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Inequality is intensely tied to social mobility. Check out the Great Gatsby Curve or this talk on snowball inequality. The common sense way to think of it is th

Inequality is intensely tied to social mobility. Check out the Great Gatsby Curve or this talk on snowball inequality. The common sense way to think of it is that as the rich entrench themselves further and further apart from the rest of us, it becomes harder and harder to jump the gap, the rich stay rich, the poor stay poor and we move from meritocracy to aristocracy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Gatsby_curve https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Gatsby_curve https://voicerepublic.com/talks/snowball-inequality-meritocracy-and-the-crisis-of-capitalism https://voicerepublic.com/talks/snowball-inequality-meritocr...

KozmoNau7 9y ago
I would say we have already reestablished a de facto aristocracy. The richest live like kings. Actually they enjoy a level of luxury that even the richest kings of old couldn't possibly have imagined. They basically live like gods, with virtually unchecked power, influence and wealth. For one of the more extreme examples, consider this private dwelling: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antilia_(building) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antilia_(building) It is possibly the most lavish private home in the world, and it overlooks the absolutely crushing poverty of Mumbai's worst slums. The sheer level of cognitive dissonance is mindboggling.
- frgtpsswrdlame 9y ago
  I basically agree, Gregory Clark is an economic historian and he's published some stuff which suggests that advantages last for something like 10-15 generations which is absolutely mind-blowing. Check out that voicerepublic link, it has a take on inequality/meritocracy which is different from the usual attacks on meritocracy but I think a lot stronger, it at least gave me a lot to think about.
fjsolwmv 9y ago
The word meritocracy was invented as a sarcr term to describe aristocracy wearing false dressing of equal opportunity. That's why people clamoring for "meritocracy" today are looked down upon for their self-unawareness. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meritocracy https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meritocracy

KozmoNau7 9y ago

I would say we have already reestablished a de facto aristocracy. The richest live like kings. Actually they enjoy a level of luxury that even the richest kings of old couldn't possibly have imagined. They basically live like gods, with virtually unchecked power, influence and wealth. For one of the more extreme examples, consider this private dwelling: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antilia_(building) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antilia_(building) It is possibly the most lavish private home in the world, and it overlooks the absolutely crushing poverty of Mumbai's worst slums. The sheer level of cognitive dissonance is mindboggling.

frgtpsswrdlame 9y ago
I basically agree, Gregory Clark is an economic historian and he's published some stuff which suggests that advantages last for something like 10-15 generations which is absolutely mind-blowing. Check out that voicerepublic link, it has a take on inequality/meritocracy which is different from the usual attacks on meritocracy but I think a lot stronger, it at least gave me a lot to think about.

fjsolwmv 9y ago

The word meritocracy was invented as a sarcr term to describe aristocracy wearing false dressing of equal opportunity. That's why people clamoring for "meritocracy" today are looked down upon for their self-unawareness. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meritocracy https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meritocracy