I just want to point out that what you're describing isn't meritocracy... you're describing what happens when systems are not meritocratic, or when meritocracy

I just want to point out that what you're describing isn't meritocracy... you're describing what happens when systems are not meritocratic, or when meritocracy breaks down. The "meritocracy trap" is well-known (see for example Michael Sandel's critique of same), but it says more about what changes are needed to get to a more truly meritocratic state, than it does about what meritocracy fundamentally is. Subsidiarily, the critique of meritocracy says less about how good or bad meritocracy is, and more about how the real world we live in is not meritocratic at all. The danger is not "meritocracy" itself, the danger is fooling yourself into thinking that you got where you are because of merit rather than a lot of luck.