There’s a lot of talk about the need for a basic wage in the US. Self-driving vehicles have the potential to wipe out huge swaths of our economy. The obvious ones – truck and taxi cab drivers. And the less obvious – gas station attendants, fast food workers, grocery store cashiers and anyone else who works in a business that makes money off of luring you in while you drive by in a car.

It’s also pretty clear that a certain subset of the population is too influenced by 20th century propaganda to ever accept a basic wage.

A basic wage is socialism, communism, or welfare – and they don’t want it.

But when you look at the future of companies like Apple, the future is terrifying. Apple requires not only a wealthy consumer base, but a growing wealthy consumer base. Apple cannot survive in a world where the US has 40% unemployment.

I would suggest to see the future we look at Silicon Valley.

We already see the results of people with too much capital and not enough return on investment pouring money into startups praying for some sort of payoff. Take that concept wider.

I participated in Manuel Zarate’s first ArtSpark festival that gave participants space to work and a chance at a cash prize to work on new pieces of art. It kept a lot of people very busy and producing new things for several months. It didn’t have the capital we see in Silicon Valley, but it certainly could. Create foundations to sustain these incubators all over the US.

Inside the incubator participants would receive an “iPhone wage” along with bonuses and cash prizes for creating marketable ideas. Have them on every subject matter –

Create gardening incubators. Transportation incubators. Culinary incubators.

Ultimately they don’t have to be profitable, but if they are companies like Apple get new products, and at the very least they create jobs so people can afford new iPhones.

What do you think of this? Is it more feasible than a basic wage?