4 ms·
I get the impression reading articles like this that the authors take exception not only to the 'myth' of meritocracy in regards to its misrepresentation in pol
by cheeseomlit 3y ago
I get the impression reading articles like this that the authors take exception not only to the 'myth' of meritocracy in regards to its misrepresentation in political rhetoric in the past couple centuries, but to the idea of meritocracy itself. There is an underlying animosity towards the very concept that makes me think the idea of any one person being better than another in any regard is what truly makes the author uncomfortable, and motivates them to try deconstructing the entire idea of meritocracy on the basis of discrimination (as opposed to just pointing out some historically unfair applications of it)
- semi-extrinsic 3y agoMy theory is that Americans struggle with this topic because of the distinct lack of socialist (for lack of a better word) policies. If your society has a rigorous social safety net that essentially prevents homelessness and deep poverty, you can still have meritocracy in how the upper-middle class income is distributed, and still retain a good conscience. If you have to pass rows upon rows of homeless people on the way to your six-figure-salary job, you need to either get rid of you conscience on behalf of those people, or be deeply critical of the system.