Egalite

Equality is a troubled concept in American politics.  In a literal sense, Equality is the absence of differences.  However, such a concept is highly unappealing to me, and I suspect to the vast majority of Americans.  What then is meant when we idealize Equality? One clear interpretation is equality in opportunity. While this is never really achievable because only one person can be in any given place at a time, thereby limiting others from the opportunities open to them, the idea is to abolish social stratification and allow those with talent and with good work ethics to excel. The French rose up against the social stratification imposed upon them by King and Church. Similarly, while I believe that Capitalism is the most feasible economic system, social stratification based on capital should be abhorred. This is the threat that Karl Marx highlights and with which Capitalism will always struggle. Those who are successful accumulate capital, eventually to such an extent that those who might have a better product, greater talent, and exceptional work ethics are kept from competing because of the power of accumulated capital in the hands of the previously successful. Capital begins to operate purely as power, and those who accumulate it no longer need to earn their market share, but simply to keep others out. While I am not proposing any solution to this problem at this point, I merely mean to demonstrate the intended meaning of Equality - the destruction of any and all social stratification.

There are those who contend that Equality is meant to be understood in economic results. I sympathize with this impulse (especially since how can the down-trodden be said to have the same opportunities of the wealthy?), the problem is that such equality needs to be achieved through hard work and social improvement, not through shortcuts. Simply taking from the rich and giving to the poor so as to equalize economic results will not do. This approach tends to empower the undisciplined and irresponsible. Once they waste the power given them, economic equality demands a new redistribution of wealth so as to empower them once again. This is the approach of shortcuts, and what can be its end but economic devastation? To achieve true economic equality, it seems to me that the economic system must be so structured as to encourage hard work and innovative contribution, while at the same time destroying any tendencies toward social stratification. Finally, we would need public policies which encourage the development of healthy, responsible members of society, such as an adequate system of education which truly informs people about how to operate successfully in society and a social safety net which requires that those who are aided provide something of value back to society.