Massive inequality in wealth results in massive inequality of power that allows or encourages gross social injustice, discrimination, and nepotism. Nepotism protects incompetence to retain power within “the family”. Nepotism, in and of itself, is not necessarily bad because “the family” knows its members better than it knows anyone outside of the family, but nepotism also resist external opportunities for improvements.
Throughout recorded history, marriage among the royal families of monarchs has been based upon nepotism and inbreeding, often resulting in the propagation of congenital diseases and defects. Such diseases and defects have analogous counterparts in political systems and corporate hierarchies.
Without actual democracy, meritocracy is a myth to give gullible people hope of being rewarded for perseverance and hard work. The members of most organizations recognize who among them deserves merit. However, when the members of the organizations are isolated from each other, they don’t always recognize significant contributions by members who are unseen.
One example that I often use is that of orderlies and janitors in hospitals and medical centers who clean, sanitize and maintain the facilities. Their work is as critical— if not more so — than that of highly paid surgeons. Most of such workers are usually unseen and are minimally rewarded even though they know their medical facilities more intimately than the transient surgeons who use them.
In medical centers/hospitals, janitors, nurses and physicians are all critically important to successful outcomes. None are really more or less important than each other. All have knowledge and skills that require years of experience to be fully developed.
Massive inequality in wealth results in massive inequality of power that allows or encourages gross social injustice, discrimination, and nepotism. Nepotism protects incompetence to retain power within “the family”. Nepotism, in and of itself, is not necessarily bad because “the family” knows its members better than it knows anyone outside of the family, but nepotism also resist external opportunities for improvements.
Throughout recorded history, marriage among the royal families of monarchs has been based upon nepotism and inbreeding, often resulting in the propagation of congenital diseases and defects. Such diseases and defects have analogous counterparts in political systems and corporate hierarchies.
Without actual democracy, meritocracy is a myth to give gullible people hope of being rewarded for perseverance and hard work. The members of most organizations recognize who among them deserves merit. However, when the members of the organizations are isolated from each other, they don’t always recognize significant contributions by members who are unseen.
One example that I often use is that of orderlies and janitors in hospitals and medical centers who clean, sanitize and maintain the facilities. Their work is as critical— if not more so — than that of highly paid surgeons. Most of such workers are usually unseen and are minimally rewarded even though they know their medical facilities more intimately than the transient surgeons who use them.
In medical centers/hospitals, janitors, nurses and physicians are all critically important to successful outcomes. None are really more or less important than each other. All have knowledge and skills that require years of experience to be fully developed.