Freedom Beats Equality Poem by David Welch

It seems there's lots of talk these days
about finding equality,
but little talk of what that means,
at least it seems that way to me.
People with jealous intentions
so like to throw around that word,
use it to justify violence,
which is just patently absurd.
Use it to infringe on freedom,
to step on our natural rights,
thinking the word equality
justifies rioting and fights.

Now equality can be good,
like equality under law,
equal expectation of rights,
equal recognition of our flaws.
But if you go much beyond that
equality has little to say,
it's cliché, yes, it's so well known:
No two people are ever the same.
No equalness in how we're made,
and how that will impact our lives,
in fact, if we were truly ‘equal'
our species would not have survived.

An ‘equal' life would mean sameness,
same body, same instincts, same mind,
but reality is a shifting beast,
a way to destroy us it would find.
And when that day came we'd have no
alternatives to draw upon,
but different minds have different answers,
that's why we have made it this long.
Though this may mean we don't achieve
the same things in our everyday life,
it also means we can survive
the world's regular doses of strife.

To think more of equality
brings up some quite disturbing thoughts,
to be equal we'd have to do things
that go against all morals taught.
We'd have to scar up pretty folks
so they don't outshine the mundane,
injure the brains of clever souls
to not beat the dumb folk's metal game.
Then where would innovation come from,
if our smartest are just cut down,
we'd be equally poor and broken,
without aircraft, computers, or towns.

We'd have to make the productive
work less, or they'd beat the lazy,
and we'd have to pay them the same
in the name of this equality.
Would those hard workers keep working
if they got nothing for the stress?
Who would build all the things we need
if the competent gave up, did less?
Since the lazy will not rise up,
the productive must brought low,
all the tech and our food supply
would be amongst the first things to go.

We'd have to knee-cap the sports stars
so they'd equal an overweight dad,
then take our kindest citizens,
and torture them until they are bad.
We'd have to make dark skins lighter
so they could get their vitamin D,
then make the light skins much darker
to fight off cancer equally.
The creative must be made to suck
so the hacks can be on their level,
then round up strong, healthy people
and make them have kids with the feeble.

A recipe for dystopia,
like old Harrison Bergeron,
equality taken too far
is a symphony of the wrong.
The communists proved this quite well,
all their power could not make it work,
mankind is not made to be equal,
attempting it drives things berserk.
It is a far better idea
to try to make people more free,
this produces better effects
for the whole of society.

Freedom may mean different outcomes,
but as we've noted, that's a good thing,
and freedom gives people the chance
to change what their future might bring.
You can screw up, time after time,
and still be free to try again.
for those who do strive to improve
success can be around the bend.
Freedom lets the people decide
what they life is even about,
money, family, serving a god,
whatever greater good you tout.

Freedom means you can take a chance
with some expectation of reward,
without this we would just stagnate,
still be running around with swords.
In fact freedom plus incentive
is why we have advanced at all,
if you're not free to try and fail
then technology would've stalled.
If all folks had to be equal,
then why bother getting ahead?
Freedom to profit built this world,
there's wisdom in what Adam Smith said.

Freedom means you can say all things,
not be limited to one line,
can you imagine the boredom
if we said the same things all the time?
Freedom gives you the chance to find
your potential, you own unique path.
Equality is an imposed state,
deviate and you will face wrath.
What person would want to live like that?
Subject themselves to such a hell?
Freedom is the only way to
ever realize your unique self.

So I think that it is safe to say
to the egalitarian urge,
known that your goal cannot exist,
no matter how much jealousy yearns.
We are not made to be the same,
the outcomes will always be skewed,
and that all of these differences
are the price you pay to be you.
The Founders knew it long ago,
that freedom beats equality,
and that most folks who think otherwise
would just lead us to tyranny.
© 11 minutes ago philosophy • freedom •