Life is not like a bowl of cherries

I live in a cheaper neighborhood in an affluent suburb. Just down the street is an imaginary line that denotes an even more affluent suburb.  There are million dollar homes within walking distance. It is worth noting that a million dollars buys a lot of house here in low housing priced Indianapolis. A million dollar home here would be worth several millions in blue states.

So here is my question for you "Income Inequality" warriors. How does that homeowner who has a million dollar house and three cars in the garage affect my lifestyle or income? How is the fact that he relatively rich in comparison affect my ability to pay my electric bill? He did not get his wealth from robbing my checking account. His wife does not run up my credit card balance. It is not like there is a pile of limited cash down at the bank and he is rich because he had bigger fists than me.

Economics is not like a bowl of Halloween candy where you and I get a Smartie or mini Kit Kats because my neighbor got there first and grabbed up all of the full sized Milky Way and Snickers bars. That rich guy made choices that led to his wealth. He went to school. He had the brains or skill or luck to accumulate his wealth, but he did not earn that house, car, or boat at my expense.

The Democrats who are always moaning about income inequality seem to think that at some point we all lined up like grade school kids picking a kickball team where all of those on Suzy's team get to be wealthy and those on Tommy's will live in an inner-city crack house. I will not deny that some are born with more advantages, but we all have equal opportunity. Billy may have a silver spoon and mine may be plastic, but we both have a spoon. There are infinite spoons in the drawer and factories are making more every minute.

If my neighbor is grilling steak does that mean I have to cook chicken? If Trump, or Gates, or Buffett have more wealth than a small Central American country does that change my life at all? Does the fact my neighbor has a Land Rover mean I must have a a Ford?

Income Inequality is mere code for communism. It is the unfulfilled promise to the ignorant that you can have what that guy has if you just put me in charge. Income redistribution never makes us all rich, it just means we all live in misery. Envy should not be the basis of a political platform.