“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” –The Declaration of Independence.

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” – George Orwell, Animal Farm

How do Nancy Pelosi and Lori Lightfoot get their hair done in the middle of a pandemic when the hair salons are closed? How does Lightfoot, a few months later, go outside to a massive gathering of celebrating Biden supporters? How does Gavin Newsome go to a swanky restaurant to attend a party for a friend with more than the prescribed number of people? Why do the leaders of socialists nations live like kings, even if their people are starving? The Left is apparently rife with hypocrisy, but from their twisted point of view they are acting with complete integrity. When the normal person calls them hypocrites, that is from the perspective of well, a normal person in our society, where “All men are created equal”. Problem is, they don’t consider themselves ‘normal’, and position themselves in their self-made hierarchy above us. In their minds, they are philosopher kings and queens, like in Plato’s Republic, and you are definitely not their equal.

In their world-view, the Leftists, particularly the socialists, are acting with complete integrity when they exempt themselves from the rules that they make for others. Though Marx and Engels would say the object of socialism is as a stepping stone to communism, where there are no social distinctions, and the state would simply “wither away”, we know from real life that those who claim the mantle of philosopher-kings expect the rest of us to bestow upon them rights and privileges not available to the common folk. What’s more, they believe, since they’re ruling us with our own good in mind, because we deplorable rabble can’t expect to rule ourselves, they are owed these things. Either that, or they simply crave the power and the privilege that comes with their beneficent leadership, and cynically use socialism as a vehicle to achieve this. They are acting thus with integrity, they’re just not letting the rest of us know with what they are acting with integrity with: their own ambitions.

Have you ever seen the ruler or a member of the ruling class or party member in a communist or socialist country that didn’t live above the lifestyle of those they ruled over? Have you ever seen such a leader who considered themselves the equal of those they ruled over, even under the law? The last ruler of any stripe to make it a point of living just like the common man was probably Henry V of England. He fought, suffered, and eventually died among his men. The anomaly of this is probably what prompted Shakespeare to write a play about him. Maybe, you could include former president Carter and a select few others in that class, who at least seemed to live like the rest of us when out of power. (The Clintons and the Obamas are living pretty handsomely nowadays.) Then again, classlessness is not the stated goal of capitalists. Much more common are the Hugo Chavezes, Kim Jong Uns, and Fidel Castros of the world who espouse complete economic and social equality, except for them and their loyal followers. So when you accuse our current leaders of the hypocrisy of not following their own rules, in their minds, they are acting with integrity, just not with the values we expect and should demand of them.