In 1795, a group of magistrates gathered in the English village of Speenhamland to try to solve a social crisis brought on by the rising price of grain. The challenge was an increase in poverty, even among the employed. The social system at the time, which came to be known as Elizabethan Poor Law, divided indigent adults into three groups: those who could work, those who could not, and those—the “idle poor”—who seemed not to want to. The able and disabled received work or aid through local parishes. The idle poor were forced into labor or rounded up and beaten for being bums. As grain prices increased, the parishes became overwhelmed with supplicants. Terrorizing idle people turned into a vast, unmanageable task.
Who really stands to win from universal basic income?
More of Today's Solutions
Scientists develop unsinkable metal tubes using water-repelling technology
Engineers at the University of Rochester have developed a way to make ordinary aluminum unsinkable even when it’s punctured, submerged, or battered by rough ...
Read More8 night sky events to catch this February, from a planetary parade to the Mil...
February may be the shortest month of the year, but it more than makes up for lost time when it comes to cosmic action. ...
Read MoreHow magnesium improves immune cell capabilities
Magnesium is an essential mineral vital to many bodily functions including muscle contraction, nerve transmission, blood pressure, and immunity. Therefore, it makes sense that ...
Read MoreHow to help victims of California wildfires: a guide to supporting relief eff...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Wildfires have once again ravaged Los Angeles County, burning tens of thousands of acres, destroying thousands of structures, ...
Read More
