Twilight of the Elites: America after Meritocracy”
In this book, Christopher Hayes says that he feel America is broken. He argues that it is all that people know, and it is good to tell this to the readers. It is a statement feels right regardless of political beliefs. However, it is quite challenging to keep the follow up of how it happened (Hayes 3). The author is ready to do this follow up. In a hard and personal style, and arguments that are carefully crafted, Hayes get to the bottom line of what is not right with an exclusive vision that merges political, cultural, historical, and sociological analysis. In this way, Hayes can strike an arrow in the dream of America.
In this book, Hayes examines the belief that is essential to our central understanding of how people ought to live in America and how this how people’s understanding lacks the mark of the real situation in the globe (Hayes 13). Hayes also manages to examine the critical consequences of the breach between reality and belief. Hayes has an intelligent, agenda-free, entertaining and refreshing way of narrating his story. While Hayes uses criticism, he does not criticize so much as analytic and clear meritocracy, which sounds like a good idea. However, Hayes admits this to some extent. The next thing that follows is a little bit scary although quite scary.
The main idea regarding meritocracy is that one may get a reward for combining both his effort and talent. Meritocracies often test early and slot those who score excellently in programs that are advanced, which let them rise higher. The notion is meant to select the best people who are suited for a job to run the companies and the nations (Hayes 21). Hayes says that this is the system that suits America, although the system does not function effectively. Hayes does a careful and wise analysis of the stories that have been narrated for the failed years. He successfully sieves through the stories establish the weaknesses that exist in the meritocratic system and he makes suggestions for more treatments.
Hayes argues that the institutions of the nation have disintegrated. Since 2000, the major institutions in America were not successful. Major businesses also collapsed. The media passed false messages to the people and the military was not triumphant. The church participated in sexual abuse and sealed the scams. The banks also collapsed the economy of the nation.
This book has luscious texture that demonstrates every point in depth. Hayes is correct in his analysis. His solution is also a perfect one. However, when Hayes speaks to other elites regarding his proposal, there is some confusion, which ought to be clarified. This involves structural outcomes of inequality instead of quantitative ones. Hayes has a brief comment regarding a more nuanced hypothesis of elite power compared to Marx’s theory. It is quite challenging to see how the solutions connect with the problem. In the beginning, he argues that the solution is meritocracy, but later the solution turns out to be to tax the wealthy people.
The hint comes in establishing the option for meritocracy. Hayes says that it is not the lottery picking surgeons. He argues that it is about ameliorating the relationships of power. Meritocracy suggests that if someone ought to be a leader, then he must be the best. In egalitarianism, there is an argument that power imbalance is the major problem rather than inequality (Hayes 35). Considering a world of science fiction where productivity is at its peak such that everyone can obtain whatever he or she desires from what young people practice for fun. In this way, people will be able to do the jobs that they enjoy.
The first treatment that Hayes suggests is to question the infallibility of the scheme. He gives an example of his experience when he was studying at Hunter College. The school began as a straightforward idea, which was to offer tests to students. The idea was to test if the students had high scores after which they would be admitted in school and given rigorous training that would make them attend the best colleges (Hayes 42). The test for entry was a playing field that was leveled. This test was to be conducted until the prep offered those who would be able to afford prep with a means to the system of the game. This is a microcosm for what takes place in most meritocracies.
However, Hayes is not a reductionist because he looks at several failures of meritocracy with a pace that is briskly and a nuance when it comes to writing. This book is quite entertaining. While Hayes thoroughly looks through the past disasters, he can establish some hope. It is quite complicated to offer an explanation why people have a feeling that the apocalypse has occurred. However, “Twilight of the elites” manages to trick the readers by showing them the dusk while reminding them that, with pluck and luck, they can live to witness the sunrise.
Work Cited
Hayes, Christopher. Twilight of the Elites: America After Meritocracy. New York: Crown
Publishers, 2012. Print.
