Alright, folks, let’s take a breather from the chaos in Washington because, honestly, if I have to hear one more Democrat ramble about “saving democracy” while ignoring reality, I might need a prescription-strength bottle of Aspirin. Instead, let’s turn our attention to something that will surely put a damper on the Left’s day: a fresh, data-driven smackdown of one of their favorite economic fantasies—Universal Basic Income (UBI).
Now, if you’ve been paying attention, you know that progressives have been pushing UBI as the cure-all for financial instability, a way to lift people out of poverty without requiring them to work for it. Sounds great, right? Just sit back, let the government mail you a check every month, and poof—poverty vanishes.
Yet another Universal Basic Income study was released just before the holidays.
While being given ~$500 per month in free money, participants only ended up $100 richer and smoked more cigarettes.
The full results are eye opening. (1/10) pic.twitter.com/EhZ1BWslPJ
— Athan Koutsiouroumbas (@Athan_K) January 6, 2025
Well, not so fast. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) just torpedoed that dream with cold, hard facts.
Athan Koutsiouroumbas, a former top GOP staffer, broke down the NBER’s findings in a brutal Twitter thread, and let me tell you, it wasn’t pretty for the UBI crowd. Here are the takeaways:
- People weren’t meaningfully richer. Despite the free cash, participants didn’t show real financial improvement. Turns out, free money doesn’t magically create wealth. Who could’ve seen that coming?
- They smoked more tobacco products. Yes, instead of lifting people out of poverty, the “free” money went up in literal smoke. Instead of investing in their future, many participants took the handout and spent it on vices.
So, in summary: The government handed out money, and rather than creating financial stability, it mostly encouraged bad habits.
This is, of course, entirely predictable. But don’t expect the Left to acknowledge it.
The core problem with UBI is the same problem with every socialist-inspired program: it ignores human nature. It assumes people will take free money and make responsible, forward-thinking decisions. Reality tells a different story. Without incentives to work, create, and build, people don’t thrive—they stagnate.
Look, if you really want to help people escape poverty, there’s a proven solution: a strong economy that rewards hard work and job creation. That means lower taxes, fewer regulations, and policies that encourage businesses to grow and hire. Not taking money from workers and business owners just to redistribute it in a failed experiment.
