Is “Inequality” The Great Divide?

Roderick Benns, owner and publisher of The Lindsay Advocate believes so but doesn’t define the term.

“Inequality is the basis for contentious issues … ”

This was Roderick’s opening statement in Benns Belief, his personal opinion page, in the August issue of The Lindsay Advocate. In his social and political circles, I don’t doubt that this is true, but in mine inequality is rarely mentioned. (Note: The August issue will be available online soon at The Lindsay Advocate).

In mine, it is a distrust of governments that has grown due to policies such as lockdowns, carbon taxes, inflation and vaccine mandates.  These policies ignored Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms which was passed into constitutional law in 1982 by Prime Minister Trudeau Sr. and 9 Premiers. The Charter defines the parameters and expectations for life in Canada’s version of democracy. The fact that our Charter rights could have been so readily ignored by public officials in recent years is the main topic of concern in my social and political circles.

Defining ‘inequality’ matters

By “inequality”, does Roderick mean ‘inequality of outcome’ or ‘inequality of opportunity’? Everyone is born unequal with respect to any characteristic or socio-economic circumstance you may wish to consider. “You can’t choose your parents” is an unfortunate fact.  It is possible, however, to make the best of your circumstances by the choices and efforts we each make. Roderick’s success with The Lindsay Advocate proves this to be true.

Life strategies differ from one person to the next.

Self-reliance is the one that requires hard work to leverage your god-given assets in order  to make a “good life” for yourself. Another is to leverage others through social and political lobbying in order to receive supports from the broader taxpaying communities. I chose the former in an era (I was born in 1951) when it was still a choice with a high probability for success. 

I agree with Roderick’s statement that today’s  “working class Canadians have grown up worse off than their parents”. Where we disagree is the root cause of this problem. Unfortunately, neither one of us will be able to fix it.