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Greg Evans
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The government is facing increased pressure to introduce a universal basic income for those in the UK facing financial uncertainties as the coronavirus crisis continues to spread, forcing many out of work.
This has so far been rejected as the chancellor has argued that they have already introduced enough measures to help those, including the self-employed, who may have found themselves compromised but a basic income may help people through the pandemic.
This issue is likely to rumble on for however long this period will last and it is bound to divide politicians across the board. One politician who is not too keen on introducing universal basic income is former Tory and Ukip MP Douglas Carswell, who came up with a very strange reason against its introduction.
In a tweet posted on Thursday afternoon, the Brexiteer claimed that the Romans tried to introduce a form of universal basic income in 123BC and it effectively caused the collapse of the empire.
Unfortunately for Carswell, his take was potentially a bit disputable and was basically torn to shreds by Classics scholar Mary Beard, who corrected the mistake.
@DouglasCarswell Sorry, hope you don’t mind if I object here. But the point of Gracchus’ subsidized grain was a ver… https://t.co/ygm2jOIkup— mary beard (@mary beard) 1585234826
Soon, Carswell's tweet found itself attracting a lot of interest and judging by the consensus, he hadn't got this correct in the slightest.
I'm not convinced that 'our liberal economic order' is worth saving. It is the engine of oppression, violence and e… https://t.co/mDBWcPQU17— Justin Schlosberg (@Justin Schlosberg) 1585296670
The annona - the subsidized and free grain supply -was the only thing that allowed the late Republican and imperial… https://t.co/IqByeH29jg— Patrick Wyman (@Patrick Wyman) 1585234559
Wow, the Roman Republic instituted UBI 535 years before the eventual fall of Rome, and 1576 years before the end of… https://t.co/mZmTOe4GTb— John Lubbock (@John Lubbock) 1585270992
Love the idea that giving adult male citizens a monthly opportunity to buy a gallon of grain at a subsidised price… https://t.co/3WBZeTALWV— Finn Conway (@Finn Conway) 1585236133
There were also plenty of jokes.
Mum! The politicians are at it again... https://t.co/6FC8KFsqJ1— Greg Jenner (@Greg Jenner) 1585230261
@DouglasCarswell "tried it 2143 years ago, didn't work, next"— Jonathan Fisher (@Jonathan Fisher) 1585233627
Universal Basic Income? The Romans tried it from 123BC and where are they now? All dead. https://t.co/3JptovAqgf— Mollie Goodfellow (@Mollie Goodfellow) 1585230822
@DouglasCarswell I don't believe in fire because when cavemen did it with sticks they got eaten by a mammoth— Fred Delicious (@Fred Delicious) 1585231004
Still, it looks like Carswell has taken it well and took the opportunity to promote his history book on trade and economics.
Disputing the economics of the Roman Empire in the midst of a pandemic is the last thing that we expected to be writing about but here we are.
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