I don't think he's pretending they aren't important. He's pointing out that people who claim that they are important don't actually act as though they are. I.

I don't think he's pretending they aren't important. He's pointing out that people who claim that they are important don't actually act as though they are. I.e. The argument of 'egalitarianism' is used selectively, which makes it into a contradiction in terms.