On equality

Why do we strive for equality? We say we want smaller wage gaps, equal pay, equal rights, equal privilege, equal opportunities.

But do you really want to be equal with everyone else?

The worldwide median family income is less than $10,000 per annum.

That would be ‘fair’.

But do you want your family to live on less than $10,000 per annum?

If you’re reading this on a computer, achieving that ‘fair’ wage will require YOU to give up a large chunk of your net worth (and a good few bedrooms in your house).

It will require giving up luxuries like WiFi, seaside holidays and good wine (the stuff that comes in a nice understated bottle).

It will require giving up retirement plans and financial security, and living hand to mouth.

Do you still want to be equal?

What is ‘fair’ anyway? 

Life is not fair. Far from it.

Life is extremely UNFAIR, naturally.

You can see this in the wild. Some plants and animals are simply at the bottom of the food chain. Others are at the top.

Likewise, some people are born uncommonly beautiful. Or smart. Or tall. Or strong. Or thin. Or in a nicer climate.

Or rich.

Others are less fortunate.

However, we don’t insist that beautiful people wear bags on their heads to hide their gifted looks.

We don’t insist great minds get penalised with a frontal lobotomy to even the playing field.

We don’t shorten tall people’s legs. Or break the legs of great athletes to make them just the same as the rest of us.

We don’t force everyone to live in the Sahara desert – so we can all endure the same crappy climate.

No.

We understand that there is no way to make these things fair and equal. Some people simply luck out.

Why then, when it comes to wealth, do we attempt to equalise the system at any absolute cost?

Why do we wish to penalise and punish the lucky in wealth?

Imagine if we applied the same forced equality principles to love… and forced all happy couples, the lucky in love, to break up their relationships to be equal to all the people broken homes…

Equality makes no sense if you have to take something from someone else to make it so.