On why we should all eschew those filthy proletariat oppressors, the meritocracy. · 9:10am Feb 12th, 2013
I read rather an interesting article in the Economist this morning--for that is the magazine by which I swear fealty, allegiance, and the life of my first born son.
It said, simply, that despite a collection of global conflicts, a great depression, a civil liberties movement and quite a few technological innovations which should have opened up the world to allow for equality of knowledge, wealth and power to be at least available to everyone, we are still stuck in that same old middling wheel; the rich get richer, so the poor get poorer.
The meritocracy, the article said, has become much like the conservative father, the aristocracy, it so detested: dividing power evenly and fairly amongst itself. True, the meritocracy has the excuse that it, by definition, earned its place in society. But that surely makes this whole imbroglio a more pressing injustice: it knows of the hardships, yet still remains too aloof to help the little men?
But its seems, upon further reading between the lines, that it was not a fault of theirs. It was the sons and daughters of the meritocracy that were simply gliding along in their wake, scooping up all the upper level jobs and the grotesque pay packets that accompanied them! It was the children of the meritocracy who were far happier drinking Brazilian sourced coffee and writing pastiches of classical literature than finding a job, nurturing that tiny income and making it grow into something special.
"Hark!" cried I, spilling Brazilian sourced coffee upon my freshly pressed school trousers, "what villainy is this? This holy scripture, this divine writ, telling me--a child of that very meritocracy--that just like the blood-line driven power factories of yore, I was over privileged?"
How! How was this possible! I have access to the finest--private--school of our city, filled with the finest minds of the generation before mine. My textbooks are the very best money can buy. Surely I am influential, smart and articulate enough to fix such glaring inequalities?
Perhaps it's not until I use this premium education to enter the hallows of our highest university (Yes, Australia has more that just TAFE) that such a slight could be corrected, assisted, of course, the glowing references of a family friend, who just happens to invite the Dean of Students over for poker every so often.
I'm nothing like the aristocracy at all!
Wait...
Shit.
It's just instinctual to hoard providence and provision for one's family. As long as one realizes this is an aspect of base nature and not an entitlement they can still have the humility to understand their responsibility not to squander their boons.
Personally I consider the disparity between the privileged and less fortunate to be irrelevant compared to that between the First and Third Worlds.
Ha!