In defence of equality
Everyone talks about equality and opportunities to reach a better life for everyone, and reduce social and economic disparities in our societies. In short, everyone would have the same opportunities to pursue their dreams in a fair and free competition based on personal talents. But is it possible to provide opportunities for everyone? What if it were possible?
If the universe changed its configuration, or a “bug” within the capitalist system allowed us to create an apparatus to turn over our societies, and everyone had supportive families, access to quality education, and safe, comfortable places to live?
Today, we see people around the world living in poor countries, surviving under dire social and economic conditions. In a country of two hundred million people, where seventy percent live in poverty, that is one hundred and forty million individuals. Now imagine that just one percent of them were geniuses – people with exceptional minds, living without access to proper education or opportunity to improve their abilities. If these individuals have a chance to compete on similar conditions with the privileged, who are protected from such reality, would the privileged still preach their ideal of free competition? It is comfortable to talk about a life-or-death battle when a few competitors have skills and others have minimal conditions to compete, isn’t it?
This is the paradox of the mantra – “freedom to be what you want to be” -spoken by those who have the best opportunities and skills to stand out in life. It is like the lucky one saying, “I’m a winner”. There is no comparison when people experience different life stories.
What’s more, some doors open for those whose skin colour, gender, or social conditions aligned with a certain social status. In societies where racism and other issues divide people and nations, doors don’t open easily for some. Certain groups are labelled as “incapable” or “losers” and are seen with prejudice. Real life is a challenge for the majority.
The world would be friendly if equality were a universal right. In a certain way, inequality reacts like nature when we ignore it: it takes revenge. Inequality reacts with insecurity, violence and social disorder.
If genius doesn’t choose skin colour, social conditions, or gender, then we are losing knowledge and progress that could improve our world when we ignore those who live under bad social conditions. Let’s imagine that among those who praise competition, one of them gets an incurable disease. And among those who are starving without opportunities, there might be someone capable of finding the cure. We can imagine inhumanity taking revenge, can’t we?
In the end, equality is a nightmare for some, and inequality is a nightmare for everyone.
Photo from: Foto de Tim Mossholder na Unsplash
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