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I am not a theist or even a deist, but I often look to the Bible for lessons that have passed the test of time. Here and now, I find the story of manna in the desert most compelling and relevant. (I like the KJV’s poetry, but the linked NIV rendition is more accessible.)
For the millions of Americans made unable to work by the COVID-19 pandemic, the time between arrival of the virus and distribution of an effective vaccine is time spent in the desert. Through no fault of their own, these people have no income with which to buy food or pay rent. They need “the Lord” to provide, and in this case, “the Lord” is just the rest of us, in Congress assembled.
Our pols are now thrashing out a “stimulus” bill [10/28/20 update: oops], so labeled because that word doesn’t make anyone feel bad. But the purpose of the bill is not to stimulate the economy; it is to sustain the people, to enable the economy to mark time while a vaccine is developed. The Biblical solution to such a period of economic dislocation was a form of UBI, manna distributed universally and per capita.
The manna “program” was temporary, but we may find that a UBI that begins as a stopgap becomes a permanent feature, as the old “you eat what you kill” paradigm continues to obsolesce. For now, however, the important thing is that we can afford to provide food and shelter to those…