With eager politicians sensing an enticeable electorate, an ageless maternal mantra is being systematically extinguished.
“Life isn’t fair” is the frequent refrain. The challenge is that we each take turns dismantling the mantra. We say it isn’t fair, yet we act as if it should be. Therein lies the equity error. It’s rampant; it’s all over — amidst all demographics. Call it the fallacy of fairness…
During the 2008 presidential primary season, when attempting to discern the plausibility of a Barack Obama presidency, I was struck by Obama’s foreshadowing response to ABC moderator, Charlie Gibson. When Gibson asked why Obama desired to raise the capital gains tax when the lower tax rates advocated by both Bill Clinton and George Bush netted measurable, increased government revenue, Obama replied, “Well, Charlie, what I’ve said is that I would look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness.” At the time, I remember thinking that perhaps since Obama’s background is in law, his economic understanding was momentarily lesser.
Since that time, however, we have witnessed “fairness” manifest itself in proposed policy. Regardless of effectiveness — let me say that again — regardless of effectiveness — policy and advocacy are being promoted on the perception of fairness. That’s why this portrayed stab of equity is in error.
We discussed this briefly in regard to the Occupy Movement. The movement has a fairly firm — although initially incongruous — list of demands. Yet the bottom line of these clearly, disillusioned capitalists is that they believe happiness is their right; they have confused possessing happiness with pursuing it. Hence, in order to be happy — which they see possible through free housing, education, income, and medical care — they believe it’s appropriate to take from someone else. They believe it’s fair.
In France on Sunday, the French elected a new president, Francois Hollande. Hollande is a socialist. In fact, he intends to increase spending, borrowing, and taxes, even though the European nation is already deeply in debt. For those making in excess of $1.35 million annually, Hollande proposes taxing them at 75% (you read that correctly), as seizing the income of the wealthy is only fair. Socialism is another manifestation of the equity error; the government then serves as the discerner of fairness.
Since when do we have a right to that which belongs to someone else?
Income? Opportunity? Even inheritance? Should that which is someone else’s good fortune be shared with me?
Follow me briefly for a relevant side note…
My oldest son plays high school baseball. He does very well. 3 weeks ago I ran into into a fellow baseball parent in the check-out lane at the nearest grocery; our sons play on the same team. The parent enthusiastically shared with me that her son had been elevated to the next highest team at the high school. What was my reaction? Elation! Congratulations that their son was asked to play on a better team!
The reality is that in that moment, I had 2 possible ways of reacting: (1) looking at the situation from the perspective of how it affects their son; or (2) looking at it from the perspective of how it affects me.
When we look at life from “how it affects me,” we lose sight of reality. Their son’s progress, for example, had nothing to do with me; it had nothing to do with my son. Their son was rewarded. Excellent! I need to celebrate the success of their son as opposed to falling prey to comparing them to me. I need to celebrate the success of others as opposed to labeling them as “greedy,” “arrogant,” or even “opportunistic.”
In other words, fairness is irrelevant. But that’s hard to admit; it’s far easier to dismiss the maternal mantra of “life not being fair” than it is to wrestle with our own circumstances. “Equity” becomes bigger than reality.
Whether capital gains tax or high school baseball, the success of someone else need not be shared with you and me. Life’s not fair. My mother once told me that.
Respectfully,
AR