Wait, why is wealth inequality inevitable in any advanced, meritocratic society? Why is "wealth" even inevitable in any advanced, meritocratic society? The idea

Wait, why is wealth inequality inevitable in any advanced, meritocratic society? Why is "wealth" even inevitable in any advanced, meritocratic society? The idea that accumulation is natural is bonkers. We have things called land titles that allow individuals to "own" large tracts of the earth that they have never seen, will never touch, and yet can collect vast sums of money for. This is not "inevitable", it is the result of specific political and social constructions that we abide by. These constructions can be changed to prevent the possibility of accumulation without destroying your precious "meritocracy". I also object to your notions of "gifted, talented young people". People are not collections of talents waiting to be mined; they are the product of specific cultural and social histories. I went to the best schools in the world because my parents had a specific class history, were funneled into a particular segment of American society, and made basic choices committing me to an educational course in line with the expectations and norms of their class. You might call that "talent" - but I didn't learn number theory at 14 merely because I was talented, I learned it because (1) someone else had already invented number theory and (2) I had access to people who had learned the same because of my social history.