A Case for Meritocracy over Egalitarianism

America is becoming ever more egalitarian: Make things more equal: from health care to education, money to media accolades. That has obvious appeal but in the end, is it a net good for America?

Will America get better because of our new practice of reallocating education resources from average-and-above kids to low achievers? That policy is now being taken to such extremes that even when parents in middle-class schools donate additional money to their kids' school, it's viewed as unfair--It's argued that that money should be distributed equally to low-performing schools. Despite what politicians and the media disingenuously assert, not everyone has the same potential to profit from instruction and to abet society. So reallocating resources away from those with the greatest potential to cure our diseases, start new businesses, and run government wisely can only accelerate America's decline. 

Will America get better by further taxing the top 20 percent, which already pay 70 percent of the taxes while the bottom 20 percent pay just 0.3 percent, even though the top 20 percent is far more likely to use the money to create jobs or to invest it so others can create jobs. For example, when middle-income people get to keep more of what they earn, they are likely to invest it, perhaps in a stock, which enables the company to invest more in research and development. Or a person might put the money in a bank, which then has more funds to lend to home buyers which, in turn, creates jobs for home builders. Far less ripple effect accrues from taking money from the middle class to give to the poor. At best, that redistribution results in basic purchases. At worst, some of it goes for drugs, guns, etc., not to mention junk food, smartphones, and $150 sneakers, not exactly inspiring uses of your tax dollars. 

Will America get better if able-bodied welfare recipients, for not working, get more money than does someone earns for working 40 hours a week at a $15 an hour job. That is the case in 35 states.

Will America get better when--per the egalitarian goal of single-payer health care--a person who has paid into the system all his life and has otherwise contributed to society should get the same level of health care as someone who hasn't? Should short wait times for non-emergency appointments, choosing your own doctor and hospital, a semi-private room, and electing to have expensive unclear-benefit treatments be equally available for both groups of people? Even though that will result in excess morbidity and mortality to the contributory group? Or will that, along with the egalitarian dream of making education and money more equally distributed, create major disincentive for people to work hard?

Will America get better when the culture demands that the accomplisher give credit to everyone but himself--Think Academy Award speeches, political candidate acceptance speeches, etc.  "It was a team effort. Without a lot of other people and especially my family, it would have been impossible."

Will America get better for its colleges having opened its doors to virtually all comers? As stated in the New York Times, "nearly everyone gets accepted by a worthy institution." In fact, our nearly open-admissions policy has resulted in dumbing-down higher education to the lowest common denominator, resulting in such frightening authoritative findings as that 36 percent of today's college graduates grow not at all in college in writing and critical thinking. Pity not the weak student but the strong one who could have profited from a not dumbed-down college education. Sure, you can get a rigorous education at the relative handful of highly selective colleges but only the tiniest percentage of even strong students can attend there. What counts is what goes on at the majority of our colleges. And let's remember that only half of students graduate even if given six years.  Again, not a great use of our tax dollars, which heavily subsidize even so-called private colleges.

Meritocracy yields more good--including for society's have-nots--than our Alice-in-Wonderland redistributing to and excuse-making for the have-nots. Alas, even if you agree, I'd predict you don't dare speak up or even Tweet or Facebook like this article. And that does not bode well for America.