Economic equality will never be possible because...

[Super Nova]

We have a great polly in the UK, Boris Johnson. have you hear of this guy. he is the current mayor of London.

I agree with his view on this point. Not everyone is equal and therefore not everyone will succeed.

Boris Johnson: some people are too stupid to get on in life

Natural differences between human beings will always mean that some will succeed and others will fail, the Mayor of London says in a speech.

Economic equality will never be possible because some people are too stupid to get ahead, Boris Johnson said on Wednesday night.

Natural differences between human beings will always mean that some will succeed and others will fail, the Mayor of London said in a speech.

Read Mr Johnson's speech at the Margaret Thatcher lecture in full here: Full text

Despite calling for more to be done to help talented people from poor backgrounds to advance — including state-funded places at private schools — Mr Johnson said some people would always find it easier to get ahead than others. “Whatever you may think of the value of IQ tests, it is surely relevant to a conversation about equality that as many as 16 per cent of our species have an IQ below 85, while about 2 per cent have an IQ above 130,” he said.

Addressing the Centre for Policy Studies in London, Mr Johnson suggested that economic inequality was useful because it encouraged people to work harder.

[Rorschach]

The point being????

[mantra]

We have a great polly in the UK, Boris Johnson. have you hear of this guy. he is the current mayor of London.

I agree with his view on this point. Not everyone is equal and therefore not everyone will succeed.

Boris Johnson: some people are too stupid to get on in life

Natural differences between human beings will always mean that some will succeed and others will fail, the Mayor of London says in a speech.


Economic equality will never be possible because some people are too stupid to get ahead, Boris Johnson said on Wednesday night.

Natural differences between human beings will always mean that some will succeed and others will fail, the Mayor of London said in a speech.

I don't agree. Sometimes the most stupid people are at the top of the pyramid and there are plenty of people who are intelligent but not prepared to sacrifice their integrity to become wealthy. To become wealthy you have to sell - products, people or ideas and for that you often have to lie. It also takes a certain type of person who wants to be part of the struggle to the top. It doesn't mean those who refuse to be part of it are stupid.

Read Mr Johnson's speech at the Margaret Thatcher lecture in full here: Full text

Despite calling for more to be done to help talented people from poor backgrounds to advance — including state-funded places at private schools — Mr Johnson said some people would always find it easier to get ahead than others. “Whatever you may think of the value of IQ tests, it is surely relevant to a conversation about equality that as many as 16 per cent of our species have an IQ below 85, while about 2 per cent have an IQ above 130,” he said.

The IQ bit is impossible to determine as not everyone sits for an IQ test.

Addressing the Centre for Policy Studies in London, Mr Johnson suggested that economic inequality was useful because it encouraged people to work harder.

He sounds like a fool and is probably a Tory.

[Rorschach]

He sounds like a fool and is probably a Tory.

Not that mantra is biased in any way...

[freediver]

He left out lazy. The idea that everyone should work equally hard and become equally wealthy is absurd. This is one of the most basics choices we make about our lives, and IMO has a greater impact than natural aptitude.

Two more points:

What he said about IQ scores is basically the definition of how the spread is calculated. It says nothing at all about the absolute variation in human intelligence. What he said would be true regardless of how narrow or broad the range is.

Economic equality can also mean whatever you want it to. Some define it as equal outcomes - ie communism/socialism. Some define it as equal opportunity - ie capitalism, right to education, equality before the law etc. Our reality will always differ from these simplifications.

[Super Nova]

He sounds like a fool and is probably a Tory.

Not that mantra is biased in any way...

He is a tory. A smart one.

Famous for putting his foot in it however he makes sense most of the time.

We need pollies that will tell it as they see it instead of just regurgitating the party line.

[Super Nova]

He left out lazy. The idea that everyone should work equally hard and become equally wealthy is absurd. This is one of the most basics choices we make about our lives, and IMO has a greater impact than natural aptitude.

I think it is true that working hard and smart together is the difference. It doesn't matter how smart you are if you do SFA you will end up with very little. I discount those born into money because they are just spending what a hardworking and smart relative accumulated.

The intelligence to save and invest along with hard working is the difference. If you earn a million and spend a million then the result is the same... zero so working hard on it's own doesn't make the difference. How the results of this work are invested is key.

A book called "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" explains this well.

If you have role models that save and invest you are also more likely to work your money smarter.

If you are stupid and lazy.... you will not succeed.
If you are smart and lazy... you may succeed if you can get others to do the work. that is investing and taking risk.
If you are stupid and hard working... you may succeed.
If you are smart and hard working the chances of success are pretty good, no matter what part of society you come from.

[Rorschach]

He sounds like a fool and is probably a Tory.

Not that mantra is biased in any way...

He is a tory. A smart one.

Famous for putting his foot in it however he makes sense most of the time.

We need pollies that will tell it as they see it instead of just regurgitating the party line.

I know he is I know quite a bit about him but it doesn't change my point about mantra and her bias one little bit now does it...
He reminds me a bit of Clive Palmer... maybe it's the hair.

[Rorschach]

He left out lazy. The idea that everyone should work equally hard and become equally wealthy is absurd. This is one of the most basics choices we make about our lives, and IMO has a greater impact than natural aptitude.

I think it is true that working hard and smart together is the difference. It doesn't matter how smart you are if you do SFA you will end up with very little. I discount those born into money because they are just spending what a hardworking and smart relative accumulated.

The intelligence to save and invest along with hard working is the difference. If you earn a million and spend a million then the result is the same... zero so working hard on it's own doesn't make the difference. How the results of this work are invested is key.

A book called "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" explains this well.

If you have role models that save and invest you are also more likely to work your money smarter.

If you are stupid and lazy.... you will not succeed.
If you are smart and lazy... you may succeed if you can get others to do the work. that is investing and taking risk.
If you are stupid and hard working... you may succeed.
If you are smart and hard working the chances of success are pretty good, no matter what part of society you come from.

That's bullshit you know.
Some people just have bad luck and circumstances that make life very difficult.
EG... You might be brilliant at your job and get laid off after say 30+ years of loyalty and exemplary performance where you worked. Your industry may be outsourcing everything or move to some low cost country o/s which limits or negates opportunities where you live. You may be over 50, extremely capable of many roles... yet find it extremely difficult to get any work especially full time work due to the casualisation of your country's workforce and ageism in the recruitment and HR sectors. You may have health issues that limit your capacity to do... say manual labour or are exacerbated by the financial difficulties of long term unemployment where you cannot afford supplements or medication which were keeping conditions under control.
None of that has anything to do with laziness or stupidity.

[freediver]

If you are smart, work hard, save your money and invest wisely you should be able to retire at 50. SN raised a good point. Many people seem to simply spend whatever they earn. They make themselves slaves to their job, and when they lose it, they are screwed. It's the same story, whether they earn a little or a lot.