The Obsession with Income Inequality

The rage right now is to talk about income inequality. It is apparently the greatest problem facing the world. Possibly the greatest problem that will ever face the world. And if we don't take care if it immediately, we face imminent destruction.

Imminent.

Never mind income inequality has always existed and will always exist.

Never mind we are better off now than at any point in the history of mankind and that we will likely continue to see our standard of living rise.

Never mind that everyone's income has been growing. While some have been growing faster than others, that rising tide is lifting all boats.

So why is this such an obsession. Part of the answer surely lies in the fact that the economy has been stagnant for the past five years despite (or actually because of) all of President Obama's "fixes." They've got to try and change the subject somehow.

But I think it really goes deeper than that, especially since it is a subject that continually comes up and will always be a rallying cry for the far left.

The reality lies in the fact that the modern day leftist views himself as the cognitive elite. He sees his superior intellect and comes to the conclusion that, given his remarkableness, he should be making the most money out of everyone in the world. He is at the top and should be compensated accordingly.

But when he looks at the world, he is nowhere near the top of the income ladder. Those evil bankers and executives and anyone else with a bigger paycheck, who aren't nearly as smart as he is, make so much more. So he let's out the rallying cry of "Income Inequality" in order to try and drag them down.

Under the guise of trying to "level the playing field" and "fighting for the common man" lies the truth that each of these elites see themselves as better than everyone. They want to then drag down anyone above them in order to sit at the highest perch. It is much less about income inequality for those below them and so much more about the inequality they see above them. They would like to reach that height, but can only do so by trying to pull down anyone above.

The obsession with this inequality hurts, rather than helps. Rather than looking to lift others up, it seeks only to tear down those higher up. To paraphrase Tocqueville: Equality is a slogan based on envy. It signifies 'Nobody will occupy place higher than I.'