Fairness would require that the best qualified person would get the job, regardless of any factor that wouldn’t impact the quality of the work. It would also require educational availability for anyone willing to put in the effort to learn how to follow their dreams.
Some (Many) people today are trying to equate (or substitute) “Equality” with “Equity”.
Those people “promoting” Equity are often seeking to “get even” … and … those whom they have determined to have “done wrong” will never be able to do enough – so they will forever be expected to pay for their “sins”. (… and the “guilty” should forever be apologetic)
“Free people can treat each other justly, but they can’t make life fair. To get rid of the unfairness among individuals, you have to exercise power over them. The more fairness you want, the more power you need. Thus, all dreams of fairness become dreams of tyranny in the end.”
Equal opportunity is what should be important. Equality says to me “Equal Outcomes” and that is not what we want as a society, that tends to pull everyone down to the lowest common denominator, a blandness of everyone having the same low skills.
What our system has lost is the concept of contributing to the Common Good. To those to whom much is given, much is also expected.
Believe it or not, answering this question is what got John Forbes Nash Jr. the Nobel Prize for his contribution to game theory. (He’s the real-life person that the “A Beautiful Mind” movie was based on. Read the book; the movie is as big a fantasy as The Lord of the Rings, from the same year.) His theory says that when each player knows the strategies of the other players and no player has anything to gain by changing their own strategy, equilibrium (fairness) is achieved.
“Fair is whatever benefits me” is this kid in a nutshell. (This admission probably crosses the line from “he’s a misunderstood genius” to “its just a comic strip, and not meant to be taken literally” territory from his incessant apologists, though.)
Remember that the real point of Frazz, as a ‘comic’… is to MAKE US QUESTION OURSELVES! Not to trot out answers. I used to think I knew what “fair” meant. Now I see big gaping holes in each of my concepts. That’s… oddly… an improvement.
People who believe our legal system is fair usually haven’t spent much time in it. Do you think OJ Simpson would have walked if he were represented by an overburdened public defender rather than Johnny Cochran? You get the best justice your money can buy.
Frazz16 hrs · The third panel definitely belongs in gray, but now I’m wondering if I should have had the first panel in strictly black and white with the second panel in the daily comic strip version of hi-def technicolor.
Sheesh. Not only is everything more complicated than you think, time doesn’t always fix it.
Then again, in 24 hours I’ll be worrying if I got a totally different strip right and will have forgotten all about this one.
ChukLitl Premium Member almost 3 years ago
In a fair contest either side can win. Not true in court, where fair means the guilty go down & the innocent walk out.
Concretionist almost 3 years ago
At Caulfield’s age, “Do as you would be done by” isn’t all wrong.
fuzzbucket Premium Member almost 3 years ago
Fairness would require that the best qualified person would get the job, regardless of any factor that wouldn’t impact the quality of the work. It would also require educational availability for anyone willing to put in the effort to learn how to follow their dreams.
Doug K almost 3 years ago
Some (Many) people today are trying to equate (or substitute) “Equality” with “Equity”.
Those people “promoting” Equity are often seeking to “get even” … and … those whom they have determined to have “done wrong” will never be able to do enough – so they will forever be expected to pay for their “sins”. (… and the “guilty” should forever be apologetic)
Carl Premium Member almost 3 years ago
So do we peg Caulfield for politics, a CEO or a union boss?
matthew almost 3 years ago
Only thing in life that’s fair is the thing that comes to the county every fall.
Sanspareil almost 3 years ago
Fair is foul and foul is fair!
John Wiley Premium Member almost 3 years ago
“Free people can treat each other justly, but they can’t make life fair. To get rid of the unfairness among individuals, you have to exercise power over them. The more fairness you want, the more power you need. Thus, all dreams of fairness become dreams of tyranny in the end.”
— Andrew Klavan
Iseau almost 3 years ago
Fairness is what ever Nancy, Chuck and Joe want it to be.
Darwinskeeper almost 3 years ago
I didn’t know Caufield had an inner Karen.
Travis Harden almost 3 years ago
Like the third panel, it’s a grey area.
Bruce1253 almost 3 years ago
Equal opportunity is what should be important. Equality says to me “Equal Outcomes” and that is not what we want as a society, that tends to pull everyone down to the lowest common denominator, a blandness of everyone having the same low skills.
What our system has lost is the concept of contributing to the Common Good. To those to whom much is given, much is also expected.
sandpiper almost 3 years ago
In the beginning of this ark, Frazz said Fair is fortune or misfortune equally applied That’s as good an answer as any yet offered.
Bradley Walker almost 3 years ago
Just like Frazz, throwing shade…
scaeva Premium Member almost 3 years ago
No, that’s exactly where we are.
Ray Helvy Premium Member almost 3 years ago
Believe it or not, answering this question is what got John Forbes Nash Jr. the Nobel Prize for his contribution to game theory. (He’s the real-life person that the “A Beautiful Mind” movie was based on. Read the book; the movie is as big a fantasy as The Lord of the Rings, from the same year.) His theory says that when each player knows the strategies of the other players and no player has anything to gain by changing their own strategy, equilibrium (fairness) is achieved.
Ubermick almost 3 years ago
“Fair is whatever benefits me” is this kid in a nutshell. (This admission probably crosses the line from “he’s a misunderstood genius” to “its just a comic strip, and not meant to be taken literally” territory from his incessant apologists, though.)
roth45 almost 3 years ago
Remember that the real point of Frazz, as a ‘comic’… is to MAKE US QUESTION OURSELVES! Not to trot out answers. I used to think I knew what “fair” meant. Now I see big gaping holes in each of my concepts. That’s… oddly… an improvement.
ogsbury almost 3 years ago
I see we moved into a grey area by the last panel.
face.less_b almost 3 years ago
Everyone doing the best for themselves results in the the best for all is the philosophy of egoism. It is Adam Smith’s basis for capitalism.
face.less_b almost 3 years ago
People who believe our legal system is fair usually haven’t spent much time in it. Do you think OJ Simpson would have walked if he were represented by an overburdened public defender rather than Johnny Cochran? You get the best justice your money can buy.
Stephen Gilberg almost 3 years ago
“It isn’t that black and white.” And then the next panel is black and white.
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] almost 3 years ago
Jef Mallett’s Blog Posts
Frazz16 hrs · The third panel definitely belongs in gray, but now I’m wondering if I should have had the first panel in strictly black and white with the second panel in the daily comic strip version of hi-def technicolor.
Sheesh. Not only is everything more complicated than you think, time doesn’t always fix it.
Then again, in 24 hours I’ll be worrying if I got a totally different strip right and will have forgotten all about this one.