Warning from Singapore about Negatives of Meritocracy
Dear Ben,
Please reference the following article:
https://mothership.sg/2018/10/meritocracy-privilege-elitism-intolerance-problems/
While it may sound like a good idea to envision the future planning agency on meritocratic principles, the twin issues of privilege and elitism MUST be acknowledged as major stumbling blocks in meritocracy.
Otherwise, it will be a global case of what has been/is happening locally in Singapore. Yes, the country is prosperous. Yes, the country is advanced. But at what cost? Who here speaks for the homeless? Who here helps the jobless? Who here looks after the welfare of late bloomers? Answer: No one.
The general attitude here is “you die, your business” in Singlish, or “every man for himself” in English. THAT is pragmatic meritocracy as practiced in Singapore.
The future planning agency of the WDS MUST look into the negatives of meritocracy, especially from the ground level in Singapore, and come up with game plans to effectively tackle these issues. It is not sufficient to repeatedly hold the Singapore example up as a shining beacon to the rest of the world while conveniently sidestepping those who have fallen through the cracks; never mind the “straitjacket society” that Singaporeans are loathe to live in.
Cheers,
—M
Hi M:
Yes, I am fully aware that Singapore is far from perfect in many ways. We are planning to use the best parts of their system, but also intend to have a safety net based on best practices from around the world; for example, the Scandinavian countries.
—BF
Hi Ben,
Thank you for the clarification. Hopefully, a white paper could be published soon on the vision of the future planning agency, together with a public invitation for meaningful collaboration to make it even better.
—M