3 ms·

It's getting so that I'm running out of snarky things to say about some of these God-awful Atlantic pieces that keep showing up on HN. They're like cockroaches.

It's getting so that I'm running out of snarky things to say about some of these God-awful Atlantic pieces that keep showing up on HN. They're like cockroaches. ...In other words, as Hayes argues in his book, America isn't truly a meritocracy. Sure, the Civil Rights movement, feminism, and equal opportunity laws have helped to remove many of the barriers to success... A meritocracy, by definition, is some sort of social hierarchy based on merit -- you take a test, you gather in the most bottle-caps, you beat your classmates at arm-wrestling. Whatever. Things like the Civil Rights Movement deal with correcting historical and societal injustices. Instead of something you do, you are being judged, at least partially, by something you are. This is done for the betterment of society. Don't want to argue social engineering, but viewing somebody by what they are is 180-degrees away from viewing them by how they perform in some kind of merit-based system. For the author to juxtapose these two concepts in his mind as one being an example of the other is just.......sad. Perhaps his premise was more about the matter of how he felt various social ideas that are supposed to create a equatable social result such that more minorities or women succeed but instead create additional stress. That's fine, but that's not a meritocracy. The article goes downhill from there.

irickt 14y ago
This article is quite well-researched and argues that the meritocracy that you imagine doesn't exist in practice. As such you don't respond to the article at all, but for some reason feel compelled to use snarky tropes (whatever, sad, downhill) even when you admit the you have nothing to say. Why?
- DanielBMarkham 14y ago
  I believe I made my point that the author either doesn't understand or is purposefully misusing the term "meritocracy". Not really sure why you think I have nothing to say. Was my point not clear enough? The reader is invited to make further critiques. If you don't understand parts of your premise, no matter how well-reasoned and well-researched your article, it's going to tank. By the way, this is an editorial problem, not a problem with the author, or perhaps even the thrust of the piece. I think in terms of content the author did a great job. It just needed another set of critical eyeballs to shine it up. It's a damn shame if you ask me: obviously a lot of work went into this. HN isn't the most author-friendly place in the world. If somehow my critique appeared facile, you have my apologies. I'm not going to further argue with you. I'm sorry if somehow a few colloquialisms threw you off the trail of my point. Having said that, I still am getting tired of The Atlantic Article Of The Day appearing at the top of the page. They do some great long-form work every now and then, but in my opinion the amount of coverage it gets here is quite disproportionate to the value it provides the community.

irickt 14y ago

This article is quite well-researched and argues that the meritocracy that you imagine doesn't exist in practice. As such you don't respond to the article at all, but for some reason feel compelled to use snarky tropes (whatever, sad, downhill) even when you admit the you have nothing to say. Why?

DanielBMarkham 14y ago
I believe I made my point that the author either doesn't understand or is purposefully misusing the term "meritocracy". Not really sure why you think I have nothing to say. Was my point not clear enough? The reader is invited to make further critiques. If you don't understand parts of your premise, no matter how well-reasoned and well-researched your article, it's going to tank. By the way, this is an editorial problem, not a problem with the author, or perhaps even the thrust of the piece. I think in terms of content the author did a great job. It just needed another set of critical eyeballs to shine it up. It's a damn shame if you ask me: obviously a lot of work went into this. HN isn't the most author-friendly place in the world. If somehow my critique appeared facile, you have my apologies. I'm not going to further argue with you. I'm sorry if somehow a few colloquialisms threw you off the trail of my point. Having said that, I still am getting tired of The Atlantic Article Of The Day appearing at the top of the page. They do some great long-form work every now and then, but in my opinion the amount of coverage it gets here is quite disproportionate to the value it provides the community.