Especially since the Coronavirus pandemic.

It could be $1,000 a month, or $2,000 a month depending on who implements it, but it has grown in popularity recently. This would see everyone in society, regardless of their wage or status, receive a monthly payment from the government.

One of the most popular ideas of the 21st century is a universal basic income (UBI). Utopia For Realists summary Takeaway 1 – Is It Possible to pay everyone a basic income? Takeaway 3 – Open borders could boost income around the world.Takeaway 1 – Is It Possible to pay everyone a basic income?.In a world of increasing inequality and ecological damage, it might be time to heed Bregman’s ideas to build a better world. The basic premise of the book is that things can, and should, be better. Utopia For Realists is an invigorating read, and as someone that considers themselves a progressive, it was an important one at a time when the movement is not making much headway.Īs with many books on utopia, these ideas may seem fanciful, open borders will be a tricky one to implement for example, by no means are they impossible. His arguments are convincing and he uses a lot of studies and data to back up his claims. But, Bregman rightly states that ideas such as the abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage and civil rights were considered crazy at one point. I know what you’re thinking, these ideas sound very pie in the sky and they do. In this book, Bregman offers three ideas that will help transform society and move us toward a utopia.Ī universal basic income, a fifteen-hour workweek and open borders. That’s because he went viral at the World Economic Forum for deriding billionaires over their lack of commitment to raising taxes to help eradicate poverty. It’s written by Dutch historian Rutger Bregman. Utopia For Realists is one of the most thought-provoking and inspiring books I have read in a long time.

Utopia for realists book