It seems on reading the well thought of press in this country or watching and listening to the media, that our society is ruined by the terrible curse of inequality.
I'm not so sure about what the problem is.
Inequality is a natural result of freedom because free societies try not to interfere with people and allow them to make money by legitimate means. Think back to the world of China that people of my age remember.
No one could make any money. Everything was owned and controlled by the state. People were directed to work in certain industries by state employees.
The Soviet system was pretty much the same. No one owned anything of value, unless granted special permission by the state. No one could publish or say anything, unless state sanctioned officials passed it as in the interests of the state.
This is the world of North Korea right now. Everyone is equal - all equally impoverished. There were times when Soviet State Control and Chinese State Control brought about famine and mass starvation. Millions died in pursuit of 'equality of outcome. Of course, just as in Orwell's Animal Farm, some were exempted - the Party Hierarchy. They lived much better than the rest.
In a free world - in the USA for example, people make their own living and they create enterprises.
No once stops them, unless the enterprise is clearly illegal. Making Meth for example or distributing cocaine, of defrauding people in a Ponzi Scheme. If you want to set up a business, such as building and selling electric bicycles, as long as you act within the laws regulating such products, no one will stop you and you can enjoy the profits which result. You will be taxed, but in the USA, you will be taxed lightly, by comparison to some other jurisdictions, such as the one we live in.
The fact that some people may come up with fantastic inventions and ideas, and may seek out investment to develop them, can bring vast rewards when they are successful.
In some cases, freedom allows a brilliant idea to take the market by storm. Sam Altman came up with a ground breaking business idea. He is a vast billionaire. Elon Musk too has become a massively wealth individual. Nobody stepped in and prevented them from doing what they dreamed up. They employ many people, and they pay whatever taxes the jurisdictions they operate in require.
Who uses Amazon to buy things? I had two deliveries today. Why didn't I think of starting Amazon. What was I doing when Jeff Bezos invented Amazon in 1994? What were you doing then?
So Bezos is now vastly rich because he thought of a business which allows you mostly to order goods today that will be delivered to you tomorrow. What is wrong with that? How has he harmed us?
'Ah - but they are obscenely wealthy,' cry some with nothing to offer the world but their demands for welfare spending and free money to be paid to people who don't work and never had an idea in their lives other than 'Gimmie money for nothing!!'
Why should we listen to them? What have they invented? What business did they create? What special and remarkable craft have they learned that people will pay for?
Inequality is the natural result of people being free to run their own lives and create businesses. We are FAR better off where this can happen.
What we should be far more concerned about than equality of outcome is something else - equality of opportunity. People need a fair chance to be educated and no barriers should be put in their way. Whether they waste that chance is up to them. Whether they end up poor or rich is not the issue and we certainly should not be seeking to drag down those who work hard, have ideas and make businesses work.
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