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Good news ! Written by www.livableincome.org on 2007-06-29 17:37:26 I'm really glad to hear that as a worker my productivity went up not DOWN for once.    Cheers everyone.      4. FINLAND’S PRIME MINISTER SPEAKS FAVORABLY OF BIG    NewsRoom Finland reports that the prime minister of Finland, Matti  Vanhanen, of the Centre Party, said that the structure and level of  basic security should be reappraised, and that the current wide range of  benefits could be replaced by a basic income guarantee of about 600 or  700 euros per month. He argued, however, that BIG should be supplemented  by incentives to encourage those capable of work to enter the labor  market. According to NewsRoom Finland, “Mr Vanhanen's comment comes amid  a clash between the Social Democratic Party [SPD], the Centre's main  government partner, and the opposition Green League over guaranteed  minimum income.” The Finnish Greens accused the Social Democrats of  using made-up arguments to reject basic income. NewsRoom Finland  reported on February 26, “Finland's opposition Green League on Monday  accused the SDP of deploying trumped-up and populist arguments to reject  the idea of a guaranteed minimum income. The Greens' critique was a  response to a report by the Kalevi Sorsa foundation, an SDP-leaning  organization, faulting a basic income scheme as promoted by the Green  League. The leaders of the Green League said in a joint statement that  the foundation's report played down problems related to social security.  Ville Kopra, a researcher, says in the foundation's report that basic  income could endanger both universal validity on the labor market and  earnings-related unemployment security. The Greens say the Social  Democrats' resistance to change is dividing people into two classes  where only those in regular employment should enjoy sufficient basic  security.”    Two reports are on line at:  http://newsroom.finland.fi/stt/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=15100&group=Politics  http://newsroom.finland.fi/stt/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=15103&group=Politics        8. SEVERAL GERMANS ENDORSE BASIC INCOME    Several Germans have recently endorsed basic income. Ulrich Beck,  prominent sociologist in Germany and author of "The Risk Society," and  Kayja Kipping, chairperson of the left party PDS, have both endorsed  basic income as a way to give workers greater negotiating power to  demand more meaningful work. According to Kipping, many leftist are  uncomfortable with BIG because they suffer from “work fetishism.” Asked  to explain she replied, “Many think only paid work is a valuable  contribution. The ideology ‘whoever doesn't work should not eat' is  malicious. To me, this is a completely strange understanding of  contribution. Persons in the arms industry do social harm through paid  work. On the other hand, many activities that are not paid are important  for society.” Vienna. Should basic security be only for persons willing  to work and the needy? Ronald Blaschke , a philosopher, sociologist,  educator, and spokesperson of the German Basic Income Network also  argued for BIG and against work fetishism in an interview with Beate  Lammer on diepresse.com.    German businessman Gotz Werner argues has been arguing for basic income  in recent years. He renewed his support for BIG in an interview with the  daily die Tageszeitung, last November. The BIEN Newsletter published the  following excerpts from the interview:  Journalist: You speak very positively. You own over 1700 drug stores.  You have annual sales of 3.7 billion Euros. You are one of the 500  richest Germans.  Werner: That is untrue. Like almost all entrepreneurs, I wanted more and  more in the past. Today maximizing meaning is my top priority.  Journalist: Do you see the world with different eyes?  Werner: I have read the classics, Goethe, Schiller. I understand my own  success is not everything. I want to help others succeed. People are  central, not business. I try to imagine a positive world.  Journalist: "Nothing is stronger than an idea whose time has come," you say.  Werner: Victor Hugo said that. I only quoted him.  Journalist: Is the time right for your idea?  Werner: At least the idea could be discussed at last. Two years ago that  was something for a few experts. The halls are full when I give lectures  today.  Journalist: What has changed?  Werner: The old political slogans have nothing to do with the world  where people live. Unemployment grows despite temporary announcements of  success. Unbridled growth damages our resources. If Angela Merkel would  say "full employment" is possible, nobody would believe her any more…  Journalist: The unconditional basic income already has supporters in the  parties - from left to right. Why is this?  Werner: Because this is the most radical form of socialism and the most  radical form of capitalism. After one of my addresses, a listener wrote  to me: "Your basic income model has reconciled my socialist heart with  my neoliberal mind."    The full interview in German is available at:  http://www.taz.de/pt/2006/11/27/a0146.1/textdruck  An English translation is available at:  http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/12/14/18337615.php  Other articles on BIG in Germany are on the web at:  http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2007/02/354533.shtml  http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2007/02/353198.shtml  http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2007/01/352187.shtml  http://www.diepresse.com/textversion_article.aspx?id=607979  http://www.mbtranslations.com  http://www.commondreams.org  http://www.freitag.de/2006/50/06501501.php.      9. EDUARDO SUPLICY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT BASIC INCOME IN CHINA    Brazilian Senator Eduardo Suplicy, one of the strongest supports of  basic income in any ruling government in the world, recently visited  China and reports substantial hope for the future of basic income in  China. Senator Suplicy spoke about basic income with several  highly-placed officials in the Chinese government. He found that  elements of universal, unconditional support exist in some current  Chinese anti-poverty programs, and that there is some hope the China  will move further in that direction. Suplicy also spoke with Professor  Tian Xiaobao, who is considered to be the first economist in China,  author of a 2006 book on Social Security in China.  According to Suplicy, “It was with Professor Tian Xiaobao that I had my  longest and very productive three hour conversation. After explaining  all the advantages of an unconditional basic income to him, after  describing experience of the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend System and  the perspective of having such a system in Brazil, I asked him whether  he considered possible to think about having the institution of an  inconditional basic income for all 1 billion and 300 million or more  Chinese in the future. Professor Tain Xiaobao answered that he  considered the Basic Income a very sound and rational proposal, making  sense and being consistent with the objective of building a harmonious  society, such as advocated by Confucius 520 years before Christ. It is  also consistent with the objectives of today's Chinese government. He  told me, however, that to attain the objective of paying a basic income  to all Chinese, it would be required a time of preparation for the next  three quinquenal plans. Thus, a Basic Income would be desirable and  possible in 2020.”

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