I am thinking of the Peter principle - the idea that everybody rises through the organization until they reach their level of incompetence. Want to know why the USA is in such a mess? Because far too many people have been put into positions where they are incompetent, so that they can be more equal.
The Declaration of Independence was written in a time when people did not have the knowledge we have today. For instance, it starts with "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Well, all men are not created equal, and nothing on earth will ever make them equal. Evolution proved that - species survive according to the best adapted to the environment. That is what a pecking order it is. It exists amongst every species on earth. Also, there isn't a creator. There is absolutely no proof that a creator exists - that's a belief, not a fact. So, um, lots of error there.
There are also no 'inalienable rights.' That's a piece of magical mumbo. Nobody is born with any rights. The only thing that exists is survival of the fittest. And, certainly, a government can do anything it likes to work against the laws of nature. It may even succeed in many ways, but the long term outcome is that Mother Nature always wins.
There is a vast difference in providing a solid infrastructure so that every body has access to enable them to survive to the best of their ability - roads, public transport, medical care, education, social welfare, clean water, chemical free food,, be able to vote, etc. and ensuring that someone who cannot walk is able to play in the NBA.
I'm sorry you missed what I was saying.
The problem is that in order to make everybody equal - which simply cannot be done - too many are now part of a belief system that simply because they want to be liked, admired. have the same level of power that a military general has, , be the gender they want to be, sing like Pavarotti, etc. then it should be given to them. If it doesn't come about, then it must be the government's fault, because their human rights have been infringed.
You say, "Democrats don’t *deny* a pecking order exists. They *reject* it as a basis for government. That’s a subtle but critical distinction."
So, of course, there is no reason then why Donald Trump shouldn't be president. His non-suitability for the position is of no consequence, because, of course, everybody should be equal. It doesn't matter if there are people more suitable than he is. What about George Santos? Why shouldn't he serve? He certainly wanted to be a politicians. His lack of suitability to do so shouldn't matter.
If everybody is equal, then everybody is capable of the most complex jobs, and it should make no difference as to whether they be appointed for a job or not. There can, then, be no reason why someone who is 3'6" shouldn't be allowed to play for the NBA. After all, government is there to make everybody equal - according to your view.
I think back to a case that I experienced in the US in my college days. There was a young lady from South Africa who wanted desperately to be singer. She went to class after class in the musical syllabus, and the professor kept failing her. She eventually asked him what she must do to pass the class. He told her that she didn't have what it took to be singer. She was really angry about that, because she believed that absolutely, she could be a singer. Everybody was equal, right?
So I suggested to her that she just go find a job in a nighclub to sing - to look for gigs. After all, everybody else did that. My late brother did. He got plenty of gigs. She never spoke to me again. I obviously hit a nerve. She had obviously tried and failed, and she was going to college in order to change that, so that she could learn to sing.
That has nothing to do with government. Government cannot fix that kind of thing. There is a natural pecking order. People who actually can sing get to the top. People who can't sing remain at the bottom.
Or beautiful women do get the man that is highly sought after, and ugly women don't (unless they have something to compensate). Young women do get gorgeous young men. Older women don't (unless you're Cher or someone like that, and you can compensate with mucho money.)
You said, "Democratic and democratic philosophy isn’t about making a blind attempt to equalize everyone’s circumstances or deny people their potential and existing advantages, it’s about nullifying unrelated, undue advantages, and thus achieving equalization of opportunities."
My point was that the left are doing exactly that - making a blind attempt to equalize everybody's circumstances. It now becomes the job of the State to make sure that everybody can be exactly what they want to be, regardless of whether they have the ability or not.
In other words, the left now considers it the job of the government to make sure that someone with a voice like a frog gets to sing in the state opera, or someone who is the height of Yoda plays in the NBA (after all, height should not be an issue - same opportunity given), and so on, and so forth.
Here's an example. "Since Lucero took over medical school admissions in June 2020, several of her colleagues have asked the same question. In interviews with the Free Beacon and complaints to UCLA officials, including investigators in the university's Discrimination Prevention Office, faculty members with firsthand knowledge of the admissions process say it has prioritized diversity over merit, resulting in progressively less qualified classes that are now struggling to succeed."
Every single person who was refused was refused because there were people that were better than they were - more suited to the course (read the entire article). The left is now trying to ensure that everybody who wants something gets it, regardless of whether they have the ability or not.
I am all for people being able to reach the level of their competence. I am all for people not starving, being able to fall back on social welfare, etc, of they are disabled, etc. I am all for buildings having access to all facilities.
However, that is not what I'm talking about, and I'm sorry that you missed that.
I just hope that the Dems don't lose to Trump, because it certainly looks that way. That's because, the way I read it, things have gone from a balanced position to an extreme one, and it's all because there is an attitude of entitlement that everybody must have everything they want in life - regardless of their ability and personal circumstances.
Pecking orders are only one examples of that. I simply used it as an example. There are many other reasons.
Again, I'm sorry you missed the point.
