Equality is to equity…

…as opportunity is to envy

Since I recently covered the “D” and “I” of DIE (the way DEI should be spelled), it’s time to discuss the “E” - equity. By now, everyone is likely familiar with the meme above. If not, take a good look. Proponents of equity (which is far different from equality) use this meme and others like it, as well as arguments along the same lines, to explain why equity is more important than equality. Perhaps you’ve seen the video Kamala Harris tweeted in 2020 regarding equality and equity. There are many problems inherent to the pursuit of equity as opposed to equality, as an attempt to achieve equity is invariably inequitable.

America was founded on the principle of equality, the proposition that all men are created equal - we all have equal intrinsic value, we all possess natural rights equally, we all are deserving of equal treatment under the law, we are all entitled to equal justice. As such, we are taught from childhood (at least I was) that we all also have equal opportunity. That said, we do not all have equal physical ability, equal intelligence, equal initiative. There are innate inequalities that exist from person to person, many (if not most) of which are beyond our control. This is life, and there is nothing fundamentally wrong with such inequalities. That those inequalities exist also tend to lead to different outcomes.

The person who has greater intelligence may be more successful in business or have a more rewarding career than the person of lesser intelligence. The person who has greater physical ability may be able to play sports professionally, while the person with lesser physical ability may be relegated to a desk job or more menial work. The person with more initiative may become a wealthy entrepreneur while the person with less initiative may spend his or her life earning an hourly wage. Again, there is nothing fundamentally or morally wrong with any of this - it is simply life.

The concept of equity, however, says this is unfair, that there should not exist any differences among us, that no one should be able to obtain employment from which anyone else is excluded, that no one should be rich while there are others who are poor, that no one should be homeless while others have roofs over their heads. This is the philosophy that conflates rights and privileges. The founding fathers did not see things this way. They believed we all had equal right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness - they did not believe the happiness we pursue was itself a right.

Equity apologists seek to use coercion to forcibly overcome the inequalities immanent to humanity. The result is inequitable for everyone. Look again at the meme above. While in the right pane, nothing has changed for the person in the middle, note that the person on the right is standing on two crates and the person on the left is now standing on none. He may still be able to see over the fence, but at what cost? Did he willingly give his crate away? Or was it taken from him? Proponents of equity don’t care how it came to be, just so long as it did. It doesn’t matter if the person on the left worked hard to earn his crate - the person on the right deserved it, because he was inherently disadvantaged, so in their minds, taking the crate from the person on the left, forcibly if necessary, who didn’t need it in order to see over the fence was justified. This is nothing more than theft, and it stems from nothing more than envy.

Imagine working 80 hours per week just to provide for your family, and someone says, “well, this other family has needs too, so you need to give up half of what you earned in order to provide for them.” Considering our current system, and the support being given to illegal immigrants and foreign powers, you shouldn’t even have to close your eyes - the reality of the statement itself should have pierced you. There is always going to be someone who needs something. Those who believe in equality would say that those needs should be met through volitional giving, either directly or through charitable or religious organizations. Those who believe in equity would say that those needs should be met by taking from those who have whether those who have give it willingly or unwillingly. This is the plight of the makers versus the takers as John Stossel describes in comparing Elizabeth Warren and Elon Musk.

Herein lies the difference between equality and equity. Under a system of equality, all are provided equal opportunity - opportunity to attend school, to work hard, to earn our way - it depends on merit. Under a system of equity, opportunity is eschewed in favor of envy - those who don’t have are taught that they deserve what others do have regardless of effort or ability - and quelling that envy depends on force. The application of this force leads to inequitable outcomes for all, as pictured in this modified version of the above meme:

Equity proponents propound wealth as a zero-sum game: “you do not have because this other person got your share.” Then, as with diversity and inclusion, it is used to manipulate: “if you join our group, or vote for our candidate, we will take back from that other person what should have been yours, and you will have what you deserve.” Except, that is not what happens.

In reality, the equity enterprise is just a repackaging of Marxist class warfare. It pits the have nots against the haves in an effort to take from the haves; thus, the haves are robbed of what they’ve earned, and the have nots still end up having not. In what world is that equitable?

Even the memes are flawed in that, despite the equality, equity, or even equity in reality, they overlook the injustice of any of them watching over the fence a ballgame that none of them paid to see. So another frame with a taller fence over which none of them can see could be labeled “justice,” since everyone inside the park has paid the price to see the game, and those trying to see over the fence have not.

Don’t be duped by those claiming capitalists are greedy and that they are not. While greed may drive capitalism, capitalism raises the standard of living for everyone. The envy, which is a form of misdirected greed, that drives equity enthusiasts is destructive to the standard of living for all but those at the top (like Elizabeth Warren) who foment this Marxist madness.