Volume 4, Issue 5, May 2023
Keith “Doc” Raymond
Pages 32-45
Never Enough (Until You Earn It)
Does basic income encourage laziness? What obligations does a country that willingly accepts a refugee has to the person they accept? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Sbongo is an African refugee who escaped to Turkey and was granted asylum in Germany. His life immediately improves as Germany offers him “basic income,” more money than he has ever received in his life. Initially, he spends his days walking the streets, enjoying a simple life. However, over time, he becomes jealous of the wealth of those around him. First, he gets a job at a Kebob store and loses his basic income stipend. Later, he is fired and ends up homeless. After hitting rock bottom he gets into a job training program, gets a job doing street maintenance, and starts to feel the pride of the money he earned.