Living Income Guaranteed is Not the Basic Income Guarantee

Unconditional Basic Income

It could be construed that the Living Income Guaranteed (LIG) by the Equal Life Foundation (ELF) emerges from the movement for a Universal Basic Income or the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN), but this would be a misapprehension. The LIG originates from the Equal Money System and the ELF is not affiliated with the BIEN.

The Basic Income is described as 'an income unconditionally granted to all on an individual basis, without means test or work requirement'. It is generally understood to be unconditional and universal, 'at the same level, to rich and poor alike'. The LIG, however, would not be 'unconditionally provided but allocated through a means-test' as 'a social security ‘net’' for those who are 'eligible'.
Moreover, the LIG entails a 'Paradigm Shift' and wide-ranging if rather nonsensical 'Structural Adjustments' which are not part of any Basic Income proposal.

The LIG 'proposal' suggests strict controls to monitor Public Relations companies and the advertising industry – but if that were the case then it would put the ELF out of business. In its own words, the 'advertisement and public relations projects' of the ELF are not 'focused on educating the consumer and/or population in a factual manner using information relevant to the product or service being described and promoted'. The promotion of the LIG by the ELF is misleading. It uses 'psychological manipulation tactics' which do not 'truly honor the dictum of the ‘informed consumer’ making rational decisions'.

The ELF presents the LIG in such a way that it appears as if it is connected to the Basic Income movement when it is not.

LIG supporters regularly publish information that could easily create the false impression that if people support the LIG and give money to the ELF it may help to advance research carried out by BIEN-affiliated researchers and other supporters of the Basic Income. They do so by utilising the exact same terminology and frequently posting news items, videos, quotes and articles from the BIEN and about the Basic Income, as if these things have some relevance to the LIG when they do not. One example of many is the video, How to Emancipate the Precariat which discusses the book, The Precariat – the New Dangerous Class by co-founder of the BIEN, Guy Standing, in order to promote the LIG. 

At the LIG YouTube channel, the most vociferous LIG supporter and author of Eugenics is Best for All Life in Equality, Marlen Del Razo interviews Basic Income supporters (notably, Scott Santens and Nyc Labrets) about the Basic Income but without ever mentioning the ELF or the LIG in any detail or the fact that the LIG is an entirely different thing to the Basic Income; yet elsewhere she expresses the view that a universal basic income will never happen.

The ELF's so-called 'Bill of Rights' has been written by Ken Cousens, who until recently was a prominent spokesperson for the 'sovereign citizen' group, the 'Republic for the united States of America', from which he has been accused of stealing over a million dollars. Many of his ideas to do with money, the law, politics etc., are identical to the pseudo-legal conspiracy theories and beliefs of the Sovereign Citizen Movement which have been used by scam artists to con people out of money and in some cases, get them thrown in jail. Cousens is formally providing training to the ELF/LIG supporters, and while his 'sovereign citizen'-style beliefs may be relevant to the LIG such beliefs are not in any way an influence on the movement for the Basic Income.

Unlike the proposals for a Basic Income, the LIG 'proposal' is not discussed by its supporters within an actual political arena or public social forum, but only on websites run by its supporters. If the LIGgers were to openly discuss their 'proposal' with others then they would be forced to address certain pertinent issues, not least the fact that the main activity of the ELF is in marketing schemes of the group known as Desteni.

Related posts:
Living Income Guaranteed: Nonsense Politics of the Destonians Equal Life Foundation
Equal Life Foundation Trojan Horse: Living Income Guaranteed (LIG)
The Destonian Sovereign Citizen
Equal Money System Final Solution: Eugenics

Living Income Guaranteed: Nonsense Politics of the Destonians Equal Life Foundation

An online platform

The Living Income Guaranteed (LIG) is presented by the Equal Life Foundation (ELF) as an initiative towards global equality, political and economic stability and a decent standard of living for all. Its Facebook page has over 27,000 'likes' but few details about the LIG are on Facebook, so let's have a closer look...

The South Africa-based ELF is a 'non-profit' company that runs a recruitment scheme for an income plan and an affiliate sales programme selling online products and courses for a group of people 'exploring oneness and equality principles' called 'Desteni'. The ELF states its focus is 'human rights'. It owns copyright of material produced by the Desteni group, including the Equal Money System and audio files of 'self-perfection interviews' with reptilians and dead people.

Publicity for both the ELF and the LIG often omits to mention Desteni, but the LIG is only ever promoted by less than about 100 people affiliated with the group who call themselves 'Destonians'. Their support for the LIG could possibly give the impression that the Destonians are activists but they say that activism has never achieved anything and they are 'practivists'.

The LIG could appear to be a variation of the Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) but is a very different concept altogether. Its policies are completely unrelated to the BIG.

The main LIG document wrongly asserts, 'There has never been a plan that would consider how to live harmoniously on this planet so far'. It states 'we don't need leaders' while its supporters take part in a leadership forum.

The LIG document is described as a 'draft proposal' for global political and economic change. Since its inception over a year ago, the LIG does not appear to have been proposed to any politicians, legislators, political groups or organisations, journalists from mainstream or alternative media, governments, state departments, universities, etc. Despite their repeated use of the phrase, 'best for all' to refer to the LIG as all things to all people, there have been no public meetings on the subject and the LIG has only ever been proposed as a topic of discussion amongst the Destonians and at their own web pages. 

The Destonians say the LIG 'solution' is towards Perfecting Capitalism. It is described as an 'economic model' for a 'living income' welfare 'net' to cover basic necessities and equalling half the 'minimum wage', which would be double what it is now. The LIG would not be universally guaranteed, as it would only be available to those who are 'eligible'. Children might be deemed 'eligible' but the unemployed would first have to pass an unspecified 'means test'.

The term, 'nationalization', is used incorrectly by the Destonians to suggest that in a 'LIG system' each citizen of a nation would be obliged to operate as both owner and shareholder of all major corporations and resources. There would be a very limited role for government but somehow the LIG 'solution' would mean prices would adjust to wages and vice versa, personal tax would be abolished and corporate profits and the redirection of military funds would finance public services and the LIG.

Destonians seem to view the erosion of civil liberties as beneficial to society, and a purely digital economy a way of significantly reducing illegal trade. They recommend automation, digital ID cards, digital money / banking and no privacy, and claim all this will deter 'illicit financial transactions', protests, and what they call social dissidence.

In a LIG system teachers would not protest?

Teachers' salaries in a LIG system would be at half the minimum wage. This would be to stop people from entering the teaching profession simply to make money, but why the same rule should not also apply to other fields of work is unclear.

The LIG includes policies to make PR and advertising agencies focus 'on educating the consumer and/or population in a factual manner' and a 'Bureau of Standards' to ensure products and services are always of the highest possible quality. It seems that the regulations pertaining to the service, manufacturing and advertising industries would be far more strict and complex than at present.

Apparently, the LIG 'solution' would be 'implemented' by 'the people', who would make collective decisions about a nation, its businesses, natural resources and banks through 'direct democracy' facilitated via 'online platforms for political participation'. Creation or management of these platforms is not explained, but a LIG supporter represented as economist (with no credentials) suggests that the 'like' buttons on Facebook prove it can be done, and 'coming together' does not have to be a 'physical event'.

The Destonians' articles on the LIG indicate that they are of the view that political change begins on a subjective level and can be engineered from within, for which they usually imply the ELF 'Desteni I Process' courses and 'Eqafe' products provide the necessary guidance to facilitate 'self-responsibility'.

These are most of the main points covered by the LIG, but the Destonians have failed to communicate any actual ideas. The very few reasonable statements they make are about things which are already being dealt with in far more articulate and effective ways by numerous other more well-established and respected groups and individuals (such as the Basic Income Earth Network). 

The Destonians' 'plan' lacks any coherent understanding or awareness of economics, politics or political theory. The LIG is made up of misconceived, vague, half-baked, irrational notions, pseudo-political slogans, empty clichés and sub-New Age psychobabble. It does not provide any 'practical solution' and offers no strategies or actions to help bring about social equality or political or economic change. In short, the LIG is inconsequential drivel. 

The reason why the LIG is such nonsense is because it is a vain attempt to resemble a political movement in order to try to solve the problem of how to guarantee income and recruit for a quasi-religious cult business which has been doomed from the start, exposed for what it is many times over, and is finally going down the drain. 

It is curious to note that although there are over 27,000 'likes' for the LIG on Facebook, the number of Destonians remains the same as it was circa 2010: about 100-150 world-wide.

Related posts:

Equal Life Foundation Trojan Horse: Living Income Guaranteed (LIG)

Equal Life Foundation: NPO for Equal Rights -- or Money & Food for Destonians?

Equal Money System: spreading the FAQ?

Desteni Doomed - 1