Thanks for the benefit of the doubt I guess.

I think I will stay at my own conclusion that this picture doesn’t do a good job of pointing out the differences between the panels.

They could just as easily have given the left child the ladder from panel 1 on. That would show that just equalizing the tools and assistance doesn’t create real justice in a flawed system.
I am not convinced that starting with no tools and assistance (aside from the tree that somehow is assistance in panel 1 and isn’t in panel 2) and then giving them both the same ladder makes that point very well.

But maybe I still just don’t quite get it.