Andrew Yang, 2020 Presidential Candidate, on The Freedom Dividend and the Future of America

On this episode of Unconventional Genius, I talk with Andrew Yang about The Freedom Dividend and the future of America. Andrew is an entrepreneur, author, and founder of Venture for America, a national entrepreneurship fellowship that has helped create over 3,000 jobs in major cities across the United States.

He is also running for president in 2020, with a key component of his platform being the creation of a universal basic income. During our conversation, Andrew shares his vision for the future and I ask questions submitted by the Unconventional Genius community through Facebook.

How the freedom dividend could help people

Andrew explains that his plan for providing a universal basic income, known as The Freedom Dividend, was born out of the inability of the U.S. job market to keep up with technology. He says that robots are taking jobs from people at an alarming rate and our ability to adapt hasn’t kept pace.

Rather than demotivating people to work, Andrew argues that The Freedom Dividend will provide a jumpstart to those working underpaying jobs. He also says it will give people the opportunity to save more. He believes that this solution is a more viable option than trying to retrain workers.

Getting to know Andrew Yang through your questions

During this episode, I do something I’ve never done before. I let you ask the questions. Listeners submitted questions for Andrew on Facebook. He tackles these challenging questions and shares his platform and ideologies.

Many of the questions submitted dealt with Andrew’s policy and platform. He is running as a Democrat with very different views and policies than the current administration. He says, “Our goal is to try to get (Trump) out of office as fast as possible while we still have a functional government.”

Andrew Yang’s proposed Presidential platform and policies

Andrew Yang is running for President because he believes he can unite the country and bring about positive change. He argues that he isn’t a lifetime politician, but rather an entrepreneur who understands business and the economy.

During our conversation, Andrew shares how he plans to fund The Freedom Dividend. One concern is that taxes might increase. How do you pay for everyone to get $1,000 a month? Listen to this episode to find out how he intends to pay for a universal basic income.

The plan to help people adapt to the future

Andrew proposes a radical shift in both mindset and action that he feels is critical for the country to move forward. His approach is formed from the belief that job creation will not outpace the massive impending job loss due to automation. Andrew discusses the ways he would address the nation’s challenges during this interview.

Can Andrew change the mindset of people quickly enough to adapt to the times? Andrew says, “That is the challenge. Things are changing very quickly. We have to rise to that challenge. If we fail in that, then we will witness the disintegration of our country.”

If you are with a consumer technology company planning to launch a new product at CES or are even looking ahead to CES 2019, the Max Borges Agency can help you succeed. To learn more, check out: www.maxborgesagency.com.

Topics Featured In This Episode

• [0:51] Introduction of 2020 Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang
• [2:00] Why Andrew Yang thinks that the job market can’t keep up with technology
• [5:21] Does the Freedom Dividend demotivate people to work hard and earn their own money?
• [7:04] Educating people to learn how to save money and adapt in a changing world
• [11:49] What is the singular change needed in the government in order to unite our country?
• [13:04] Andrew Yang talks about his for