Judging Freedom - U.S. Women’s and Men’s Soccer Teams Will Receive Equal Pay

Episode Date: May 18, 2022

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Resolve to earn your degree in the new year in the Bay with WGU. With courses available online 24-7 and monthly start dates, WGU offers maximum flexibility so you can focus on your future. Learn more at wgu.edu. Hello there, everyone. Judge Andrew Napolitano here with Judging Freedom. Today is Wednesday, May 18, 2022. It's about 10.50 in the morning on the east coast of the United States.

Late last night, the United States Soccer Federation signed a landmark agreement agreeing to pay the female soccer players and the male soccer players the exact same salary for both their regular competition and their championship games. Let me say at the outset, I'm happy that the women are being paid what the guys are being paid, but I'm not happy at the way this came about. This came about because of litigation brought by the ladies and their organization against the Soccer Federation, the group that runs and manages soccer. I'm not in favor of equal pay for equal work. I'm in favor of equal pay for equal worth, W-O-R-T-H. And worth is determined by the marketplace, not by what the government thinks people are worth, not by what

a jury thinks people are worth, not by what a judge thinks people are worth, not by what a judge thinks people are worth, but by supply and demand. If more people want to watch the guys and the ticket prices go up and more money is generated by the male games, then the guy players are going to be played more, paid more. If more people want to watch the ladies and the ticket prices go up and more money is generated, then the ladies will be paid more. If more people want to watch the ladies and the ticket prices go up and more money is generated, then the ladies will be paid more. This should be the free market. It should not be government dictate. In this case, it was a settlement. It was fear of government dictate.

The female group brought an action in federal court and the federal judge dismissed it saying you didn't prove your case you didn't prove that your work was equal to the men they appealed it while the appeal was pending and in fear of losing the appeal and having the case sent back down to the trial court for a trial at which the publicity would have been very bad for the entire institution of soccer. And I love the game. I love the game. The Soccer Federation caved and agreed to do this. I'm glad it's behind us, but I don't like when these things happen. I don't like the government sticking its nose into private business. The best measure of worth, W-O-R-T-H, is what the market will bear, not what the government says it should be. Judge Napolitano for judging freedom.