“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt” goes the old saying. It’s a message completely unappreciated by the folks producing MSNBC’s Lean Forward spots, featuring various network stars spouting lame political talking points.
Go figure — in place of paid advertisements from real customers, the propaganda vignettes air frequently.
Months ago, I took issue with MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry for saying in one spot that “we have to break through our kind of private idea that kids belong to their parents, or kids belong to their families, and recognize that kids belong to whole communities.”
She was arguing for higher taxes so government can spend more money on education. I was anxious we not replace Mommy and Daddy with Big Brother.
Harris-Perry is back for Round Two.
“Americans will always want some level of inequality,” she informs us, “because it’s a representation of a meritocracy.” Then the Tulane professor reassuringly adds, “People who work hard and sacrifice and save their money and make major contributions: we think that they should earn a little more. And they should have more resources. And that’s fine.”
No problem. You want to invent amazing new technology, develop life-saving drugs, create inspiring art, produce incredible abundance? Fine. For your “work” and “sacrifice” and frugality and “contributions” Melissa Harris-Perry is willing to permit you to have, well, “a little more.”
Emphasis on “little.”
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
5 replies on “A Little More”
I first encountered the term “meritocracy” in the description of the structure of a newly formed alternative science group. I have since seen it used in several other science groups on the web. As a structure, it appears to have the freewheeling, grassroots elements of natural social media, such as fb or a very popular blog. It seems to allow for full participation and a range of skills.
But under the surface, the ideology of the group’s founders will emerge. The people who seem to arise as natural leaders and main contributors do align with the group’s ideology. These hand- selected and installed people will have the ability to manage and possibly reprimand lower members.
Meritocracies seem to resemble the free and voluntary media of the web, but the structure allows for easy takeover, and I believe it is simply a form of “manipulative populism.”
Missa Melissa is the perfect embodiment of your opening sentence, Mr. Jacob. Have to wonder if she actually does something that merits her being paid outside of the government.
.… Anyone who invents amazing new technology, develops life-saving drugs, creates inspiring art, produces incredible abundance? Fine. For his “work” and “sacrifice” and frugality and “contributions” Melissa Harris-Perry is willing to permit him to keep “a little more.”
Emphasis on “a little” .…
If only they weren’t running so much of just about everything (via their having ‘George Orwell’d’ the meaning and the members of the Meritocracy) drrk’s comment would afford this flake about as much attention as is reasonable and/or is justified.
But they’ve ‘George Orwell’d’ America. And Melissa Victoria Harris-Lacewell-Perry’s as-dangerously-dullard and as fascistically-inclined fellow fool presently pretends to what passes as the “presidency.”
God save us all. God save our beloved fraternal republic.
Brian Richard Allen
It’s properly called out as MSDNC … the DNC’s propaganda outlet.
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