LEXLOCI
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Equality means sameness and uniformity; less emphasis upon the individual and more on the good of the group or whole, an equality of rights, justice, political representation, access to health and education, parity of wages and living standards. This kind of uniformity can only be produced by central authority such as government, as the imposition of rules, regulations, and laws that promote social equality. The original intent and emphasis of Communism was and is, where it still exists, to promote human social and economic equality by regulation through the state, of the uniform standardization of equal wages regardless of profession, an equality of access and quality of education, health and child care, property, standard of living and quality of life and to eliminate the social classes. The appeal of communism was such that it was the largest planetary social movement in history, with a majority of people on the planet under some kind of communist government. However an equality of economic and social relations has proved to only become possible by means of violent revolution. And communist societies while producing a greater degree of equality as compared to capitalist democracies, on the other hand possess a fundamental contradiction which has been the unequal distinction between the factions that fight for, put in place and enforce governmental mechanisms of equality and the greater population at large.
A distinction is made between political and economic equality. Democracy is generally represented to mean the ideal of political equality, or that in theory every individual is supposed to have an equality of political representation. Political equality means government by the people wherein an equity of representation of the perspectives of each individual is reflected and promoted by elected representatives. However by the propensities of capitalist democracy where the selection of political representatives is by the private solicitation of money from private donors and political parties, those political candidates who are supported by the rich and have the most money, tend to have the best chance of political success. In theory there is the ideal of a democracy of ideas and political platforms, but where money is the means of promotion, then this ideal is a fallacy.
The ideals of equality are more than an equity of political representation, but an equality of opportunity, possessions, freedom and accordant feelings of respect and integrity. However if the ideals of equity are based upon the amount of money and possessions one has, then it can be said that in a capitalistic economic system, the ideal of social equality is a complete and total travesty. And there is nothing democratic in terms of social equity in capitalist free enterprise democracy. What the individual is capable of in a material sense, as what one possesses, how one lives, where one can go and what one can do is all determined by money in capitalist societies.
EQUALITY & FREEDOM (2 OF 5)
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