Reducing Inequality: No Robin Hood Please

Nobody in political or economic leadership accountable to the people would admit this, but years ago they believed in trickle down economics. We were to expect a widening wealth gap but it was supposed to be a good  because a rising tide lifts all boats - not my words mind you, but our PMs during their NDRs.

However reality has shown that a rising tide lifted some boats as expected but sank many more, i.e, the inequality widened. So now we become obsessed with narrowing the wealth gap. In other words given the failure of the naive assumption, the game in town is to transfer wealth from the rich to the poor because their success and activities distort the economic playing field making it worse off for the rest. I don't like this idea but that's how many are reading it. We are equal in misery if we go down. Why go that way?

I think we need to rethink meritocracy, and not just us but everywhere else.

I think all who succeeded in a meritocracy must always be made vulnerable to challenge. Laws must be in place and enforced to ensure this. Problem is those who are successful usually also acquire power which they cleverly used to protect their positions. We cannot allow in this life to be like how we were made in the womb where the first sperm entered the egg and the game is over for the rest. Fortunately we have Internet space to encourage us what it might be for a meritocracy where the incumbents are relentlessly subject to challenge. We must make this de rigueur in as many areas as possible but especially in politics. Winning, losing, good or bad luck and mobility rather than an entrenched ruling class must be the character of a true meritocracy. Look at history, there is no solid science behind the dogma of nature trumps nurture. The failure to permit challenges had inevitably led to revolutions and the creation of another ruling class.

We had gotten it wrong and now by robbing Peter to pay Paul we are getting it wrong again. We are going to miss once more that a rising tide can lift all boats.