Meritocracy is Vital
Even if there's a broad-based coalition shitting on it
Meritocracy has become uncool in lefty circles. The concept has been incorporated into the lefty activist “America is a racist hellhole” narrative, and tying merit to race has sapped many liberals of their will to stick to their beliefs. Which reflects possibly the most potent trend on the American left in the past decade: Activists pressuring the NPR crowd to go along with illiberal bullshit by turning everything into an identity issue. It’s been a remarkably successful tactic. If activists started arguing that it’s racist to wipe your ass, a large percentage of MSNBC’s audience would die of sepsis within a month.
I think the turn against meritocracy is a huge mistake. I think we underestimate how potent the concept is, both political and ethically. Politically, I think people feel the effects of meritocracy — or lack thereof — in their daily lives; it’s personal in a way that most issues aren’t. Ethically, it seems obvious to me that meritocracy is good. I'm bothered by how quickly some on the left are willing to shit-can a core liberal principal (plus I’m wondering if there’s any room left in that shit can after due process, proportional punishment for misdeeds, and free speech were also thrown in there). Last week, I argued that the concept of merit is ethically meaningless, but now let me argue that it's also extremely useful.