Machines will replace some jobs. People should be working towards having a job that cannot be replaced by machine... or at least less likely.
A Basic Living Wage will free the individual to either seek a job doing something they enjoy or somehow contributes to society (rather than waste away their life so they can feed themselves). It also allows them to focus on improving their skills, or other educational or cultural pursuits. It is not a *bad* thing in itself. Sadly, it may well be *mis-used* by people who choose that instead of working when suitable employment is available. Perhaps with sufficient safeguards it could work. But in a utopic society, no one would ever have to work to ensure they get their needs met, and can all contribute in a meaningful way for the betterment of society.
You can't assume that just because somebody is doing what they enjoy that there's no money in it. In fact, it can be quite the opposite. Getting back to the example of farming, once we invented machines like tractors and combines, we freed up a lot of the manual labor that were previously slaves on plantations. Fast forward to today, and the very people that would have been working tirelessly on a farm a few hundred years ago now have the freedom to explore what they really enjoy, like playing professional competitive sports. And we gladly pay these talented and super-athletic individuals millions of dollars every year just to see them hit a home run, throw a ball through a hoop, or kick a field goal.
Yes, but society didn't need to pay everybody basic income in order to get the opportunity to watch basket ball game. Hunger drives the progress. This is a sign of decadence.
Didn't say I don't "give to the people". I give plenty. (Forced via high income taxes.) It's just that they don't deserve it.