Unequal Opportunity Quotes

Human beings are born with different capacities. If they are free, they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free.

Discounting the ineffably repetitive homophobic barbs that I receive most days, Twitter trolls' most common gripe against me appears to be that I am 'posh.' Contrary to their unshakeable view, I was not born into the upstairs world.

Inequality is bad for everyone, not just the middle class and the poor.

I was not the son of a worker or lacking in material or social resources for a relatively comfortable existence; I could say I miraculously escaped wealth.

Women are completely disadvantaged - despite what men will say. It is not a fair fight.

I was an anomaly because my father was a Harvard man, and he came from a family of poor people.

When you're born you get a ticket to the freak show. When you're born in America, you get a front row seat.

Human development is a form of chronological unfairness, since late-comers are able to profit by the labors of their predecessors without paying the same price.

When we're unemployed, we're called lazy; when the whites are unemployed it's called a depression.

I grew up on the north side of Chicago, in West Rogers Park, an overwhelmingly Jewish neighborhood. When I was 13, my parents moved to Winnetka, Illinois, an upper class, WASPy suburb where Jews - as well as Blacks and Catholics - were unwelcome on many blocks. I suffered the spiritual equivalent of whiplash.

Gentility is what is left over from rich ancestors after the money is gone.

The poor generally follow behavior patterns established by the rich.

When only a minority consisting of capitalists can enjoy the good life, while the majority of workers must endure hardship, they will naturally not be able to live together in peace and harmony.

Success breeds inequality, and you don't want to choke off success.

We don't need to bring down the rich folk to help the poor.

We have two American flags always; one for the rich and one for the poor. When the rich fly it, it means that things are under control; when the poor fly it, it means danger, revolution.

See, the Black man gotta fly to get to something the white man can walk to.

The rich don’t want the poor to get ahead of them.

The latitude and longitudinal lines of where you are born determine your opportunity in life, and it's not equal. We may have been created equal, but we're not born equal. It's a lot to do with luck and you have to pass that on.

Fifty percent of our high schools do not even offer calculus—no one in those schools can take calculus.

The wealth disparity between the lowest and the highest continues to expand, and that's inappropriate.

Everyone should have the same opportunity, and in many areas that's not the case because programs are built around the elite.

The world has grown rich and refined, but chiefly by the efforts of those who themselves continue poor and ignorant.

The more you learn about everything, the more you learn that everything's fixed not in your favour.

Challengers do not have a level playing field.