"The drive for equality failed for a much more fundamental reason. It went against one of the most basic instincts of all human beings. In the words … - Milton Friedman

"The drive for equality failed for a much more fundamental reason. It went against one of the most basic instincts of all human beings. In the words of Adam Smith, "The uniform, constant, and uninterrupted effort of every man to better his condition"9 — and, one may add, the condition of his children and his children's children. Smith, of course, meant by "condition" not merely material well-being, though certainly that was one component. He had a much broader concept in mind, one that included all of the values by which men judge their success — in particular the kind of social values that gave rise to the outpouring of philanthropic activities in the nineteenth century."