Leaning and a Question

For the last week or so I've been mulling over the role of government in relation to equality. I think many people (but not all) would agree that a government ought to promote equality, but I have been wondering what that means.

Should a government strive toward:
a) equal circumstance for all citizens, OR
b) equal treatment of all citizens, OR
c) something between

Economically, an example of (a) would be the bracketed income tax system used in the US. People who make more money pay more, people who make less money pay less. (Of course, numerous loopholes often defeat that basic premise.)

An example of (b) would be a flat rate income tax, like everyone pays $10,000 per year no matter how much they make.

And I guess the compromise between the two would be a flat percentage income tax, like everyone pays 17% of their salary.

My uninformed intuition is that the compromise is best, which is too bad. The other options are much more cut-and-dried and easier to apply universally.

Coincidentally, I took a little political quiz, via Jim. Here is my result...

You are a Social Liberal (73% permissive) and an... Economic Moderate (56% permissive) You are best described as a: Democrat Link: The Politics Test on OkCupid Free Online Dating

Theodor Geisel Cost Me Sleep

Kodomo no toki, the animated holiday special How the Grinch Stole Christmas enraptured me annually, even if I kinda liked the Grinch a little less when he mushed out at the end. But apparently one of his abilities barbed into my subconscious, deeply seated, waiting until last night to strike.

I had a dream in which rotund-yet-serpentine Santas would periodically slither out from behind a piece of furniture, gliding in S curves on their tummies across the floor and around a corner. And I would furrow my brow and point and ask others present, "There's another one; did you see that?" After several had slipped away, unobserved by all but myself, I finally spotted one heading directly toward me. I slumped to the floor, braced my foot on its shoulder, grasped its meaty arm, and stared down into the coal-black eyes of the Seussian Santa.

And that is how I awoke at 6:30am this morning. Thanks, Ted. Thanks ever so much.