There is a strange moral poetry in the idea of Universal Basic Income. It promises freedom without effort, equality without envy, and dignity without duty. In a world fatigued by inequality and automation, where economic systems seem increasingly heartless and unstable, UBI sounds like salvation — a humane redistribution of abundance. Who could oppose such compassion? But beneath its benevolent veneer lies an insidious bargain: to trade liberty for lethargy, meaning for maintenance, and human striving for state-sponsored sedation. Universal Basic Income is not progress — it is moral regression disguised as mercy. It whispers the oldest and most seductive lie of civilization: that people can be made happy without earning it.