Usain Bolt, Equality, Mises and Socialism

Ludwig von Mises begins his epic Human Action with the statement: "humans act".

All action has a meaning and a purpose.

Elsewhere, Mises states that humans aim to exchange their current predicament for a more favourable one.

So through Action, we constantly try to make ourselves better off.

This is why Usain Bolt trained for years - he was looking for a way out of his impoverished Jamaica. He has won 3 gold medals in the process. This is why children in the favelas of Brazil emulate Ronaldinho - they are trying to escape from their poverty.

Many socialists think that "material equality" is a universally desired goal. But they don't realise this concept is fundamentally flawed.

If we are all to have "equal material wealth", then what incentive is there to practice, to invest in education, to acquire skills, to work. Why should we act at all? The productive people don't work as the fruits of their labour will be taken away from them. The poor don't bother working either, as the government will provide for them.

The result? We are all equal. Equally poor. Everyone lives in ghettoes under socialism. The ideology can only collapse in on itself.