And Your Problem Is . . . ?

The Blight of Envy

One of the most offensive cultural traits of the city of Athens is the canker of envy which insidiously permeates and leavens all of its life. Envy is a truly destructive attitude of heart which poisons the mind, speech, and actions of anyone caught in it. When it becomes socially normative it incarcerates a community in poverty and degradation. It is the ultimate expression of an attitude which sees evil in others, rather than oneself, and which wallows in a deep pit of alleged victimisation.

Fearing the social hatred that envy produces, people prefer not to excel or succeed. When envy dominates a culture, the success of others is cursed. The envious take perverse pleasure in cutting others down to size. It is a price which many people prefer not to pay.

In New Zealand we have long heard of the "tall poppy syndrome". Those who succeed become targets of abusive criticism and a yearning desire to bring them down. We like poppies of all shapes and sizes, provided they are all the same. "Tall poppy syndrome" is just one manifestation of how much Athenian society is racked with envy.

Socialism is a particular political philosophy which glorifies and institutionalises envy, calling it just and good. Everyone should be the same. Egalitarianism is regarded as a positive social and economic virtue. When socialism is acceptable, envy is everywhere.

A recent example is provided by an article in the NZ Herald. The headline read: "We are Getting Richer, But the Gap is Widening." The retort ought to snap back: "And your problem is . . .?" However, when most people think a bit further they concede that there must be something inherently wrong or unjust with a situation where the gap between rich and poor in a society is growing, even though the lot of the poor is improving overall. It is envy which is whispering in the ear.

In Auckland, we are told, there are "rich" suburbs and "poor" suburbs. In the past period surveyed, the median income standards of the "rich suburbs" grew at a much faster rate than the "poor" suburbs, even though the "poor" suburbs median income has grown by 14 percent over the last fifteen years--in real terms. Ah, you say, that's got to be good. Oh, no. Why? Well, the median income in the "rich suburbs" grew by over 30 percent--more than twice the rate.

The late David Lange once infamously remarked that he would rather have no increase in living standards at all than a situation where the median income of the rich increased at a faster rate than that of the poor. To Lange, riddled with envy, this would mean that society was becoming more unjust. The perverse nature of envy is that it would rather cut the tall poppy down than aspire to be as tall. That is why it is such a destructive emotion and poisonous motivation.

For the past thirty years our political, economic, and social leaders have lamented the steady relative decline of New Zealand within the OECD. We have been urged to become a nation of entrepreneurs, innovators, risk-takers, creators, hard workers--and on, and on, ad nauseum. But these same leaders, out of the other side of their mouths, extol the rectitude of higher rates of taxation for the "rich", redistributive taxation, "rich prick" taxes, and so forth. All these forms of taxation are grounded in an "ethic" of envy.

So, over a million people, presumably with a desire to succeed and make progress, leave the country. Their voting feet tell us that they believe they will not be able to succeed in New Zealand. There are better opportunities elsewhere. But one has a sneaking suspicion that another motive is also at play. People realise that the price of success in New Zealand is too high. It will attract the excoriating judas-kiss of envy throughout the community.