# The Baseline

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baseline/472528>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [November 13, 2008, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baseline/472528 "2008-11-13T14:01:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baseline/472528/1 "2008-11-13T14:01:43Z")

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It seems to me that our society is in for some major restructuring (like it or not).

We have seen that communism does not work. We are seeing the unwraveling of capitalism. Neither has been applied as conceived, and I do not think they can be.

So let’s imagine a new society. One in which there is a baseline under which (virtually) no one is allowed to fall, but in which hard work, entrepeneurship and creativity are rewarded.

What would the non-negotiables be in this society? What benefits of this society would each person have access to?

What would be the benefits to society as a whole if each person is taxed so as to invest in the basic care of their brothers and sisters? In what ways would the necessary taxes be detrimental to this society?

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**Author:** ![Merkwurdigliebe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Merkwurdigliebe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merkwurdigliebe)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baseline/472528/2 "2008-11-13T16:05:46Z")

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Sounds like [Flexicurity](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexicurity).

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baseline/472528/3 "2008-11-13T16:15:25Z")

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> [@newcrasher](#):
>
> What would be the benefits to society as a whole if each person is taxed so as to invest in the basic care of their brothers and sisters?

Kind of hard on only children.

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**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baseline/472528/4 "2008-11-13T17:15:20Z")

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> [@Captain\_Amazing](#):
>
> Kind of hard on only children.

I use “brothers and sisters” generously. I meant our fellow citizens.