Clarification: If justly and equally applied I would call it fair. Justice must be blind... blind to class/prosperity, ability, color, ethnicity, religious persuasion, age, sex, political affiliations... Otherwise it is neither fair or just. Better?
Quibble away. :) In today's climate nothing can be left to chance... to ambiguity. Justice has suffered too much.

What an honest Progressive (if you can find one) would say is that they really seek "normalization", where each person has privileges and rights adjusted for their abilities, so that the possibility of equal outcome is increased. Under such a system, the intellectually and/or physically gifted would at best be given no special "adjustments," and at worst would actually face handicapping. This is no fantasy, as affirmative action programs regarding admission to some state colleges make it more difficult for white and Asian students than black or Hispanic, under the assumption that such adjustment is "fair". This is creative Socialism of the most damaging order, reaching beyond the Communist goals of wealth-sharing. Normalization actually hurts society as a whole, depriving it of the creative power of the talented, and reducing the results to best achievable by the least gifted.

Sowell would have been in the Gulch, maybe as one of Dick McNamara's linemen. I seem to recall he had an econ professor who couldn't get tenure because he told the truth.

Each and every human brain has the potential of infinite productivity. Very few are born with a disability that inhibits their ability to take care of themselves. If we refused to subsidize the healthy brains that refuse to live up to their minimum potential we would have more than enough wealth to take care of each and every individual born with an actual disability for the rest of their lives in a comfortable and humane fashion. I simply do not accept the 'need' of welfare. It is a well known fact that Americans collectively give more to charity than any other group of people on the planet. If we could keep the 50% or so of our income we currently pay out in taxes and give, of our own free-will, to those who actually need help the world would be a much better place. I suppose that is very idealistic, but where would we be without ideals?

okay...I'll think of something.... loose scaffolding?

Agreed!

Go right ahead. Just compensate me for it. ;-)

Oh...I'm stealing that last line!

Hear, hear. Truth. The world is not fair. The law should be... redistribution is not.

It is utterly the most ridiculous claim that people are equal across the board. Humans have the honor only of being born. What happens after that is up the the individual to decide upon. There are plenty of people better than I am at math, but as an artist, I can hold my own. That's what is so mind blowing about our Constitution. It just says go and make the most of your life. It's up to each person to determine what that means. It's certainly NOT my responsibility to see that some schmuck, who can't be bothered to get off his ass to seek his own happiness, is somehow compensated in an equal way. Grrrr. There are smarter people, dumber people, more or less creative, and that is how the human race has moved forward since it first crawled out of the primordial ooze. Equality is false premise that has its roots in the very evil of socialism.