228

Orange one
Posted on April 10, 2019 by David M Willis

228 thoughts on “Orange one”

  1. Doctor_Who

    The restaurant goes silent. Someone’s Kill Bill ringtone has perfect timing. Several pigeons fly between them (followed by Galasso swinging a broom). A long pause, and then –

    Robin: I forgot my password, what is it?

    Becky: C4dbUry5ggs.

    Robin: Thanks. (leaves)

    1. Jade

      <3

    2. Marsh Maryrose

      I too immediately flashed on Kill Bill when I saw this. But my brain came up with Ennio Morricone’s L’Arena.

    3. motorfirebox

      “5ggs”? Ugh, Republicans.

      1. UniqueSnowflake2

        E is the 5th letter in the alphabet.

        1. Deanatay

          Oh God, another one.

      2. Dean

        Yeah, everyone knows it should be 3gg5.

        1. Ana Chronistic

          NOOOOOOO don’t follow conventional logic when creating a passphrase!!

        2. Pseudoclasm

          Sure, but this IS Robin we’re talking about.

        3. Marsh Maryrose

          If you’re a luser.

          3665. Or better yet, 3992.

    4. Roborat

      The siren noise or the 5,6,7,8s music?

  2. ValdVin

    Should “We serve pickles again” be printed on the placemats, at least?

    1. David M Willis

      look as soon as they do that galasso’s just gonna start irrationally hating them again

      1. Chrisashtear

        That kind of personality sounds way too much like my boss ( please send help )

      2. Patrick Duke

        There is nothing irrational about hating pickles.

        1. Formedras

          Yeah, but eggplant is a crime. Pickles aren’t. (Relish maybe.)

        2. Jaco

          Eggplant is a colour, not a vegetable.

        3. Ana Chronistic

          What about aubergines

        4. Marsh Maryrose

          Under the Joyce Laws, relish of any sort is definitely a crime if it contains more than one discernible solid ingredient.

          Eggplant is the world’s most perfect olive-oil absorbent material. But I still can’t get past that texture.

        5. Clif

          Who would plant an egg?

        6. Marsh Maryrose

          Who would fardels bear?

      3. Time Sage

        Have two sets made. One that says they do and one that says they don’t.

        1. Clif

          Hand them out at random.

        2. Bryan Langley

          Hello worshiper of Chaos, I salute you!

  3. Mollyscribbles

    twist: she wants Becky to work for her, handling the social media stuff, as she’s actually gotten a better response from the new posts than her prior tweetings.

    1. Jade

      I want this soooo badly

      1. Kinoko

        Same.

    2. DailyBrad

      that… would be pretty cool. it’d help solve Becky’s money problems, while also providing a rich source of conflict in terms of Les’ reaction.

      That said, this could go a lot of other places, too.

      1. Piotr W

        And it would bring Robin into the permanent cast <3

        1. Clif

          While this is something I’d like to see, I doubt Willis would have telegraphed it so clearly with the paycheck. Would be happy to be wrong.

    3. Undrave

      That’s what I’m expecting too. Or a Scooby Doo chase scene. Do you think Galasso has a long corridor with tons of doors on each side?

      1. AeromechanicalAce

        I would Honestly be surprised if he DIDN’T.

        Also, at the end of the hallway is a dark room full of the Restaurant’s CCTV moniters where Galasso Pets a cat while surveying his domain. He strikes me as a supervillian classic type.

    4. DarkoNeko

      Twist : she actually squint like that because of lack of sleep

      1. dralou

        Huh ? It isn’t because she can’t see without her glasses ?

        1. Rabid Rabbit

          According to Robin in her first second appearance, she wears the glasses to look smart, but doesn’t actually need them. http://www.dumbingofage.com/2011/comic/book-1/06-yesterday-was-thursday/impressions/

          Of course, this is Robin, so she may have been lying through her teeth, even to herself.

    5. Slartibeast Button, BIA

      Years from now, Robin and Dorothy are the two presidential candidates. Joyce must agonize over supporting Dorothy or Robin, whose success is due to Becky’s masterful spin-doctoring.

      1. Deanatay

        Keener: Making The World Better

        DeSanto: Don’t Let Our Foods Touch

        Middle-aged Joyce: I luv Keener, but DeSanto has SUCH a powerful message…

        1. HeySo

          That just seems a bit too realistic in reflecting actual typical voting considerations, though. Remember, this is a fiction, it’s okay to stray from realism a bit. :/

      2. Lucy Gillam

        Can they just be NOW? Does the Constitution actually rule out fictional characters?

        1. Captain Button

          Snoopy ran for President in the 1960s.

        2. Marsh Maryrose

          And Wavy Gravy nominated Nobody for President in the 70s and 80s.

          Campaign slogan: “Nobody’s perfect!”

        3. Marsh Maryrose

          The US Constitution does appear to rule out fictional characters being eligible to assume office. But it doesn’t say anything about who can RUN for office. Famously, Deez Nuts registered with the FEC as a candidate in 2016.

          Among the 676 candidates currently registered with the FEC:

          Internet Beef
          President R19 Boddie
          Seymour Cats
          Suq Madiq
          Seven the Dog
          Sexy Vegan
          Kanye Deez Nutz West

        4. Inahc

          We had a Mrs Doubtfire in a recent local election here. 🙂

    6. Keulen

      As long as Robin’s paying Becky to do that (and not crappy waitress wages), I’d be ok with it.

    7. Joshua Kronengold

      It’s…what I predicted yesterday before Robin actually SHOWED UP (yay!), so…I’d be pleased, certainly.

      After all, Robin is kinda out of aides.

  4. Jade

    yikesaroni

  5. JetstreamGW

    Aw Robin, you of all people don’t get to get pissy about someone callously screwing with you 😀

    1. Megz

      That would imply that there’s some sort of hierarchy that allows people of a certain status to be pissy about a selections of topics. That’s not reality. We can all be pissy about whatever you want. It’s just no one else has to care if we’re pissy about something based on their opinion of us. So Robin can be pissy, we just don’t have to care.

      1. thejeff

        Not so much a hierarchy as hypocrisy. “Robin callously screws with people, so she doesn’t get to be pissy when people do it to her.”

        To be pedantic, nothing actually stops her, she’s just not morally justified.

      2. JetstreamGW

        https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/of%20all%20people

  6. Foxhack

    Yeaaaaaaaaah maybe hacking into the account of a congresswoman who has access to actual computer security nerds on your main phone was not a good idea.

    1. Regalli

      I think it’s still Robin’s phone that Robin gave her.

      Either way, hey, consequences!

      1. Foxhack

        In that case, said computer security nerds can figure out where the phone is. At least, according to TV shows.

        1. Dean

          They’re fiendish, those nerds! The way they sit in front of screens and explain things!

        2. Wizard

          Unless you’re completely out of range or the phone is turned off, the network always knows where it is. Otherwise, how could they route your calls? The precision of the location varies depending on several factors, but the general location of the phone is always known.

        3. Reltzik

          Most phones these days come equipped with GPS. This lets it do things like help emergency responders find you in case of emergency, draw a map to the nearest Starbucks, and help police track it down if it’s stolen by someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing.

      2. Needfuldoer

        Robin had her phone again after she left Leslie’s place.

        I always assumed Hank got Becky an inexpensive smartphone (say a year-old refurbished model) and added her as a line on the Browns’ family plan.

    2. Keulen

      I’m not sure she still has access to computer security nerds, unless Robin hired new campaign staff after she fired her previous staff.

      1. ktbear

        I assume Robin is still a member of congress, at least until the election? So, security nerds yes, re-election commitee not so much.

        1. Needfuldoer

          Even if Robin loses the election, her successor won’t be sworn in until January.

    3. Kabo

      I suspect this has nothing to do with Robin’s twitter account, and everything to do with Leslie.

      1. not someone else

        Yeah I mean if actual computer people (or even Robin) really cared about the account they could have… changed the Twitter password… or reported the phone lost and got it turned off… or any number of things by now.

      2. Reltzik

        I suspect Robin’s going to accuse Becky of stealing Leslie from her, while also maintaining that she’s totes straight.

    4. Sam

      I don’t think it is really considered ‘hacking’ when she literally changed the password to the account on Robin’s phone that Robin handed to her willingly with Twitter open on it. So she literally would just be logging into Robin’s account. Which is still wrong but it literally involved zero hacking.

      1. HeySo

        Social engineering is a long-standing component of hacking methods.
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_hacker#Security_exploits

  7. Schpoonman

    The faces in panels 4 and 5 are incredible.

    1. Schpoonman

      I keep giggling every time I see Becky’s face.

      1. Doctor_Who

        We sure that’s Becky, and she didn’t leave a Ditto behind as a decoy while she sneaks out the back?

        1. brionl

          That is the Ditto face she’s rockin’ there.

        2. Undrave

          Becky should have used Roar to scare Robin away and then make her escape!

        3. Thunder

          Or better yet, distract her by throwing a Leslie Doll.

  8. Opus the Poet

    Well she knows who Becky is, that’s a huge improvement over how she treats her employees. Don’t know if that’s good or bad.

    1. Opus the Poet

      And I can think of a better “lopsided Orange One” than Becky, but we don’t know if The Donald exists in the Dumbiverse.

      1. neeks

        I know opinions about Becky are mixed among the commentariat, but are you sure “better” is the word you’re looking for there?

        1. Axel

          I think they meant better fitting the description. otherwise yikes

      2. King Daniel

        Joe mentioned him once in reference to the existence of his ‘do’ list and Dorothy’s presidential ambitions, justifiably earning a “what the hell!?” reaction from the others.

      3. Ana Chronistic

        If there’s none in the Dumbiverse, it’s instantly a better one than ours

        EVEN if Soggies rule

    2. drs

      Becky just said “I’m Becky”.

      1. DrWattson

        Yeah, but it’s still Robin we’re talking about.

      2. Marsh Maryrose

        “And I can breathe in space!”

    3. GoblinScribe

      Oh my god, prediction: Robin is going to get it into her head to try to hire Becky as her new campaign manager and try to run to her opponent’s left. It will be a terrible plan but it is Robin’s audacious M.O.—and it ties in with Becky’s feelings about her paycheck.

  9. BBCC

    Oh, this promises HIJINKS. 😛

  10. Ana Chronistic

    ahahahahaha I would go with capitalism instead of dying hungry tho

    I mean, she’s not an ARTIST

    [inb4: my computer has ONE JOB, and that is to have internet access PRECISELY at MIDNIGHT, not to COMPLETELY DECIDE INTERNET IS INACCESSIBLE ONLY ON ITSELF]

    1. Dark

      Capitalism and a UBI aren’t mutually exclusive, my dude.

      1. neeks

        Somehow my brain immediately translated that into “upper body injury”, which to be fair is not any more mutually exclusive than a universal basic income.

      2. MatthewTheLucky

        Pretty sure they meant for the meme labels, not for a preferred lifestyle.

        1. Ana Chronistic

          Yeah shoulda added quotes

          Eh, what’s one more bad decision

    2. Marsh Maryrose

      If you aren’t going to create a ProComputerRights twitter account with a refutation of the bracketed text as a pinned tweet, then I will.

    3. Roborat

      Wow, 12:08? I am shocked, not used to seeing your post soooo far down the thread. It feels . . . wrong.

  11. Axel

    I thought this was Roz until I read the comments/tags, it makes more sense but also is more stressful now.

    1. poofdepoof

      same! I’m about the same level of stressed though

    2. Nono

      …I thought it was Riley.

      1. neeks

        Riley is waiting outside, picketing for Galasso to rebrand as Galasso’s Pizza (And Subs (And Breakfast Cereal)).

        But yes, I too had to check the tags. I think it’s the lack of the glasses she doesn’t actually need.

        1. Axel

          Roz wears glasses too though, right? I think it’s her hair that got me

        2. Sam

          They do wear the same type of glasses. And Robin’s hair has always looked like this I say while looking through older strips. BUT I TOO AT FIRST THOUGHT IT WAS ROZ.

        3. Axel

          I thought she had more slicked down hair for some reason. Also a narrower face maybe.

        4. Axel

          like this. Like Roborat said, it’s probably also the clothes.

          http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/04-it-all-returns/charter/

    3. Sunny

      Same here, I read the strip twice and wasn’t sure why Becky reacted like that to Roz. When I looked at the tags it clicked.

      1. Roborat

        You were not the only one. It was the lack of a power suit that threw me, I thought it was Roz as well.

  12. Stephen Bierce

    Hey Diddle Diddle the Cat and the Fiddle
    The Cow jumped over the Stars
    The ristorante got a new case of pickles
    And Robin took home twenty jars    –after Garrison Keillor

  13. drs

    Twist: Robin is here about Leslie, not Twitter.

    1. Slartibeast Button, BIA

      They must fight over Leslie’s affections?

    2. T Campbell

      l”CAN U GIVE LESLIE THIS VALENTINE GLUED TOGETHER FROM PICTURES OF ME AT THE ANTI-ABORTION RALLY WITH NATHAN PYLE”

  14. SUGauthor

    I have a sneaking suspicion she’s actually fine with what Becky’s been doing.

    1. DailyBrad

      Given last we saw her, she was kicked out of a lesbian’s house with no pants on, holding a lamp, I can’t imagine she’s been doing much to *hurt* Robin’s image with people.

      1. Lone Wolf

        Holy cheese, it’s been almost two real life years since the last time Robin’s shown up in the strip.

        1. thejeff

          So she finally got tired of waiting in the parking lot for her lesbian to come find her.

          She’s come to ask Becky what’s keeping Leslie.

        2. ValdVin

          “Lamp” is currently on assignment, waiting in the parking lot.

  15. poofdepoof

    before I read the tags I TOTALLY thought this was Roz whooops

    1. DailyBrad

      With her squinting her eyes, I can see where it’d be confusing.

    2. LeslieBean4shizzle

      Same.
      Glad it wasn’t just me.
      Also, for some reason, the hair made me think Roz.

  16. Kravis

    GENERAL KENOBI.

    1. Keulen

      You are a bold one.

  17. Rocketboy1313

    That is a strong last panel.
    Captures about 3-5 forms of anxiety.

  18. Tacos

    Plot twist: Robin is here to compliment Becky on her meme posts.

    1. Khyrin

      and will be providing Becky with back-pay.

  19. Adam Black

    Alt text , anyone.?

    1. Cholma

      Alt Text: * taps forehead * can’t be in a pickle if you serve them to someone else

      1. Marsh Maryrose

        Which, as anyone who has learned to code knows, is not true, because recursion. Or it would be true if we weren’t all just inside someone else’s dream.

  20. DarkoNeko

    dat meme tho

    1. 3oranges

      Given that she wasn’t allowed a cell phone not too long ago, Becky has done a great job figuring out memes.

  21. Kensou

    No tag for the distracted one himself? Somehow this meme offering feels incomplete.

    1. Felian

      but it’s drawn very close to the original image! I approve!

  22. Robbie

    Maybe she’s here to HIRE BECKY and pay her monies!!!

    I see I’m not the first to hope this.
    We are ever the optimists, the hopers of far flung hopes, the dreamers of impossible dreams

    1. Robbie

      Oh fudge, it’s ‘improbable dreams’

      1. Chris Phoenix

        But it’s “To dream the impossible dream / To fight the unbeatable foe…”

        1. Robbie

          Well, I was actually doing a slightly changed doctor who quote.

  23. poofdepoof

    btw, A+ recreation of that meme, Willis. Fun to see it in your style

  24. Opus the Poet

    I have just followed @repdesanto on Twitter. Just FYI to prove it’s a real account.

    1. Marsh Maryrose

      Holy crap! I never knew this account existed.

      Bonus: when I visit it, Twitter recommends that I follow @gtconway3d and @NunesAlt

  25. Lingo

    At first I thought Robin might be squinting because she forgot her glasses … then I remembered she only wears them to look smart.

    That t-shirt sure does make her look young!

    In other news, YAY ROBIN!

    1. Liquid Len

      Wxcept for the city name, that’s the shirt AOC wore in that dancing video

      1. Lingo

        Oh I didn’t realize that!

  26. Piotr W

    YESSSSSS! She’s back!!!!!! <3 <3 <3

  27. timemonkey

    She probably has no idea what Becky’s been doing and is just coming to talk to her because they sort of hot it off that time they talked.

  28. abysswatcher1993

    Robin: “I know what you did, Becky.”
    Becky: *Play dumb.* “Who is Becky?” *Not that dumb!*

    1. Kensou

      I’m here for an AU with Becky as Spider-Woman.

      1. abysswatcher1993

        Becky: “You know the story: was bitten by a spider, got powers, saved Indiana, married my girlfriend, got a cheap apartment and helped a politician be popular.”

        1. Deanatay

          “You know the story: Got bitten by a radioactive pig, got powers, saved New Pork City, got some fancy underwear, became a superhero.”

  29. newllend(henryvolt)

    Uh oh- https://imgur.com/a/QJ3WegR

    1. Schpoonman

      I should listen to Roundabout.

      1. Needfuldoer

        Yes, you should. Everyone should!

    2. newllend(henryvolt)

      I hope this one comes out clearer- https://imgur.com/a/kGl0vV0

      1. Newllend(henryvolt)

        Nope.

  30. Dr. T

    Why is Robin not in Washington trying to repair the damage to her GOP creds that holing up with a lesbian and getting kicked out of her house pantless?

    I honestly thought it was Roz and was confused about why she would be hot at Becky for screwing with her sister.

    1. Ellegos

      Follow up question: why hasn’t she reset her passwords?

      1. sultryglebe

        I’m assuming that is too technical for Robin; at least barring a massive sugar infusion.

      2. BenRG

        She probably doesn’t know how.

    2. Fart Captor

      Because her problem is in Indiana. It’s the Indiana GOP / voters she needs to win back over, not anyone in DC

    3. thejeff

      Because she’s Robin.

    4. Jaco

      I still think it’s Roz, even after seeing the tags and reading the comments…

  31. rachel

    Oh my god it’s been two years (less a month) since we’ve seen Robin! Good thing I’ve been going through the Shortpacked archives again, phew

  32. Yotomoe

    “Listen, red. All will be forgiven if you can hook me up with that hot blonde professor of yours.”

  33. BarerMender

    Robin may be a dingbat, but she’s also a professional politician in high office. No one to trifle with.

    1. Needfuldoer

      She’s one of 435 members of the House of Representatives, and one of nine from Indiana.

    2. Needfuldoer

      Specifically, if we followed real world districting she would represent the 9th congressional district, replacing Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R). (That’s where Bloomington falls.) The district isn’t as funny-shaped as the one she drew on the chalkboard that time, but it’s just as right-leaning.

      1. Keulen

        According to Wikipedia, the shape Robin drew in that strip is what that district looked like from 2003-2013.

        1. Needfuldoer

          Sliding timeline magic!

  34. TheKelliestKelly

    I don’t know if this is the best place to ask but

    I am a fool and missed out on the kickstarter because I was traveling and waiting on money. Will there be any way to get the magnets in the future?

    1. Bicycle Bill

      Last year Willis had left-overs and did put up a couple of magnet sets in his store, but I think one magnet from each of the “complete magnet power” sets was missing. You’ll have to see what happens this year.

      I think I did see a couple pop up on eBay once, so you may want to keep an eye on that site as well.

  35. BenRG

    Wow! Consequences are quick in Bloomington!

    A part of me wonders if something bizarre is about to happen like Becky getting a job as a policy adviser for Robin’s push to get elected as an Independent.

    1. Arianod

      One can only hope :3

    2. Eldritch Gentleman

      What would her position be? Chief Memer to the party?

      1. BenRG

        That is an important position, true. However, traditionally it has a more impressive title like ‘Undersecretary for Public Outreach’ or something like that.

        Just imagine Becky suddenly being catapulted into a $100k/year political career! The mind literally boggles!

        1. Eldritch Gentleman

          But it sounds Boring, let’s rename it Chief Memer or Supreme Shitposter. that alone will probably earn Robin plenty of support from the young generation.

          I think that the first phone call Becky would make would probably sound something like.
          “So you are saying that I can borrow that mechanical dinosaur from Jurrasic Park for how much per day?”

  36. Eldritch Gentleman

    Quick Becky, check under the table if she has a cat on her lap, if she does. RUN!

  37. Maggie

    I also thought that was Roz

    1. Eldritch Gentleman

      You thought it was Roz but it was actually Me! Robin!

      1. fire_daws

        It’s hard to tell you De Santos’ apart sometimes since, according to Roz at least, you breed like rabbits.

        1. Eldritch Gentleman

          At least Judy became a cop. The best De Santos did was to go into politics…

    2. ValdVin

      Doesn’t Roz actually wear her glasses to correct her vision, instead of Robin’s “Make me look smarter” specs?

  38. Catman

    Yay Robin!

    Your horribly selfish and because of this your politics are awful but I still like you!

    (please become a nice person)

    1. Bagge

      Signed, Leslie

  39. ozaline

    If Robin was real, and I was a citizen of the US she’d get my vote being being pro-UBI.

    1. ozaline

      Also if it was her real (fake) policy.

  40. AY

    I recognize she hasn’t done anything wrong just by showing up, but I’ve been holding onto this throwback for so long and waiting for Robin to return that I’m gonna jump the gun a little:
    https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/521936735244910594/565440945709907972/robin_no_why.jpg

  41. Shane Wegner

    Act cool. Maybe it’s a coincidence!

  42. Dean

    Robyn has no idea who Becky is, she’s just at Galasso’s for a small Cadbury Creme Egg pizza, with the Cadbury Creme Eggs picked off and put in a little bowl on the side.

  43. MatsuoTanuki

    https://youtu.be/_1ZySXYTIf0

  44. Reltzik

    Dum. Dum. DUMB!

  45. KSClaw

    Ruh oh

  46. FacelessDeviant

    Two memes in one comic?
    Madness!

  47. Bagge

    Gotta hand it to Robin – that was a EPIC entry

    1. Bagge

      To be fair, Robin is REALLY good at those

      http://www.dumbingofage.com/2011/comic/book-1/06-yesterday-was-thursday/impressions/

      1. Bagge

        http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-6/04-it-all-returns/charter/

        1. Bagge

          http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-7/01-glower-vacuum/teach/

        2. Bagge

          http://www.dumbingofage.com/2017/comic/book-7/03-the-thing-i-was-before/bullhonkey/

        3. Bagge

          http://www.dumbingofage.com/2016/comic/book-7/02-everything-youve-ever-wanted/morningafter/

  48. CJ

    Well, at least she didn’t die of exposure in that parking lot, waiting for Leslie to miraculously appear…

    1. BenRG

      Yeah, instead she’s in a mean mood for being dumped (in her own head at least) and guess who she’s about to take it out on?

  49. Delicious Taffy

    Becky drew that meme herself.

    1. DSL

      Does it count as a meme if you draw it yourself?

  50. AGV

    “I am the orange one
    Who burns just like the sun
    Next time we meet is your disaster…~?”

  51. BenRG

    Actually ‘Orange One’ sounds like the bizarre name a Silicon Valley billionaire would give to his private space mission to Mars or something.

  52. Zaxares

    *”Imperial Death March” starts playing*

  53. Holly Claire

    She’s gonna get hired as her social media manager. Cross your fingers for it, enable the gay.

  54. JediMB

    Ruh-roh, Recky!

  55. Solenoid

    Welcome to Galasso’s Yikes (and Yikes), and yes, you’re in a pickle.

  56. Josh Spicer

    *Spongebob Oof*

  57. kilgaen

    Here is where Becky gets hired to be Robin’s campaign manager.

    1. WikiDreamer

      I second this

  58. Keithcurtis

    Panel four _needs_ a dun-dun-DUNH! Sound effect.

  59. Vulcanodon

    She doesn’t look angry, just really, really tired.

  60. JBento

    And just like that, Becky shoots to number one in the “best faces list”

  61. ziggy78eog

    And the rest of the Restaurant goers were perplexed by the sound of a Mandolin, from seemingly nowhere.

  62. Cris

    So, Becky’s going to be a campaign manager!
    Hope that pays well!

  63. SpaceshipPilot

    “Orange One?” I’m getting Potter Puppet Pals flashbacks. Which was apparently ten years ago… I feel old.

  64. Calvsie

    Holy cat, two years since we have seen her! Welcome back robin!

  65. Smooti

    But what if it’s just Roz missing her glasses? She IS squinting pretty hard…

  66. CianM1301

    Panel 5: *MGS Alert sound effect*

  67. Roborat

    Hmm, looks like Becky bluescreened (orangescreened?). Good to see Robin finally managed to find her way out of that parking lot. Is the lamp sitting across from her at the table?

  68. Jimmy Joe III

    UBI is…a terrible idea. Even at the proposal of $1,000/month, for EVERY US citizen, that would cost 1k x 12 x 327.2 million = over 3.9 TRILLION. It’s a nice thought, but simply not possible nor practical.

    1. Captain Button

      “During FY2018, the federal government spent $4.11 trillion, up $127 billion or 3.2% vs. FY2017 spending of $3.99 trillion.” (Wikipedia)

      Consider that a UBI would replace a lot of the social service spending in that, as well as a lot of state and local social service spending.

      Plus make it taxable income so people with other income end up giving some of it back.

      1. Piotr W

        I consider myself centre-leftist (in the European sense) and I think that UBI is a bad idea. Not because of costs, but because it might discourage people from any kind of professional activity. I fear there might just be too many people who would happily take their UBIs and spend it on drinking all day…

        1. Swissaboo

          It doesn’t, and they don’t. This is something that has actually been experimented with and basically the only people who don’t work are new mothers and teenagers, and that’s a good thing!

        2. Piotr W

          I don’t know. Back here, our right-wing government has launched a social program called 500+. Basically, it’s a no-strings-attached bonus of 500 PLN given for every child (starting with the second one). And there are studies that show that, in the three years of this program’s existence, it has caused a decrease in professional activity of women. Basically, a non-insignificant amount of women (of various ages, not just young mothers) found it preferable to not work, if they can get a free 500 or 1000 PLN a month…

        3. RacingTurtle

          It’s addressed in-comic, but I don’t remember if we have an exact number. Mary thinks she’s 30, but could have been rounding up or down. I couldn’t find the relevant comic before I got tired of looking, but she did run for Congress pretty much as soon as she was eligible, which is age 25. She’s near the end of a two-year term, but I don’t know if it’s her first term. It might be her second or more. So Robin is ~27–30 years old.

        4. RacingTurtle

          Dammit, I accidentally clicked on the screen again right before posting my comment and moved it to the wrong place.

          Well, since I’m here…the 500+ program is not directly comparable to UBI because it is dependent on having children. Let’s use me for an example. I only want to have one kid. Under UBI I would have that kid, take time off when it’s young, then return to the workforce, because I am a terrible homemaker. Under 500+, I’d be more likely to listen to the folks who insist my kid needs a sibling (because there’s clearly an effort to build cultural pressure to have children, if your right-wing govt launched that plan), have that second kid, get my 500 PLN, and be out of the workforce longer because I’d also take time off for the second kid.

        5. Sam

          Hold on – you have literally said children are a requirement. Doesn’t it then make sense that the reason they are taking more time off professionally is because they can now afford to spend the time looking after their children? And the person above you did NOT say young mothers, they said NEW mothers as in, they have just had a child – which is something women can have for quite a while so would include quite a wide range of ages! So your case doesn’t actually disprove what they have said – the women taking more time off have to have 2+ children to qualify, and if they have just had a second child… well, then you have literally just collaborated their point that one of the types of people most likely to work less, is mothers! Who can now spend more time looking after their children personally instead of having to hire childcare.

          It doesn’t prove that it discourages women being professional. It proves it gives them the push to have a second child and that after having a second child, women would like to spend more time raising their child while they are young than pushing their career forward.

        6. TemperaryObsessor

          I like the idea of UBI partially because if we gave millionaires the same benefits as those out of work there would be no point where poor people are penalized for making too much money.

        7. Inahc

          Yeah. There’s this weird thing here where if you’re on any sort of unemployment pay, you have to pay back 100% of anything you make up to what they gave you. It seems weird to discourage people from making small amounts of money like that. I don’t understand why they don’t make it 50% or something so people have an incentive to take work. Unless maybe they want to discourage part time jobs? 0.o

        8. Secret foreigner

          Take Milton Friedmans idea of negative tax rates instead of welfare programs. Instead of getting money from the government, you get a deduction from the amount of tax you have to pay.

        9. MatthewTheLucky

          That doesn’t fulfill the same needs as UBI, though, it’s just a different way of framing graduated income tax.

    2. Inahc

      I did some rough math once and iirc, if all Canadian income tax was diverted to UBI, we could afford to give every single person something like 12k/year, which was enough for me to scrape by on as a student (not counting tuition or textbooks). Of course, I don’t know what that money is currently spent on or how much other money the government has from GST and property tax and so on… And also not everyone would take the money because social pressure… And we don’t know how many people currently making enough to be taxed would stop… So really, those studies showing it worked well where it was tested are probably more reliable :p

  69. Piotr W

    I have a question: do we know how old actually Robin is?

  70. RacingTurtle

    WOOOO ROBIN!!!
    She’s so awful in this universe, yet I cannot deny I am excited to see her nonetheless.

    1. fire_daws

      Fo’rizzle

  71. JohnInCA

    Oh yeah, that was a plot line for a while.

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