>If we want to be nervous, let's investigate inequality of net worth
And we should find ourselves completely at ease at the end of our investigation, for in every species success is distributed inequitably. Inequality of net worth is a natural law, and human society is no exception. And we need to keep very hard working people motivated to keep working very hard by ensuring them that they will always keep the lions share of their labour's products.
I think this argument would resonate with me if wealth was more meritocratic. My wife is from rural Iowa and I've learned that working hard doesn't guarantee you a living wage (especially if you have medical bills).
I don't really think striving for total equality is necessary, but the number of people I see begging for change every morning suggests to me we've taken this to a pathological extreme.
The connection between hard work and wealth is also rather more attenuated than your simple ideal suggests.
> we need to keep very hard working people motivated to keep working very hard by ensuring them that they will always keep the lions share of their labour's products
I'd love to agree with you and rewarding work is very important, but in our current society outcomes seem mostly determined by starting conditions.
People born into poor household that cannot offer good parenting & education are expected to "work way harder" to achieve a similarly happy life than people who spawned lucky. That's fine to some degree, but should be kept under control. Once enough people feel the system isn't fair and rigged against them will they burn it to the ground.
> And we need to keep very hard working people motivated to keep working very hard by ensuring them that they will always keep the lions share of their labour's products.
you're joking with this part, amiright?
don't you think "very hard working people" receive more like the vulture's share, only after the lions have fully fed?
"And we need to keep very hard working people motivated to keep working very hard by ensuring them that they will always keep the lions share of their labour's products."
And we should find ourselves completely at ease at the end of our investigation, for in every species success is distributed inequitably. Inequality of net worth is a natural law, and human society is no exception. And we need to keep very hard working people motivated to keep working very hard by ensuring them that they will always keep the lions share of their labour's products.