Creating a separate set of moral standards according to socioeconomic status is not an act of mercy. It is a crime against the poor. It is an abdication of our social duty to hold one another accountable. It is shameful that our self-styled elites are so afraid to preach the very secrets to success they so readily practice in their own lives.
- Arthur Brooks
Such a simple and obvious point, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI think about that every time I come across the word "meritocracy."
The inference is that those who struggle and fail lack merit. It's an expression of victim-blaming.
John,
ReplyDeleteI believe an emphasis on equal opportunity and a strong work ethic is vital. I don't see the same inference with "meritocracy." Those who struggle and fail are not always victims. [I say that as one who has struggled and failed at a number of things.]
Michael
This is where I was headed.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-05-02/a-basic-income-should-be-the-next-big-thing
That Swiss referendum failed, of course, but the numbers favoring such an experiment are rising.
John,
ReplyDeleteCharles Murray's book "In Our Hands" comes out this month. It will spur a lot of discussion.
Switzerland has tight immigration. The loose immigration situation in the U.S. will be a major obstacle to such proposals.
Michael