I often hear it said that some difference between people is natural or even necessary; after all, we do not all have the same talents, resources, or circumstances. Yet there is a clear line between natural variety and harmful inequality a line that, once crossed, begins to weaken the bonds that hold people together.Inequality is sometimes defended as a sign of freedom or a reward for hard work, but when it becomes extreme or entrenched, it does not lift people up; it creates distance, resentment...