Fairness

“What the superior man seeks, is in himself; what the ordinary man seeks, is in others.” (Analects, bk. xv., c. xx.)

Barack Obama is about fairness. In regards to tax cuts helping the economy, "I believe we should institute not just because it would be good economic stimulus, but because it would be important for fairness in the economy".

Barack Obama is not talking about fairness in the "economy". He is talking about envy. He sells an illusion of fairness. He wants government employees to decide what is fair. Too much "fairness" is already in our politically correct society. It will be a dangerous precedent to give the government employees the power to decide what is fair.

Already our society has become obsessed with fairness, the product of envy, a deadly sin. The female tennis players who compete in the Wimbledon Tennis Championships receive the same prize money as the male players. The male players draw more ad revenue, and they must play five sets, while the females only have to play 3 sets. If the females had to compete with the males they would not even be in the top fifty, and would receive no recognition, let along top prize money.

The same "fairness" doctrine applies in the Boston Marathon. The top female runner wins the same amount in prize money as the top male runner, yet she cannot even compete with the top 100 male runners. The fastest female finished 13 minutes behind the fastest male, yet she collects the same "first place" prize money.

Another example of the interlopers' desire for "fairness" is California's payment method to drive on "freeways" with no tolls. People who buy expensive cars pay a license tax based on the value of the car. A person driving on a California freeway in a very expensive car will pay more than a person in an inexpensive car will pay for using the same freeway, no matter how many miles they drive. A person with an expensive car will pay much more in a license tax for the permission to drive, not for the miles driven, than a person with an inexpensive car.

If government employees have the power to determine what is fair in life, were will they stop? Will they determine that it is only fair if some ugly women get to marry rich men? Will they determine that it is only fair that short men get to play in the NBA. And will they determine that it is only fair that dumb students also get a good grade in school? I think they will, and I think they have.

Many schools and team sports do not keep scores. There are no winners and losers for those kids. Each team gets a trophy. Someday these kids will be voters who decide public policy. Their policies will be less competition because competition has losers. Losing hurts. Interlopers try to eliminate hurt. When using their power they become corrupt, and do more harm than they would if they stopped trying to micro manage 300 million U.S. lives.

We have been practicing fairness and equality for many years, ever since the State made polygamy illegal. The state decided it is only fair that weak men, who are failures, drug addicts, and idiots, should be allowed the opportunity to find a mate.

You may think you will benefit if the government employees decide what is fair. The first decision the government employees will make is that they have better working conditions and benefits than you have.

Charles Tolleson