The Envy/Inequality Theory

envy

1. a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another's advantages, success, possessions, etc. 

(from Dictionary.com)

The problem with inequality is not a denial of human rights, but rather the source of inequality, envy.

This is because most discussion of inequality centers on income and/or wealth. It is easy to sit back and bash the wealthy, because we can always get someone to agree with us, since there is always somebody with more money than most. At its heart, this is nothing more than natural human envy.

If used for a topic of discussion, this is mostly harmless. But words do have consequences, and discussion topics tend to find their way into the ears of politicians who would use it for their own benefit. This is why envy is considered one of the "seven deadly sins", because it can be used by people as a cause for action. When used by the government's lethal force, it can turn a perfectly good free market system into something corrupt.

Democracy is called the "tyranny of the majority" for a good reason. All it takes is a simple majority to create any kind of evil action. Add a dose of envy, which is easy to find in most people, and voila! You have a progressive tax system! The problem with envy is that even politicians are susceptible to it. So they create lots of legal loopholes so that money can find a way to them. Long story short: Wealthy people send money to the politicians to create tax loopholes which the wealthy can use to avoid paying the taxes.

When money is considered the source of value in a culture, then those who have it will do whatever they can to keep it. (This is why "greed" is also one of the seven deadly sins.)

Basically, inequality is just a game of political "three-card Monte", where the politicians dupe the public and the wealthy stake the game. And since everyone is under the mistaken belief that government is honorable, we just let the game continue. And we wonder why the rich get richer?

There is a simple cure to this situation. Get inequality "cures" out of the government. They are the definition of "cures worse than the disease". Once that is done, we need to look at our own individual situation and ask: Are we happy with what we have? Most objective people will say "yes". If your answer is "no", then ask if you are working hard enough to make your life better in the short or long term? If your answer is "yes", maybe you need a little more patience? (It is one of the "seven cardinal virtues".)

On the other hand, if you can see an obvious pattern of circumstances actively at work to keep you down, then you need to change your circumstances. Using an "ism" (i.e. racism, sexism, etc.) as your excuse for failure is exactly that: An excuse. Using the government to force people to do what you want is no better than the wealthy man who bribes a politician for a tax break. (NOTE: I am not talking about forcing people to NOT infringe upon other people's rights.)

When we fail to recognize that government serves all of us, and not just "me", then we also fail to see how government can be turned against "me". All it takes is a simple majority of people to decide on a policy that "I" don't want, in order to take an equalizing policy and reverse it. Look! We have a progressive tax policy! (Disclaimer: With major tax breaks for the wealthy.)

If ever you need an example of how destructive envy really is, just look at America's income tax system.

By the way, if you think socialism holds some kind of cure, I refer you to the old Soviet Union. Instead of a money-based system, it was all about the power. People in power had the money and/or "material stuff", whereas the average people had barely enough to scrape by (China has only started to figure this out in recent years, but they still have a way to go). Replacing money with political power isn't a solution to inequality, or envy.

Ultimately, my point is this: If you see inequality in your situation, first look inside yourself for any signs of envy. If that is all it is, you need to move on to the next topic.