Better, because corresponding to a near-universal clich´e:
Level Playing Field Tax
Shane Mage
"Thunderbolt steers all things...It consents and does not consent to be called Zeus."
Herakleitos of Ephesos
>'equal' opportunity considered cornerstone of - what does one call
>it - contemporary/modern/liberal/capitalist/political, heck, usually
>just democratic - in mainstream parlance - society, conservatives
>today even extol virtues of 'classlessness', meaning society in which
>individual effort not - obviously - as marx used term, one based on
>collective ownership...
>
>both liberals and conservatives express belief in equality beyond
>that which is 'formal', meaning status people ostensibly have
>either as humans (that natural law/rights thing) or in eyes of law
>(14th amendment equal protection/treatment thing in u.s.), neither
>of which address their 'opportunities, the circumstances in which
>they live and the chances/prospects available to them...
>
>equality of opportunity concerns initial conditions, starting point of
>folks' lives, consider use of sporting metaphors to convey sense of
>'equal start' in life or that life should be played on 'equal playing
>field', as such, concept of opportunity has ineqalitarian implications,
>equal opportunity advocates neither expect nor intend all runners to
>finish a race in line together simply because they left starting blocks
>at same time...
>
>indeed, 'equal start' ostensibly legitimizes unequal outcome, meaning
>that unequal performance is pared down to differences in ability,
>after all, premise/promise of equal opportunity comes down to
>opportunity to become unequal...
>
>what is called 'inheritance' - certainly beyond a particular level - violates
>principle of equal opportunity in that it allows inequalities bred by social
>circumtances (as, quite obviously, does poverty)...
>
>while both liberals and conservatives are hypocritical where equal
>opportunity is concerned (i'd curtail inheritance much more sharply than
>so-called 'estate' tax ever did with its imposition upon 1-2% of estates),
>concept is attractive in offering prospect of removing obstacles standing
>in way of individual development, a *right* that many/most people believe
>all should possess...
>
>in theory, both liberals and conservatives (and most folks, generally) accept/
>promote idea that careers should be open to talent, that promotion should
>be based on ability...
>
>of course, family is one of major obstacles to equal opportunity,
>'inheritance'
>(or lack thereoff) ensures that people do not have equal start in
>life, 'public'
>incursions into family is iffy in u.s. given 'sanctity' of family stuff, but
>'opportunity' tax is actually quite limited means of 'regulating' family life,
>involving little state intervention, posing little 'threat' to
>individual freedom...
>mh
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