Equality and prosperity shouldn't be seen as enemies of each

Hear now the words of Nicola Sturgeon, spoken with clarity like the sound of a bell ringing over the hills of Scotland: “Equality and prosperity shouldn't be seen as enemies of each other, but as partners. One reinforces the other.” In this saying lies the wisdom of balance, the reminder that justice and wealth are not rival forces but companions on the road to a flourishing society. For too long, men have set them against one another—claiming that to uplift the poor is to weaken the rich, or that to pursue fairness is to sacrifice abundance. Yet Sturgeon declares the opposite: that equality strengthens prosperity, and prosperity, when rightly shared, strengthens equality.

The meaning of these words is profound. Equality is the foundation that allows every citizen to rise, to contribute their gifts without chains of poverty or prejudice. Without equality, prosperity becomes brittle, belonging to a few while resentment festers in the many. And without prosperity, equality becomes an empty promise, spoken in speeches but unfulfilled in bread and shelter. The two, therefore, are not adversaries but allies, like the twin wings of a bird: without both, it cannot take flight.

The origin of this teaching can be traced through history. In times when wealth was concentrated in the hands of the few, societies rotted from within. The grandeur of Rome could not save it from collapse when inequality widened and the poor were forgotten. By contrast, in lands where rulers sought to expand opportunity—such as during the social reforms of the postwar years in Europe—nations grew strong and stable. Here we see Sturgeon’s truth alive: shared prosperity did not diminish wealth but multiplied it, for when all hands were empowered, the harvest was greater for everyone.

Consider the story of Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States. In the Great Depression, America lay broken, with millions out of work, despair thick in the air. Some said that to give aid to the poor would weaken the nation, that lifting the lowly would harm prosperity. Yet Roosevelt, with the New Deal, bound equality and prosperity together. By creating jobs, supporting workers, and reforming the financial system, he restored both dignity and wealth. The result was not ruin, but renewal, as America rose stronger than before. This stands as a living witness to Sturgeon’s words: one reinforces the other.

Her declaration also carries a heroic challenge. If we view equality and prosperity as rivals, then we will always be divided, one camp crying for justice, the other crying for wealth. But if we unite them, we see that true wealth is not only in gold or markets, but in human potential unleashed—when every child has the chance to learn, when every worker has the chance to thrive, when every woman and man is valued for their worth. Prosperity built on exploitation is a house built on sand, but prosperity built on fairness is a fortress of stone.

The lesson for you, O children of tomorrow, is clear: do not be deceived by those who pit justice against abundance. When you fight for equality, you are not destroying wealth—you are multiplying it. When you fight for prosperity, do not hoard it among the few—spread it widely, and you will find it grows richer still. A society that neglects one for the other cripples itself; but a society that unites them walks in strength and harmony.

So let your actions be guided by this truth. In your work, seek not only profit, but fairness. In your communities, fight for opportunities that lift all, not just some. In your nations, demand leaders who see equality and prosperity as partners, not foes. For in the union of these two lies the path to enduring strength, to peace, and to flourishing. Let this wisdom be your inheritance: equality and prosperity are not enemies but companions, and when they walk together, the people will rise.