I’m sure people would have plenty of opinions about this economic idea — instead of a cumbersome safety net of Social Security and so forth, make sure everyone has a minimum income. They call it Universal Basic Income.

What interests me about it? If the story is accurate, then this is an idea that, within policy-wonk circles, can at least serve as a starting point for discussion. It’s an idea taken seriously by economists from divergent schools of thought.

But what happens when you take that idea into the mainstream media and cable punditocracy? “LIBERAL *%$!”

Not sure anyone will make any progress when our media — and society at large — are so hostile to ideas.