay for basic needs - such as food, shelter, and decent clothing, not as a matter of charity but as a legitimate share of the national wealth, they help create.