[normal_man]

The goal of government is to create the most stable, safe, and happy environment as possible for as much of the population as possible. What about the startup community, who obsessively chase endless growth, "innovation" and "disruption", makes you think they would be good at achieving that goal?

[beat]

He's not saying that the push to growth-by-disruption is a solution. He's saying it's a problem, and we have to deal with it quickly, because it moves quickly. He's not saying we should run the country like a Silicon Valley startup. He's also not saying innovation should be banned or punished (coughcoughWarrencough). He's saying that it's coming, and it's going to mess up a lot of people's lives, and if we don't do something big to deal with that, we're going to have a revolution on our hands.

[sundbry]

That's in fact not the stated purpose of the government at all. It is not a utilitarian construct.

[beat]

We, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

There you go. Stated purpose of our government. And I think several of those clauses apply to using UBI as a solution to our rapid economic dislocations.

[normal_man]

What's it for then?

[chillacy]

Check out his podcast with Joe Rogan or Sam Harris, he definitely understands that government is not the same as business, but he also understands markets and incentives (and perverse incentives) a lot better than most politicians imo.