The meritocracy trap

Seth Godin warns against The meritocracy trap.

CULTURE is something we create, and culture works against pure merit. That's because culture creates insulation and connections and histories that count at least as much as the pure horsepower of merit.

HEAD STARTS get compounded. Early success gives people the resources, confidence and connections that can be used to create later success.

LOCK IN means that organizations and ideas can succeed far longer than they would without it. You don't give up on a social network or smart phone merely because one element of it isn't the best available one. It's easier to stick than to switch.

Emphasis Mine

One of the great myths in Capitalism is that of meritocracy. It says that the Capitalists are rewarded for their efforts.

In fact, Capitalist profit through a cluture that accepts and defends the private ownership of the means of production. The Europeans had a head start in the Capitalism race through the early accumulation of Capital. And Capitalists benefit through the lock-in enforced by the IMF, World Bank, WTO, and various “free-trade agreements”.