The True Cost of Equality | Victor Davis Hanson 

It astounds me that tax payers are expected to pick up the tab for a degree in gender studies or green theology when the recipient won't have a job to go to and then because they can't get a job it's exploitation and these people expect to receive the same money as someone who studied engineering or medicine.

Exactly right. Never fails how the self-anointed ones and their cronies always end up with the finest material life has to offer while everyone else has to pay the price.

My job took me to all kinds of places; commercial, business, education, government... I'm reminded of a college professor I was talking to who was lamenting that the state not increase the funding of some program or another. He said that the university would have no choice but to raise tuition and/or fees. The idea of cost cutting or greater efficiency never entered his universe.

“One thing is clear: The Founding Fathers never intended a nation where citizens would pay nearly half of everything they earn to the government.”― Ron Paul

Finally! I love the thumbnail you used. This is how I've long described ultimate meaning of this picture. So many people don't get it. But if you've worked in an environment where equity is pushed (and understand that equity and equality are entirely different for these folks), then you see that they're not so much about helping those who struggle or who are left behind, for whatever reason, they're really ultimately about destroying those who prevail, who excel through grit, through integrity, through merit... three character traits that should be encouraged and championed but are toxic to the DEI folk. Thank you again for using that particular thumbnail.

The man has the most astute assessment of the world that I have ever seen.

VDH should be touring the world. A true voice of reason.

It occurs to me, carbon offsets are pretty much the same as indulgences sold by the Church...

“There’s some truth on both sides, but it’s not the truth” yes 🙌 I appreciate the honesty

For those who are confused, good idea to listen to these two great men. There are others out there, just not on legacy media. It is over for the merchants who manipulate.

Excellent analysis of the current situation in the western world .

VDH is a national treasure.

John Kerry, being the poster boy for endless flights but excusing it by using carbon credits.

Carbon offsets remind me of indulgences sold by the Medieval Catholic Church. The idea being that money can buy forgiveness from sin.

Spot on gentlemen - thanks for articulating so well what many are thinking

They just don’t like “the happy people”….. married/children/successful

Trouble is, this is equity of incompetence. We have this in aviation, where new commercial pilots are chosen on gender and race - yet some of them should not even be in command of a bicycle. This new cadre of first officers are now becoming captains, and they still should not be in charge of a bicycle. Luckily, I am now retired. It is you who will have to fly behind these equity captains. R

When quality is not a part of the equation “Equality” is meaningless and we will only be equal in stupidity, misery, and poverty.

This is the way this discussion should be held. Not by politicians going for a quick win. Bravo ! If only the masses would listen, and vote for better people in the government. This is a problem on both sides in my opinion.

Excellent.

3:46 should note, the $ 2 billion of property damage was that which was covered by insurance. The total figure is greater.

Blessings and appreciation from Sydney.

Thank you Victor Davis Hanson.

The real problem is diversity in the first place.

You Should give to Others because You desire to give-- It Shouldnt be " forced " upon you!

3:20 It now a "Let them eat BUGs" moment

Such a well balanced, thought out and insightful segment.

The Truth.....The Whole Truth.....& Nothing But The Truth....!! Thank You Sir...!

I have realized this man is brillaint.He speaks the Kings English.This man sounds amazing

Research by Thomas Sowell showed that simple geography has much to do with a person's fate in life. Travel in mountains is more difficult than near rivers and coastlines. So, people near water are exposed to more ideas and innovations by others than someone in the high country.

Anderson is so brilliant, Hanson perhaps even more so.

WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN OUR UNDOCUMENTED ''GUEST'' DEMAND NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION?

Gender studies in the 2023 version of an Art degree.. hahahahaha

Playing with fire indeed, especially with a population who owns guns, hence the attempts to take away guns

I'm an avid fan of both John Anderson and Victor Davis Hanson. Good to see them together. Where was this shot? A great location.

Why doesn't anyone on either side explain how a molecule with a molecular weight of 44 (CO2) accumulate in the atmosphere when a molecule with molecular weight of only 18 (H2O) can't?

How Many Tears Have Fallen Tears so many have fallen Through the years for the Greatest Nation ever Tears for life liberty the pursuit of happiness For a free world Tears for the sons and daughters that never returned home Warrior soldiers all Tears wiped from the cheeks of so many wives Shed by the children with only faint memories Tears behind the mother's veil On father's handkerchief Tears at the base of the white stone That wet the flowers and flags Tears at the sound of taps played in the distance For the memories of buddies Tears at the sight and sound of dog tags boots Empty Tears when the aircraft flyover Stars shining brightly Tears as the ships sail Anchors aweigh Tears for those that patrol Guard the dark nights alone Tears at roll call With no reply to a name called How many tears have fallen Bless Them All God Save America Dr. Sack 5/30/2021

Being moralistic means nothing without a standard. From "Both" sides.

"Fire in the Minds of Men" by Billington ( I think) ....a must read.

Political activists hanging banners, flying flags, demanding acceptance and obedience while trying to recruit youth to their cause has never been a problem before. Right?

People don’t normally talk about it, the essence of most, if not all, modern political debates is rooted in the tradeoff between equality and freedom. Victor’s point on “cost of equality” is spot on . But I’d rather hear him talk about the “cost of freedom”.

I consider myself a moderate and support guaranteed equal opportunity but not guaranteed equal outcomes. I think that is what Jefferson had in mind when he wrote "All men are created equal". I know it took us a long time to include black men and women in that promise but we did eventually move a great deal in that direction. The wonderful thing about America isn't that we're perfect but that we're capable of change. I do believe, as MLK said, "The moral arc of the universe bends toward justice". For that to happen though, concerned citizens have to continue to pull us toward our better angels. For America to achieve its potential we Americans must find ways to work together. We don't need to agree on everything but it would be useful to lower the temperature of our public debate and not think of those who disagree with us as our mortal enemies.

Most of those receiving college loan forgiveness will become loyal Democrats, if they aren't already.

"They are playing with fire." Profoundly true.

Equality, is a mediocre idea, for a mediocre people. Merit and a pursuit of excellence is preferable for all. Long live inequality.

And in these current times, where so many choose to binge on Netflix and X-Videos instead of working hard to accomplish something meaningful, no wonder the narrative that such people are not responsible for their own failures and that productive individuals ought to finance their self-indulgent habits is beyond appealing to so many.

I have seen people in the ghetto who need housing spend money on rims and a stereo for a rusted out car. Maybe it would be possible to somehow write a law requiring people to show proof of home ownership before purchasing fancy wheels and a stereo for an old car.

I get a lot of pleasure (sometimes anger) from watching this John. I never had any problem with you while in government, although I have been by nature and circumstance a natural Labor voter. Always suspicious of utopianists, and the urgency and extremism which it must entail. I wonder your position on the extremism of the Morrison government, and even previous Liberal governments, where even Malcolm Fraser turned against them, in their eyes. A valued and ethical man who showed great compassion and was never given his due as an elder statesman of the Liberal party. Where do you stand, for my belief is they must be cast into the desert to consider their profligate behaviours and singular sins against Australians and the best interests of our people, as opposed to the best interests of their mates? Mr Anderson, I am in total agreement with you on everything I have heard you say and concur with your wonderful choice of guests. Please John, how could a man such as Morrison or Abbot gain the leadership of a party, while I may have held less restrictive views than they, were decent and refined people with a wish for the welfare of all Australian's allowing a conversation not of smug ideologies but of the decorations around the edges and the inclusions on the invitations for a wedding (as it were) We were one, a united people till we became mordantly dismembered and the cash prizes were being divided among the upper echelons of the Parliament. I am terrified that logic and reason are becoming degraded and valueless, that being WOKE is somehow a mechanism for instant self-approval, and that folks are genuinely drawn to that, as the Germans fell under Hitlers spell. The invocation is self regarding, with no need for the acceptance of any school of thought. Where any disaffected misanthropic teen can lay claim to my home, merely by claiming it without evidence for, or against. I consider Bolte and Hamar among the great Liberal premiers of Victoria, loving and responsible men who allowed our state to thrive, without the neo-con palaver introduced by Kennet. A terrible time of great suffering for which we continue to pay, where we sold off the family jewels and our cooking vessels, and stoves, thereby becoming reliant on a take-away led economy/recovery The great depression (phycological in effect) he now works to alleviate without an apology. It allowed Julia Gillard to sell our Natural Gas to Japan at absurd rates, while we became the owners of absolutely nothing. (A statement that perhaps should be written on our currency at present?) May I please add at this point, that as well as my detestation of Marxism, etc, I have no sense of special entitlement or envy towards those with more. I am glad for my achievements, but displeased for having my lifes work stolen from me by a corrupted court system which gave everything to my X wife, a monstrous narcissist, who destroyed my 2 sons, and left me to look after their wellbeing and their violent rages at the age of 65. We have been slowly descending into the murk, never believing that the situation could be so bad. Once our moral compass and our ethical considerations are excised from our minds, we have built a leaky boat for the high seas. Can we be one on this score John?

The church is there to do what the State overlooks and ignores.

Liked for the thumbnail alone.

Those who seek absolute power should remember the end of people like Robespierre. As Britannica states:"Prior to the French Revolution's Reign of Terror (1793-94), France was governed by the National Convention. Power in this assembly was divided between the more moderate Girondins, who sought a constitutional monarchy and economic liberalism and favored spreading the Revolution throughout Europe by means of war, and the Montagnards, who preferred a policy of radical egalitarianism. By the spring of 1793, the war was going badly, and France found itself surrounded by hostile powers while counterrevolutionary insurrections were spreading outward from the Vendée. A combination of food scarcity and rising prices led to the overthrow of the Girondins and increased the popular support of the Montagnards, who created the Committee of Public Safety to deal with the various crises. On September 5, 1793, the Convention decreed that “terror is the order of the day” and resolved that opposition to the Revolution needed to be crushed and eliminated so that the Revolution could succeed." Robepierre took power in August 1792 and in July 1794 he too was executed as he had executed so many, by guillotine. He was thirty-six. Absolutel power doesn't last very long.

They don't want equality, where people have the same opportunities. They want equity, where everyone has the same outcome. The only thing they will be equal in the end is their misery.

Spot on!

These lunatics will take us into the trash heap of history if not stopped.

Right on point! Thank you for the interview!

There are numerous organizations with mottos/slogans such as “Feed the Children” or “Save the Children” or “Help a Child In Need”, etc. Approximately what percentage of those organizations do you think have the following three goals? 1: Tax parents until the parents can’t afford to feed clothe and education their own children (or at least abdicate their responsibilities to the government or some other organization), 2: Use that tax money to indoctrinate the children to believe that they “deserve” the lifestyle their parents created but without the dedication and long hours retired to produce more or better products or services, inventiveness, thrift, saving, investing in their own business or buying stock in other business that allowed their parents to achieve that lifestyle and 3: Persuade the children that the way to have what their parents have built is to take from their parents (and anyone else who have invested similar long hours and dedication to excellence) in the name of “diversity, equity and inclusion”.

A mojor problem with most political revolutions (particularly the communist/Marxist kind) is that people are placed in positions of authority/leadership because they are “true believers”, not because they are competent for the job at hand.)

Great work John! Scooby snacks for you and Dr. Hanson. My allegiance is to Liberty, the Repubic and Democracy.

i find it funny that its called greed when someone wants to keep the fruits of there own labor but not when someone wants to take it and give to someone else...

I tend to lean left but this is so true. A person who learned a trade and becomes a plumber, electrician, etc instead of going to college should not subsidize kids who decide to go to expensive elite schools to study theatre or sociology. Makes no sense. And worse, those kids then turn around and demonize people who choose different lifestyles and actually keep society running.

This already happened in history expropriation of property, equal salary for all, mandatory sharing of big appartments with strangers , food rationing, etc. It was 100 years ago in the Soviet Union. This lasted for 70 years then it all collapsed and went back to capitalism again, minus millions of people killed during "red terror" and Gulag time, lost territories, brain drain, capital flight.

They are not moralistic, their rules for thee and not for me comes from their sense of entitlement, their greed,and the fact that if what they do in the shadows were to come to light they would be convicted of terrible crimes. They are narcissist to the core.

“I don’t suppose I know history because I don’t think history matters, but history would tell them they’re playing with fire.” If history doesn’t matter, why are you using it as an example? Also, how would you know what history would tell people if you don’t study in depth?

"...not because he used drugs or ..." or even not because he just didn't have the great idea combined with the motivation to try combined with the willingness to take risk

Coveting another man's wealth is not only envy but greed and gluttony... For you would Covet, take, then leave them with nothing, then claim peity Like it was ur right to engage in such acts... Tis always human nature

Marie Anntionette probably did not say "let them eat cake" with contempt but from ignorance. She lived in a privileged wealthy world protected from the life of the peasants. It was a very unwise thing to say. Victor gives us a good example of twisting something to suit his agenda.

I’m reading comments here and I’m not sure people are paying close attention to the details. At around 3:50 he’s talking about the metrics of BLM protests and he says “14,000 people arrested and let go, 1,500 police officers.” That was it. 1500 police officers what? This 5 minute clip is filled with half baked thoughts. There are some ideas and evidence here that’s accurate and interesting to think about and consider but also really lacking. “I don’t know history cuz I don’t think it’s important, but here’s what history would tell people”. How do you know what history would say if you don’t know it and why would you use it as an argument if you don’t think it’s important. Half baked.

equity used to be about creating the same opportunity for everyone, by giving everyone a fair chance at the starting line! Like: give kids from poor families the resources they need so they can actually develop their potential. The original picture shows that: *nobody* gets cut down, the tall ones can be as tall as they want - the short one just gets a stool to stand on.

how come whenever anyone argues that everyone deserves to be treated equally they never try and argue that everyone should take an equal share of responsibility?

The link in the description is to the wrong VDH interview. That one was conducted over the internet.

The truth of this interview is when Anderson referenced “let them eat cake,” even though historians agree that Marie-Antoinette most likely never said that exact phrase and there’s actually no historical evidence that she said anything like it at all. This would be a minor thing, except he uses the quote to make a much larger point that is at the crux of his argument. But it’s based on a false foundation. The uninformed posing as intellectuals. Not that uncommon.

At some point all great empires met their demise. You are currently witnessing the demise of the great American empire..

Interesting thank You for sharing

"The phrase "Let them eat cake" is often attributed to Marie Antoinette, but there is no evidence that she ever uttered it, and it is now generally regarded as a journalistic cliché.[225] This phrase originally appeared in Book VI of the first part of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's autobiographical work Les Confessions, finished in 1767 and published in 1782: "Enfin Je me rappelai le pis-aller d'une grande Princesse à qui l'on disait que les paysans n'avaient pas de pain, et qui répondit: Qu'ils mangent de la brioche" ("Finally I recalled the stopgap solution of a great princess who was told that the peasants had no bread, and who responded: 'Let them eat brioche'"). Rousseau ascribes these words to a "great princess", but the purported writing date precedes Marie Antoinette's arrival in France. Some think that he invented it altogether.[226]" Old and grey; why so ill-informed? I knew this at least 30 years ago.

The only way to ensure equality of outcome is to take everything and leave everyone with nothing.

VDH Rocks.

The gifted cannot excel, and the mundane is elevated.

Every time Mr. VICTOR is on Fox News, I listen very closely to him...

I have one child who is a lot more successful than my other children. She studies harder, is more disciplined and responsible, despite her learning disability. So I guess the real reason for her success is that she's oppressing her siblings.

Truth

I want financial equity with the billionaire class.Capitalism is obviously a zero sum game,and since I don’t have what they have ,they must have stolen my billion.It’s inconceivable to me that my lack of expertise,knowledge and sloth could be the problem.

They could just take down the fence. But taking things away to solve the problem never occurs to people. We always have to add more.

This is the strangest form of evil I've ever seen.

If there will ever be real equality, then the prices on a steakhouse menu should be the same as a burger joint menu. It's food. Why should there be different prices?

I am so surprised that nobody discusses ecological issues using a time proven Pareto Principle, or the 80/20 rule, which states that for many phenomena 80% of the result comes from 20% of the effort. According to this rule, we have to start our ecological efforts from the highest end consumers because it is going to deliver massive results. So we have to start with pharmaceuticals and chemical industry, mining, massive production of cheap crumbly plastic and other synthetic disposable items, and all similar industries. Then at an individual level -royal family, private jets, etc. After we've done all of this and still not happy, then and only then can we address the average person. But while being ruthless with 20% of culprits, we can peacefully educate the rest of us to be more conscious in our daily operations.

People in the USA were protesting from May to November 2020. While the rest of the world were locked down due to the pandemic.

Where is this taking place? Hoover Institute?

@5:00 did you say $0.30 per Kilowatt?? In Hawaii we pay $0.50!!

There IS truth to both sides.

You are not Guaranteed Equally of out come . But we should all have the same opportunity at the starting line of life . Schools Food and Healthcare.

Equal rights good. Equity makes everyone poor except the ones that impose it.

Equality of opportunity = individual freedom Equality of outcome = government / corporate power

The Marie Antoinette metaphor is bogus because it never happened. It was made up many years after. They went after her because of a scandal over some jewelry that her opponents accused her of buying. But she never had even bought the jewelry. What happened to her was horribly unjust. Louis XVl, too, because he was not a tyrant. The people were reacting to the rule of his grandfather, Louis XlV, who was a tyrant. Irony is what history most often teaches us, if we learn it truly.

Climate change is real. Don’t care what solution we take as long as we act. Only the oil industry is upset with our minimizing carbon foot print. We are as a grass roots movement moving in the right direction. Wish I could say the same for politicians. Nice mahogany and leather lounge. Is this the ivory tower?

Equity is the equality of outcomes.

"Rule for thee but not for me". As long as I'm exempted is the motto that they all operate under.

The thing about that picture of the three people outside the ball game is that they're thieves. They want to watch the ball game but they don't want to pay.

Sound like Bernie Sanders, "I'm a socialist but I own three houses".

I’ve searched everywhere to find where Jones said that theft is not a crime and could not find it.

that picture in the thumbnail is what TRUE "equity" represents...its not about raising themselves up, its about bringing YOU down...