I love David Brooks. If he and Mark Shields shared a Presidential ticket, I would vote for them in a heart-beat--regardless of who headed the ticket.
But onto our topic for today: meritocracy. Below is an excerpt from David Brooks' article, "Why Our Elites Stink." (Obviously, click on the prior link for the full text--it's well worth the read.)
"Over the past half–century, a more diverse and meritocratic elite has replaced the Protestant Establishment. People are more likely to rise on the basis of grades, test scores, effort and performance.
"Yet, as this meritocratic elite has taken over institutions, trust in them has plummeted. It’s not even clear that the brainy elite is doing a better job of running them than the old boys’ network. Would we say that Wall Street is working better now than it did 60 years ago? Or government? The system is more just, but the outcomes are mixed. The meritocracy has not fulfilled its promise."
