Guy Standing Quotes

I'm a capitalist, and I believe that universal basic income is necessary for capitalism to continue.

I know that there are many excellent arguments for a universal form of basic income. Since everyone would get it, it would remove the stigma that dogs recipients of assistance and 'entitlements'.

Universal basic income is not a solution in search of a problem - it is the obvious solution that has been in front of us for years. It only requires us to have the vision, empathy and courage to adopt it for the American people before it is too late.

We are in an era of chronic insecurity and growing inequalities. In that context, we need to have new mechanisms for income distribution which give people a sense of security.

The minimum wage in Denmark is about twice that of the United States, and people who are totally out of the labor market or unable to care for themselves have a basic income guarantee of about $100 per day.

Let's means-test benefits - let's means-test Social Security and Medicare and make the rich pay more for these benefits.

We’ve taken care not to penalize the wealthy but we have to redistribute some income …It is through reform that we can obtain fairness in the modern world…A reformed welfare state is the only way to obtain social justice.

Expanding the EITC can get us close to a universal basic minimum income.

A primary justification for a basic income is social justice.

No one is suggesting societies the world over should implement an expensive basic income system in one stroke.

A universal basic income would be the best way to give everyone the opportunity to do more unpaid but incredibly important work, such as caring for children and the elderly.

While it won't solve all the world's ills - and ideas such as a rent cap and more social housing are necessary in places where housing is scarce - a basic income would work like venture capital for the people.

You are not going to lift everybody out of poverty through the kindness of wealthy people.

A multi-tier social protection system must be based on a modest basic income so as to enable the precariat to build lives involving a balance of different types of work, not just labour in jobs.

I've always thought my main concern is to alleviate the burdens on people, who were earning less money, perhaps than £80,000.

You have to let the market reward effort and skill. But a system in which inequality of incomes constantly increases over time is worrisome.

We have to define and put into practice a better, more coherent and effective policy on income security.

There are people who believe in expanding the welfare state across the spectrum of races and ethnicities and creeds.

I don't mind the rich getting richer, but the poor shouldn't be getting poorer, and there should be more people moving into the middle class.

The conventional viewpoint says we need a jobs program and we need to cut welfare. Just the opposite! We need more welfare and fewer jobs.

Are we interested in treating the symptoms of poverty and economic stagnation through income redistribution and class warfare, or do we want to go at the root causes of poverty and economic stagnation by promoting pro-growth policies that promote prosperity?

Raising the minimum wage means we have workers paying more in to support the Social Security system.

No one should be richer than a ten millionaire and no one should be without a home.

Social Security is a problem solving program, not a problem creating one .... Social Security is our best anti-poverty program.

For the good of Spain, I should like there to be rather fewer rich people and rather fewer poor.