I will mash two sayings together here in order to summarize my interpretation of the author's point: A rising tide lifts all boats, but some boats are more lift

I will mash two sayings together here in order to summarize my interpretation of the author's point: A rising tide lifts all boats, but some boats are more lifted than others. And that's fine. Not sure if I agree with it but the NYT has a predictable tone when it comes to these sorts of things.