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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Meritocracy is the only way to tackle inequality fairly

The Straits Times; Published on Sep 13, 2011
Meritocracy is the only way to tackle inequality fairlyMRS NURHIDAYAH Hassan-Le Neel made two arguments against meritocracy last Saturday ('Address the problems of meritocracy').
According to her, meritocracy is flawed because it does not work in Singapore's rigid class system that is based on economic and cultural clout.

Second, meritocracy demoralises those who fail to climb the social ladder.
Both claims are untrue. Meritocracy is the only way people break out of a rigid class system fairly and proudly, as affirmative action discriminates against another demographic group.
While failure can demoralise, could this be a chance to encourage hard work and some government intervention to equalise opportunity, rather than an excuse to throw meritocracy out the window?
Singapore's Gini coefficient - a measure of income inequality on a scale of 0 to 1, with 0 denoting perfect equality - of 0.45 does indicate that there is a gulf within its society.
How to correct this is the first dilemma: meritocracy or affirmative action?
Redistributive justice is a difficult concept, but meritocracy is not mutually exclusive from the Government helping the poor. If a child of a taxi driver is poor but talented, one offers him all the opportunities he needs, not the outcome one thinks he deserves. Opportunities or outcomes, that is the conundrum of the second dilemma.
Should we aim for equality of opportunities or outcomes?
Communism tried to achieve equality of outcome, but we now know that it bred poverty and gross inequality.
A government's role may simply be to provide the tools and ensure equal access to opportunities.
What happens next is as much nature as it is nurture, although this, admittedly, is a subsidiary debate in which the answer is likely to be a bit of both, plus diligence and luck.
The final dilemma is when to stop. Societies will always be unequal, with a bell curve of income and cultural capital.
Let us concentrate on moving the curve to the right, instead of focusing on making the curve narrower.
Micromanaging an entire country detracts from the proper focus on a rising tide that lifts all boats.
I call it compassionate meritocracy, which is still a government's best way to ensure equality of opportunity.
What happens next is up to the kids.
Dr Khor Swee Kheng
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_712264.html
Swee Kheng is a doctor who previously served in Taiping GH. He is now pursuing other interests abroad. He believes strongly in the resilience of the human species, and hopes that doctors will prescribe honestly and rationally. [source: 'A pill for every ill?']
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