TPB81 - Universal Basic Income: Coercion or Freedom? with Scott Santens

TPB81 - Universal Basic Income: Coercion or Freedom? with Scott Santens

Author: Bitcoin is for Everyone April 2, 2024 Duration: 1:55:45

"Basic income is not left or right. It's forward." - Scott Santens

My guest today is Scott Santens, with special guest co-host and friend of the pod Margot Paez. Scott is a leading Universal Basic Income (UBI) advocate and has been researching the subject since 2013. He is also the President and Founder of the Income to Support All (ITSA) Foundation which supports ambitious projects that help realize a foundation of unconditional universal basic income through research, storytelling, and implementation. In this episode we discuss Universal Basic Income's potential to address poverty, inequality, and the future of work. Santens explains how UBI can empower individuals, boost entrepreneurship, and create a more voluntary labor market, while addressing misconceptions and basic facts of what UBI is. We also explore the intersection of UBI and Bitcoin, with particular focus on renewable bitcoin mining projects and community benefits.

To learn more, including Scott’s social links, head to Scott’s website: https://www.scottsantens.com/

You can find Trey on nostr, X and via the pod’s social channels

You can find Margot on X: https://twitter.com/jyn_urso

EXCLUSIVE SPONSORS:

ZEUS is an open-source, self-custodial Bitcoin wallet that gives you full control over how you make payments. Head to Zuesln.com to learn more and download. Save 5% on LSP fees by using code ‘TPB’ in the access code under LSP settings.

BitBox: Get the open-source Bitbox02 Bitcoin only edition. It’s my favorite bitcoin hardware wallet for you to take self-custody of your bitcoin and keep your private keys safe in cold storage. Use promo-code TPB during checkout at https://bitbox.swiss/tpb to get 5% off your purchase.

You, our listener! Thank you to our supporters. To support The Progressive Bitcoiner and access rewards, including our new TPB merch, head to our geyser page: https://geyser.fund/project/theprogressivebitcoiner

PROMO CODES:

Sazmining: Hosted Bitcoin mining made easy, using 100% cheap and renewable energy. Get $50 off the purchase of a miner using the following link: https://app.sazmining.com/purchase?ref=byyhN2mCGXlu

Lightning Store: Head to https://lightning.store/ and use promo-code ‘TPB’ to get 20% off all products.

To learn more, visit our website

Follow the pod on X | Nostr | Bluesky | Instagram | Threads | Facebook | LinkedIn | TikTok

Join in on the conversation at our Progressive Bitcoiner Community telegram group!

The Team: Producer/Editor: @DamienSomerset | Branding/Art: @Daniel | Website: @EvanPrim



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit progressivebitcoiner.substack.com

The Progressive Bitcoiner moves past the usual headlines and trading-floor chatter to explore a different, more human side of this technology. This podcast, from Bitcoin is for Everyone, features conversations with people actively using Bitcoin as a practical tool for empowerment around the world. You'll hear firsthand accounts that illustrate its role in fostering financial inclusion, protecting human rights, and expanding personal freedom far from the traditional finance hubs. Each episode is built on education and grounded storytelling, reframing the narrative to show how this technology serves communities and individuals in tangible, often surprising ways. It’s a series dedicated to the global positive impact happening right now, highlighting stories that don't always make the mainstream news. Tune in for a perspective that connects technology directly to culture and societal change, offering a clear-eyed look at Bitcoin's potential beyond speculation.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Progressive Bitcoiner
Podcast Episodes
TPB64 - Toward a Science of the Political with Natalie Smolenski [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:40
"Regardless of what is happening in the wider world, what is it that you can build right where you are today that others can inherit from you that leaves the world better?" My guest today is Natalie Smolenski. Natalie is…
TPB63 - Using Bitcoin Around the World with The Bitcoin Explorers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:35:26
"Bitcoin is the most powerful tool to protect human rights and financial freedom all over the world." My guests today are Laura and Rikki, aka the Bitcoin Explorers. In addition to their work through the Bitcoin Explorer…
TPB62 - Why Bitcoin Matters for Gen Z with Ella Hough & Arsh Molu [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:22
"Gen Z...recognize the problems, but it just comes down to how they can be equipped." - Arsh My guests today are Ella Hough and Arsh Molu. Ella is a junior at Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences, pursuing d…
TPB60 - How Bitcoin Benefits Workers with Dom Bei and Lisa Hough [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:05
"If you really care about fixing problems, you really have to take a look at these solutions like Bitcoin." My guests today are Lisa Hough and Dom Bei. Lisa is a former natural gas trader and currently serves as the VP o…
TPB59 - Nostr: The Everything App of Freedom with Ben Arc & Rabble [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:45:48
"The history of social change shows us that it's not fear that leads to better situations. It's Hope." - Rabble My guests today are Ben Arc and Rabble. Ben is a FOSS (free and open source software) hobbyist and activist,…
TPB58 - Bitcoin's Bullish Case for Humanity with Alex Gladstein [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:34
"Bitcoin has tremendous promise to penetrate some of the inertia and perpetual suffering we see in the world." My guest today is Alex Gladstein. Alex is Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation, a 501(c)3 no…
TPB57 - What the Left Should Know About Money with Lyn Alden [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:03
"I think the Left probably has a bigger disconnect on money than we see elsewhere." My guest today is Lyn Alden. Lyn is a macroeconomist, author, and founder of Lyn Alden Investment Strategy. Far from a niche libertarian…
TPB56 - Bitcoin as a Progressive Force for Good with Bradley Rettler [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30:06
My guest today is Bradley Rettler. Bradley is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Wyoming and a member of the research collective Resistance Money alongside Andrew Bailey and Craig Warmke. In this e…
TPB55 - Bitcoin in a Nuanced and Complex World with Mike Brock [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:56:18
My guest today is Mike Brock, CEO of TBD, (a part of Block), which focuses on building open source, decentralized technologies. In this wide-ranging conversation, Mike discusses Bitcoin's relationship to politics, cultur…