Been a great discussion. I feel the differing opinions and ideals seen here are exactly what need to be in place when the powers that be are deciding how to proceed. Unfortunately I feel we've been more open-minded and respectful in our discussions here than many governments prove to be.
The difference between us debating on here, and governments is that the people in government need their constituents votes in order to stay in power while I'm just a guy on the internet. I can say the truth, and what I think should be done to fix systems.
Politicans must say what is best for them to stay in power, and I guess they've assumed that not supporting UBI is one of those things -- sadly.
Unfortunately, the point you brought up here is so true. Politicians will always avoid making highly controversial decisions. I just did some Googling though and I see some hopeful things. Wikipedia talks about some polls. It says that "in 2016 a poll showed that 58 percent of the European people are aware of basic income and 65 percent would vote in favor of the idea." Here's only about the US: "2017: POLITICO/Morning Consult asked 1994 Americans about their opinions on several political issues. One question addressed attitudes towards a national basic income in the United States. 43 percent either strongly supported or somewhat supported the idea." (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_income)
It seems like many places are trying to pilot the idea. I may become a reality sooner than we expect. One of the first results in my search was actually from Chicago. The government there is considering giving it a try, but the amount seems pretty low to me, $500/month. (
https://freebeacon.com/issues/chicago-officials-looking-universal-basic-income-program/)