Running Out of Excuses

The Problem is Righteousness

Can we achieve income equality without forming a dictatorship, a socialist society, or a plundering government? Governments claim that income equality has always been sought out for by the people and I believe that the people are seeking something, but it is not necessarily this equality. They are desperately crying out for righteousness. Our mistake has been in that we have allowed hard hearted politicians take the responsibility of providing the answers to all sorts of injustices. This has caused the people to not be satisfied with the solutions the government has proposed and to, instead, seek out solutions themselves, but by the wrong means, like violence.

Even so, still the government claims that they need to intervene, specifically in taxing, to permit the establishment of income equality. Even though we might need the intervention of the government to bring us this sort of equality, the people that are running the government, today, will never be capable to accomplish those deeds. For they are people, and most people act in their own egocentric interests not caring for the rest. Therefore, what I am saying is that until we find leaders that walk in light, without hypocrisy, and undoubtedly work for the general public’s interest, even if (rhetorically or literally speaking) it means giving their own lives for them, I do believe that the “there shouldn’t be income inequality” excuse used by the government, is only to benefit the people running it and not give a single grain of sand about the people.

We can see this reality in all the socialist country leaders and how they keep their people in “income equality”. The leader is rotting in gold and the people can barely afford to eat beans and rice each day. Income equality in those nations takes or took the people to be really poor and less free and the distance in income gain between the richest (not counting government officials) and the poorest is not very far apart. Also, where governments run the welfare state economic system, the government officials are, very subtly, getting richer than the citizens through taxing. This all happens because of the desire of equality. (Something important to note, is that in freer countries, referring to nations where there is little government intervention in the handling of private property of the citizens, the GDP per capita among the poorest 10% differs about 11 times more from those in least free countries.)

Now, there is also the problem of the people’s heart and desires. Some want to win lots of money, more than their neighbor and be coveted or envied by others because of all the luxuries and riches they own.  Others want to live a good prosperous life, with all the commodities, and freedoms to obtain what they desire, if the poor are poor, yes, they will feel bad for them, but it is ultimately, not their problem. And there are the rest, which are very few, that desire no one to have any necessities, that all need may be covered and all may live in harmony with one another, helping each other out, and growing in neighborly love. Now governments might use this excuse, that they want this type of last mentioned society, but who can know the true intentions of their heart, but only God. Many people are fooled by such politicians; therefore, we have today’s society.

There is always this aroma of competition in the air surrounding the people, everyone wants to be the best and the richest. They are always trying to become like Bill Gates, who barely faced competition in the early years of his creations that help society. People are always trying to get rid of competition in various ways, some do it with intelligence, others with stupidities like stealing and spiritual rituals I will not describe, and the rest do it with plain brute force and threaten or kill the competition. I mean, if in a mere game known as soccer, competition sometimes gets out the worst of the “professional” players, and it is a “job” where if they win or lose they still get paid their salary, competition sometimes turns them violent, and as I said… it… is… a… game. How much more in the real life, where firms compete with one another and if they lose, they don’t win money. Competition, sooner or later brings out conflict between the competitors.

Also, almost all people in the world today and with all their heart would not want to work in a company that requires a high level of studies that pays the same salary of a cashier in a McDonalds. Nevertheless, very ironically, we still witness tremendous injustice in the difference of the salary between a football player and a janitor. One is paid a lot for tackling, running, and throwing a ball and the other is paid very little for keeping a building clean and hygienic. Which job is more indispensable? Which job requires a higher pay?

This takes me to the conclusion that what we need in income and in great many things, is justice. Justice, even though many say rhetorically that it is “blind”, I say that it has to see all angles and take them into account, for all are worth to be validated. If a janitor benefits society more than a football player for obvious reasons, why not pay him more than the football player? Some may say, “Yes, but the public prefers a football player more than a janitor.” well that is a problem in the people’s heart, we cannot blame it all in the government, even though they are to be taken as responsible for many things. However, who allows them to be in those positions? We need to make people conscious of this reality; that we need to choose the things that truly benefit us. Income inequality is not a problem, the problem lies within the knowledge and understanding of righteousness in all the people’s hearts, including government officials, for they too, are people.

In short, some people want income equality, but don’t know how to obtain it, for every time they have tried a tyrant comes and ruins things. This has caused others to not want income equality, but at the same time don’t want any competition and the free market, most of the time, works with competition. It is easier to kill, than to be innovative, and many prefer the easy paths. So, who can understand the people? Also, the government we have today is incapable of solving things, for it doesn’t care about righteousness and, even less, the people, they are only interested in their own ends.

Discrimination Excuse

Now many people may say, “Yes, but how about the unrighteousness committed to those who were not treated as equals and because of discrimination are poor.” Well I say that there is no such thing. Yes, maybe because of discrimination, your prosperity in a certain nation will have certain obstacles, but that doesn’t mean you are poor because of discrimination. In addition, people say that all the characteristics in different national groups that identify them as unique, are mere stereotypes and Asians are really not hard working fellows, good at technology, or disciplined when they immigrate to other nations and the differences in how the Japanese in America against Americans ended up, is because of the discrimination given to them. In this, it is assumed that in order for all discriminated groups to prosper economically, governmental action is required. Well, isn’t that interesting? I will give you examples of groups, who suffered discrimination and prospered.

In Southeast Asia the minority, in the mid-20^th century, were the Chinese. However, they owned 75% of the rice mills in the Philippines and owned about 80% to 90% of the rice mills in Thailand. The Chinese, even though discriminated in many parts of these locations in Asia, were capable to conduct 70% of the retail trade (selling by piece, not in quantity) in Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Malaysia. It is interesting to mention that in Malaysia the constitution of the country approved the discrimination towards the Chinese and even so, they were able to earn twice the income than Malaysians. That was some helpful Malaysian government action for the Chinese people, wasn’t it? Even though I think this is enough proof, I will provide more.

In World War II the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and this brought lots of discrimination towards the Japanese-Americans who were placed in “Relocation Camps”. However, by 1959 they equaled the whites in income and ten years later, Japanese-American families earned one third more than the average white family. This was achieved by the characteristics that identify this group. However people nowadays in mentioning any groups’ unique characteristics say that don’t exist, it is a wicked thing to mention them, and that they are caused by society. For example, Irish Americans drinking lots of whiskey.

Nevertheless, the characteristics that identify the Germans like family farming, craftsmanship, science, and technology have been German hallmarks in Germany, as well as in the United States, Brazil, Australia, Czechoslovakia, Chile, and many other places. And this is not only true in Germans, but also, in Chinese, Japanese, Irish, Hispanics, Jews, English people, and the rest of social groups transcend in their special characteristics in any given society they move to.

Now, is the solution to discrimination political? Well, the Irish that immigrated to America had a quick involvement in politics and yet they stayed behind in economic development of other groups that were not influential in politics as they were. The Irish began to truly prosper in America when Irish political machines were beginning to die out in the 20^th Century.  The Chinese prospered wherever they went, and they always evaded political involvement and also did the English, that were successful in Argentine economy and had almost no political involvement.

So, are statistical disparities caused by discrimination? The answer is no. There are other factors that influence in the economic development of discriminated groups. Such as the difference in age between one group and the other, one might be younger and therefore with more strength or abilities to produce. Cultural differences also count, for example, Hispanics marry at younger ages than Chinese and, therefore, are able to build less capital before they marry. Before marriage, Chinese gain capital and when they marry, they are able to sustain a family and keep their substantial economic growth. Not everything in a culture is convenient, therefore, in order to prosper we must revolutionize or reform ourselves.

Finally, there is also the problem with working women and working men. Many say that women are paid 75% less than men in doing the same work. Think again, this is illegal. In addition, if I were a businessman that was not a sexist and knew I could get the same amount of work done for 75% less than those of my sexist competitors, I would hire women to work for me and utterly destroy my competition. Most women do generate less income than men for the simple reason that they need a flexible job where they can manage their time in a way that allows them to be mothers. However, the same is not true when you place unmarried women or women that are single and without children to compete against unmarried men. The difference in income between these two practically doesn’t exist.

Discrimination is not a problem that requires government intervention to lift up the oppressed poor. Political involvement only lags behind the prosperity of specific groups. Those who have suffered discrimination and even political action against them have prospered abundantly. I believe that the problem here, more than anything, is cultural, because this includes a specific manner of thinking, speaking, and acting. Also, women that are mothers will obviously gain less income than men, unless, they would not want to care for their children. The government is running out of excuses.