I agree that’s a reason to believe people would be in favor of such a radical change (and Shulman makes the same point). I don’t think it’s nearly as strong a reason as you and Shulman seem to think it is, because of the broader changes that would come with this dramatic increase in income. We’re talking about a dramatic restructuring of the economic and social order. We’re probably talking about, among other things, the end of work and with that, probably the end of earning your place in your community. We’re talking about frictionless effectively free substitutes for everything we might have received from the informal economy, the economy of gifts and reciprocity. What does that do to friendship and family? I don’t want to know.
It appears to me there are plenty of examples of people sacrificing large potential increases in their income in order to preserve the social order they are accustomed to. (I would imagine e.g. conservatives in e.g. the Rust Belt not moving to a coastal city with clearly better income prospects being a good example, but admit I haven’t studied the issue in-depth).
Basically, I think this focus on income is myopic.
I agree that’s a reason to believe people would be in favor of such a radical change (and Shulman makes the same point). I don’t think it’s nearly as strong a reason as you and Shulman seem to think it is, because of the broader changes that would come with this dramatic increase in income. We’re talking about a dramatic restructuring of the economic and social order. We’re probably talking about, among other things, the end of work and with that, probably the end of earning your place in your community. We’re talking about frictionless effectively free substitutes for everything we might have received from the informal economy, the economy of gifts and reciprocity. What does that do to friendship and family? I don’t want to know.
It appears to me there are plenty of examples of people sacrificing large potential increases in their income in order to preserve the social order they are accustomed to. (I would imagine e.g. conservatives in e.g. the Rust Belt not moving to a coastal city with clearly better income prospects being a good example, but admit I haven’t studied the issue in-depth).
Basically, I think this focus on income is myopic.