Total Equality
“What is your definition of Utopia?”
the detective asked the candidate as he inspected the vandalised
office front. Since the candidate was running on the platform of
creating utopia, he thought it might have a bearing on the case.
The detective was running a scan for
any residue that could pin-point the chemicals used to melt the large
transparent aluminum window. Nothing obvious had been used or it
would have been detected by the responding officers of the National
Benevolence Police.
“I think Utopia can be said to exist
when all humans are equal in all ways” the candidate answered while
picking up some cleared items off the floor.
The detective shook his head “How
would they ever be possible? Will the President and Congress get paid
the same wage as everyone else? Will they surrender their benefits?”
The candidate shook his head “In the
long-term”.
The detective just thought this guy
needed to read a history book. It won't work because it cannot work
because human beings are not inter-replaceable cogs in a machine. It
had been tried so many times throughout history and has never been
shown to truly work, even in small groups.
Even in voluntary communes there were
leaders who worked less and took more than a regular share. Plus they
held power that others did not have. That's not equality. In terms of
country it was much more pronounced and obvious. Leaders of
“egalitarian” societies skimming billions for themselves even as
their people struggle for food.
This is human nature. The very idea of
“Utopia” is against human nature. Without the violent suppression
of human nature and nature, it would never even get off the ground.
First you have to force it on people against their will, which
violates the stated ideals of nearly all egalitarians. Using force is
not peace, it is the opposite of peace. Even if you do this in the
name of “peace' or “equality” it just makes you a hypocrite.
All of the digital evidence scrubbed
from the online world was at his virtual fingertips and appeared on
his retinal display. There were social media posts, e-mails, phone
calls and forum posts between a small group of local high-school
students that might be suspects. One of these kids, Malcolm Joyner,
was the son of a chemist who probably knew how to concoct a formula
to melt the transparent aluminum.
Joyner was once arrested, last year,
but made a deal to avoid prison. He apparently tried to smuggle
banned food items into the school for profiteering motives.
“I think I might have found a suspect
but there needs to be more evidence before I can state that
officially” he said tapping in mid-air. “I can only think of one
place where enforced egalitarian even comes close to working, more or
less”
“Oh” the candidate said
absentmindedly, reading something on his own retinal display.
“Prison” the detective answered,
not really expecting a response “And the Warden and the guards are
not forced to abide by the same rules as everyone else. A real Utopia
on Earth is a prison I guess.”
Finally the candidate turned to look at
him “But the world isn't fair for some people. It should be fair to
all people”. “Fair” was not a very well-defined term in
politics and government. Why was it “fair” for one man who worked
hard to have half his income taken away and given to those who
refused to work.
Yes, they passed that law. If you
legally registered that working for a living was “offensive” you
could soon be receiving lifetime government benefits.
The detective tried not to laugh
“Reality is not fair. That doesn't mean we should withdraw from it
and hide in caves. It doesn't mean we ignore reality and fight
reality at every step and build a fictional world. That way will
require violent repression, it always does”
There were security cameras all over
the place and the detective tapped into these using his credentials
and was able to track Malcolm Joyner from his home to the vandalized
campaign office. He had brought several friends with him and they all
rode bicycles to avoid the traffic and traffic enforcement.
“Well, I have the suspect and his
associates” the detective said standing up and stretching “I
guess your new window will be delivered by tomorrow?”
“Yes” the candidate said “Have
you alerted the Benevolence Police about the suspect?”
The detective nodded, that was just
part of the job. This Malcolm Joyner youth was going to be arrested
within minutes for dissident activities, which came with heavy
penalties. You see, politicians had made themselves a higher class
than everyone else, if your office was attacked the perp would likely
be facing an easy vandalism charge.
These “egalitarians” really thought
they were better and smarter than everyone else and that they were
entitled to rule over everyone else. Thus: hypocrites, as the
detective saw it. True egalitarianism is an utter impossibility. Sort
of like taxing your way to prosperity or spending your way out of
debt or just filling up the shallow end of the pool.
Giving people the freedom to sink or
swim is much more likely to result in growing wealth than tying
anchors to everyone's legs to make it “equal”.
From the communes of early America to
the Soviet Union and North Korea the idea of “pure equality” has
been shown to be a farce. Real equality is setting the rules that
gave the best chance for the most people to succeed instead of tying
them all together so that nobody moves forward.
“What is the vandals name?” the
candidate finally thought to ask as the detective was leaving.
“Malcolm Joyner, 18” the detective
said “132 Cross Pines”
The candidate was a little stunned. “I
know that kid! He interned for me last summer. I knew he was too
smart. This is the kind of thing that happens when some are allowed
to be smarter than others, I have proposals for reforming education
because of this”
The detective left, shaking his head.
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