Unfortunately, the author of this article, you and those three articles do NOT understand MMT, do not give it a fair hearing. First, Paul Buchheit identifying UBI with MMT is completely wrong. MMTers have been arguing against basic income for decades - probably more than anyone else! Your argument against it is basically right - and in accord with classical Marxist arguments (e.g. from Hilferding) against similar ideas - a UBI is either a pittance or it is very inflationary. And it would further enrich the already rich - which is why so many billionaires support it. The only way to control that would massive taxation, which defeats and changes the idea- UBI is a bait and switch - and if implemented would basically be old style Soviet Union State Socialism, with all its problems (and virtues). MMTers have the best thought out, most serious anti-inflation program of anybody. Based on the JG and on the very successful strategies in the UK & US during WWII. MMTer James Galbraith’s father of course being one of the most important theorist and practitioner of that successful anti-inflation.
The key MMT proposal is the Job Guarantee. A real right to work. Which Marx himself supported, declared was not compatible with capitalism, gave decisive power to the working class, was a giant step toward socialism. This policy, “pursued under capitalism” - turns “capitalism” into “not capitalism” - “builds socialism” to use a later expression. So belittling it that way is quite against the spirit of Marx. (See Class Struggles in France - a key but relatively unknown passage on le droit a travail- usually ignored or misread. But one that Engels 50 years later highlighted as the first expression of Marx’s mature economics.) As the JG firmly anchors labor time to the currency, it is not opposed to the Labour Theory of Value, but is the apotheosis of it. You description of “Socialism” is more what Marx deemed the later stage of “Communism”.
Randall Wray has answered the second URL, Doug Henwood’s article. I could go on for quite a while, but I’ll stop here. If one really reads MMT, one might find it, as I do, highly compatible with the work of Marx, which the MMTers count as one of their forebears.
