It's somewhat of a stretch to compare capital income and UBI. The people receiving capital income today are reaping the benefits of their prior income that they had paid taxes for, and chosen to save instead of spend. This is qualitatively different from someone getting a no-strings-attached payment from the government.
I'm all in favor of UBI, but this doesn't sound like a valid argument.
Saying that rich people who earn money from people paying rent on houses/apartments that they own or investments paying back over time, is like saying that a farmer who planted the crop earlier in the year is "getting it for free" later.. I would agree if the UBI was equated to "my dad is super rich and I don't have to worry about money...". so those rich kids with no cares in the world, how do they usually turn out?
I've met a number of wealthy people in my life who never had to work and I wouldn't wish that life upon my enemies. I don't know how else to phrase it but having to work builds character.
That being said, I'm a fan of the idea behind a UBI.
Discussion from four days ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13303420
"The universal basic income — a cash payment made to every individual in the country — has been critiqued recently by some commentators. Among other things, these writers dislike the fact that a UBI would deliver individuals income in a way that is divorced from working. Such an income arrangement would, it is argued, lead to meaninglessness, social dysfunction, and resentment. One obvious problem with this analysis is that passive income — income divorced from work — already exists. It is called capital income. It flows out to various individuals in society in the form of interest, rents, and dividends. According to Piketty, Saez, and Zucman (PSZ), around 30% of all the income produced in the nation is paid out as capital income. "
Please don't overlook the more valid point: Simply uniformly distributing a portion of the passive interest on the wealth of the top 1% globally would suffice to eliminate the most brutal poverty worldwide.
"In 2015, according to PSZ, the richest 1% of people in America received 20.2% of all the income in the nation. Ten points of that 20.2% came from equity income, net interest, housing rents, and the capital component of mixed income. "
How can you possibly equate this to UBI? Everything listed here is money earned through risk/work. UBI is a free check from the government.