Economic equality, from a different point of view
When I was in BMT, my sergeant always ordered the platoon to march everywhere, to the cookhouse, to the training area, back to bunk and to the terminal for booking out. Marching was easy and the platoon was always in line and tight.
However, when we were made to do fast marching or run down a lane, the platoon will always be extended. Some run faster, some slower. So eventually, the line gets so long. At times when we march quickly as an entire company, the company line can stretch up to 1 km.
Think of the stretch as equality. When the economy progresses slowly, there is less stretch, less inequality. But the team makes lesser progress together. We reach point A to point B slower than other teams. We are less competitive and the enemy might occupy the most strategic spots.
If we allow the fastest chaps in the platoon to run at their maximum potential, they can reach point B much faster. But the trade off is also clear. There will be a huge difference between the first and the last.
This is the dilemma. I believe for the best of the nation, we really need to let each "soldier" run at their maximum potential. Everyone makes progress. The slowest will be pushed to their personal best. But in the midst of this, some will be seen as much faster than the others. However, this could be the best outcome for the entire platoon.
Alex Lew
*The author blogs at http://www.alexlew.com