Tuesday, October 1, 2013

HUD's "Equality of Opportunity" in Housing Rule Destroys Actual Equality

Interestingly, the Star-Ledger's Linda Ocasio, the author of the editorial about the new HUD diversity rule I blogged about yesterday, posted this comment:

Thanks for your comments. This isn't about giving anything away. It is about providing equality of opportunity. It doesn't guarantee anything but a fair shot at buying or renting a place to live, and not being steered to other, less desirable areas because of your race or ethnicity.

Here is my reply:

Not about "giving anything away?" Who will foot the multi-billion dollar price tag for the "diversity maps?" Taxpayers. Where is my opportunity to decide if I want to support this scheme? Denied.  I consider this to be racist and grotesquely immoral. Too bad. My money will be seized against my will and conscience, denying me the opportunity to spend my money as I see fit.

Equality of opportunity doesn't exist in nature, which means opportunity can only be equalized by destroying the opportunity—the freedom—of others. "Equality of opportunity" is merely the flip side of the collectivistic "equality of outcome" coin.


There is only one just kind of equality; the opportunity accorded by individual liberty, which grows from the political principle of equal legal protection of inalienable individual rights to life, liberty, property, and voluntary trade. But there are no individual rights under any collectivist scheme, only tyranny.


If one actually wants to increase opportunity for everyone, one forgets about equality of opportunity. Instead, one increases liberty. The opportunities to increase liberty are all around us, as the rights-violations of the welfare state are manifest. Start dismantling the welfare state, beginning with HUD.


Related Reading:

Just Say "No" to Equality of Opportunity—Don Watkins

Related Viewing:

Should We Promote Equality of Opportunity Rather Than of Outcome?—Yaron Brook

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