On free expression
This page exists because hard questions deserve open discussion.
We believe freedom of expression means the right to challenge power,
question orthodoxy, and propose uncomfortable ideas - including ideas
that challenge everything on this site.
It does not mean the right to attack people.
Comments that address arguments are welcome.
Comments that attack individuals will not be published.
This is not censorship - it is the difference between debate and abuse.
We read every submission before publishing. We may be slow. We will be fair.
Some questions we genuinely don't have tidy answers to. Some challenge
the numbers. Some challenge the framework. All of them are worth asking.
Add your own below.
Questions worth sitting with
If the state invests £874k in everyone, what happens when it can't afford to?
The portfolio logic works while the fund is solvent. What does fiscal constraint mean for the universality argument?
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Is there a level of immigration at which the arbitrage argument breaks down?
If inflows are large enough to strain public services before the tax return materialises, does the portfolio logic still hold?
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Does the portfolio framing justify any level of inequality in outcomes?
If the state invests equally because outcomes are unknowable, does that mean any outcome distribution is acceptable once the investment is made?
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At what point does a tax on unearned income become a tax on legitimate saving?
The distinction between earned and unearned income is conceptually clean. In practice the line is harder to draw. Where should it be?
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Can you have a universal investment model without a reasonably open borders policy?
If the logic of citizenship provision applies to those born here, does it extend to those who arrive? Where does the portfolio begin and end?
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Is the efficiency argument for public services a category error - or just a badly applied one?
The output/cost ratio fails when outputs are unmeasurable. But does that mean we should abandon the pursuit of efficiency entirely, or find better measures?
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Do you think a figure is wrong? Which one, and what should it be?
We have shown every number and every source. If you think we have made an error, we want to know. Bring a primary source.
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