I think the same way. Equality is an advertisement-term and in reality nothing can be made equal, that's right. Equal are things of mechanical nature and even those, if you look very closely, have minor differences, even though they might not be intended. To revers this kind of thinking, and turning it around, I find, is a good mental practice in order to find out about the flaws of this concept when applying it to human relationships. I've discussed the qualitative differences in many of my articles and I try to appreciate them in my real life encounters as something good, rather than something difficult. It turns out, that this practice brings me more understanding and less judgement.
A very good point, you made, in how a rich man may look at the poor and make them all equal in his mind. I'd say, it's a kind of lazy outlook on the world, in general to avoid the effort in considering the differences, for it would indeed require more time for each person and situation to deal with. .... Or less, it depends :)
That's the way I see it. And I agree with you, I think it is a lazy simplification. It is a bit reductionist.