Who Said It?

[jpmassar]

... meritocracies may be fairer and more efficient than some alternatives. But fair in an absolute sense? Think about it. A meritocracy is a system in which the people who are the luckiest in their health and genetic endowment; luckiest in terms of family support, encouragement, and, probably, income; luckiest in their educational and career

Comments

[schmengie]

scares me to think that someone who believes that runs our nations bank...

[adbjupe]

His predecessor scared me more. But you probably would have guessed that.

[dmorr]

Is it scary because it sounds vaguely socialist, or is he wrong on some particular?

Because if what you care about is fairness, then he's right, a meritocracy rewards people who win the genetic lottery. Life outcomes are totally dominated by luck. If you'd been born living on a dollar a day in Malawi, there's no way you would have the success you had being born here, born smart, with enough nutrition and education that you could use your smarts for something.

Now a meritocracy does seem better than all the alternatives in terms of consequences. But like democracy, you pretty much have to think of it as a least-bad system, not something that remotely fills everything you would want to have in a system if you just listed out all the attributes you'd like.

[schmengie]

scary because I dont think fairness is something the nations banker should be concerned with. you and me have had this lifes lottery discussion before...i just dont buy it. now I agree that it is true that some people are born on third base and think they hit a triple..but I dont think they owe anyone or the world any additional considerations.

I think its great that many well to do people are very philanthropic but I dont think they have any great responsibility to do anything

[captaino]

Sounds exactly like something Uncle Ben would say. No, not Bernanke, but Peter Parker's uncle.

[kalimac]

I'm waiting for someone to say, "That St. Luke, what a commie. He's just saying 'From each according to his abilities.'"

[barking_iguana]

And of course Marx was well enough educated to know that the notion did not first enter European thought via himself.