The banter is heard from the encampments of the Occupy movement to the halls of Congress and the White House: Society is not fair and economically people are not equal. Too few people make too much while too many others make too little. The left is obsessed these days with inequality. It is true that current socioeconomic trends are troubling, but the problem is the ideology of the left and the solution is the autonomy of the masses.

The major flaw with the current economic system is it has strayed too far from the founding principles. This is why people are upset today. It is not because the government is not involved in ensuring economic equality or fairness. It is a result of the government having its hand on the scale.

The current federal government structure puts too many barriers between people and the prosperity they know they can achieve. Big institutions favor the powerful by shielding them from the natural competition and regulations of the marketplace. These institutions stifle production and commerce with hundreds of thousands of regulation. Free commerce is what improves individuals’ economic status and closes the equality gap.

The left promises a utopian equality in return for their economic freedom. Their methods are not aimed at achieving increased equality through opportunity but rather through destruction, taking from some to give to others. When this inevitably fails, the left blames the most productive in society, calling them ‘greedy’ and ‘selfish’ rather than acknowledging that those on the left come from a flawed ideology.

The ultimate conclusion of the leftists is that they would rather have. As former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher put it: ‘The poor were poorer provided the rich were less rich.’ The effect of this not only hurts every individual in society, but also ensures economic malady and a dismal status quo where the only equality is in poverty.

When our forefathers ventured to the shores of America, most came to have the chance to prosper as free people in a free society, not for a government ensured social status. What people view as exceptional about the United States is it is a land that recognized people have a right to their lives and the rights that naturally stem from it.

Individuals had the liberty to live their lives and pursue their own self interests. Although the competing thought was present when our country was founded, our founders realized individuals are better off when they have the freedom to succeed or fail.

In a free society — inseparable from a free economy — economic inequality is present and acceptable because it is the natural result of free people making decisions. This is the freedom many enlightenment thinkers envisioned and our founders established. Some people do better than others; some produce more while some produce less.

A free economy is based on the principle of the voluntary exchange of goods and services. People are able to engage in transactions in their benefit without being coerced by an outside party. This process is fair because no outside institution interferes to pick winners and losers. It also ensures people succeed on their own merits and not by taking from others or manipulating government bodies.

There will never be a society that will be able to guarantee equal outcomes or equal opportunity for all people. This is simply not possible.

The attempts are generally well intentioned; but this is often an overvalued virtue. As an individual one must trust others to increase their own stock in life, but it must be ensured that individuals have the freedom to flourish and achieve their potential. No degree of freedom the population gives up will ensure equality; it will only ensure slavery to the state.

The late economist Milton Friedman may have said it best: ‘A society that puts equality before freedom will get neither. A society that puts freedom before equality will get a high degree of both.’

Patrick Mocete is senior political science and policy studies major. His column appears every Thursday. He can be reached at pdmocete@syr.edu.    

Published on February 1, 2012 at 12:00 pm