How Fairness Works

David 'very relaxed' Cameron has professed himself 'very relaxed' about giving out internships to people he happens to know, or their offspring. In response, the Today programme wheeled out a young man representing a pressure group called Intern Aware (I'm not making this up), who claimed that what Cameron is doing when he doles out these internships is not giving an acquaintance a helping hand but 'pushing down' all those hugely talented young people (they're everywhere - haven't you noticed?) who happen not to be personally connected to David Cameron. This is what happens when you take the initially attractive notion of 'fairness' and follow it to its logical (i.e. disastrous) conclusion. Bear in mind the logic of Intern Aware next time you help an old lady across the road. You might think you're helping an old lady across the road, but what you're really doing is grinding the faces of all those old ladies who happen not to be on that kerb at that particular time - and, still worse, all those old ladies who couldn't even make it as far as the kerb. Shame on you.