it’s not even clear that socialism promotes less inequality
As a socialism survivor, I can confirm that equality is not only about money.
In socialism, an important Party member could have exactly the same salary as everyone else, and yet be a thousand times more rich than the average peasant, if we use a meaningful definition. They would get a lot of stuff and services for free, as a bribe; it wouldn’t be even considered a bribe, because everyone would do it to maintain good relations with the powerful Party members. They would be allowed to use privately many things that technically are a common property, but it is a property inaccessible to the average peasant. They could get almost everything they want (as long as there is not a political reason against it) without using money. So the fact that they would have the same amount of money as everyone else would be completely irrelevant, even if it was true, which it probably wouldn’t be anyway.
Money is just a civilized way to get stuff and services. If you have power, you simply take the stuff and services, without paying. In socialism, people even give it to you “willingly”, because they are aware that if you are in a bad mood, you could ruin their lives and lives of their familes just by making a phone call.
Batman Begins (2005)
Carmine Falcone: Now, I wouldn’t have a second’s hesitation of blowing your head off right here and right now in front of ’em. Now, that’s power you can’t buy! That’s the power of fear.
As a socialism survivor, I can confirm that equality is not only about money.
In socialism, an important Party member could have exactly the same salary as everyone else, and yet be a thousand times more rich than the average peasant, if we use a meaningful definition. They would get a lot of stuff and services for free, as a bribe; it wouldn’t be even considered a bribe, because everyone would do it to maintain good relations with the powerful Party members. They would be allowed to use privately many things that technically are a common property, but it is a property inaccessible to the average peasant. They could get almost everything they want (as long as there is not a political reason against it) without using money. So the fact that they would have the same amount of money as everyone else would be completely irrelevant, even if it was true, which it probably wouldn’t be anyway.
Money is just a civilized way to get stuff and services. If you have power, you simply take the stuff and services, without paying. In socialism, people even give it to you “willingly”, because they are aware that if you are in a bad mood, you could ruin their lives and lives of their familes just by making a phone call.
Batman Begins (2005) Carmine Falcone: Now, I wouldn’t have a second’s hesitation of blowing your head off right here and right now in front of ’em. Now, that’s power you can’t buy! That’s the power of fear.