Challenging inequality myths

Think Monopoly

Regarding “Chasing equality” letter (Page A18, Sept. 1), the letter writer declares that “the goal … of progressives would be to make everyone perfectly equal in all respects which we know is impossible.” When an argument begins with such an obvious and self-serving straw-man argument, it is appropriate to largely discount what follows.

After more than 50 years of studying and teaching about income and wealth inequality at the university level, I have never encountered a liberal who aspires to make all people “perfectly equal” with respect to income or wealth.

The letter writer proceeds to repeat the popular fiction that differences in income and wealth reflect differences in intelligence, work ethic, ability to make smart decisions, etc. Liberals support inequality based on such variables. But such variables can’t explain why, among intelligent, hard-working people who make smart decisions, most are paid less for a year’s labor than some are paid for one hour.

As Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have pointed out, the top 1 percent in the U.S. now owns more wealth than the bottom 95 percent (see inequality.org as one of many sources for this fact). The idea that this 95 percent, who do the nation’s work, lack intelligence, a work ethic, or the ability to make smart decisions, is an idea worthy of derision.

And the letter writer suggests the biggest fiction of all — that we all “have the freedom to compete,” presumably on a level playing field. A more appropriate analogy is a game of Monopoly that has been in progress for several generations. Now that all of the properties are owned and have hotels on them, newcomers are invited to join the game. With each move they pay rent and go deeper into debt until it is a relief to draw the “Go Directly to Jail” card.

Donald M. Hayes, Houston