On Friday night, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders joined a discussion on Bill Maher’s Real Time show, and at one point, the exchange below happened:

On @billmaher @CNN Tonight, @SenSanders did not know the difference between equality and equity, and yet the federal govt spending billions of dollars on equity training right now in every single federal agency. If a U.S. Sen doesn’t know the diff why are we spending that $? pic.twitter.com/KAaUXjBUZB

— Brian Doherty (@BDOH) March 4, 2023

Sanders certainly has a reputation for being a hypocrite — you might recall that he ranted about taxing the “millionaires” until he became one, and then of course, the schtick evolved to “tax the billionaires!” Yet, his level of obliviousness really is something else. From Sanders’s own campaign website notating its “commitment” to DIE practices:

This campaign is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in hiring, in programming, and in all other aspects of the work we do. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are deeply connected to our mission, our success, and to serving the American people.

Sanders fails the pop quiz, utterly unable to intelligently differentiate between “equality” and “equity” despite explicitly signaling his support for the latter to score cheap political points; he is the perfect politician. What’s more though, Sanders identifies as an economic socialist, a philosophy that strives for a world of equity — in simpler terms, where everyone except the Soviet Stalin-type one percent starves equally. But now with his change of heart, he’s sounding rather…capitalistic. Creating a world where everyone has equal opportunities? Inevitably this will lead to different outcomes, but as Sanders quickly realizes, ensuring equal opportunities is the fairest approach a government can take. Handicapping high-achievers and innovative thinkers in the pursuit of equal outcomes is a disadvantage to all.

Furthermore, as noted in the tweet above, Sanders’s admission does raise a rather substantial question. If someone high-profile as Bernie Sanders, a man whose own website says he supports equity can’t even define the term, and when Sanders is presented with an accurate definition he voices his opposition; why in the world is our government confiscating our wealth and endlessly printing unbacked money to fund programs in pursuit of something that is apparently considered indefinable, impractical, and unfair by its own advocates? If someone who supports DIE doesn’t even think it’s a reasonable policy action as soon as he’s challenged, on what grounds should I be forced to pay for it?

Too bad DIE policies won’t just die….

Image: Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required.