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You are quite right, one should not exaggerate IQ as a predictor, and I admit that I skimmed some of the debate. I guess I interpreted Mike H to mean that considering the rough equality of the starting point for most people, IQ was a reasonably effective predictor. There seems to be data supporting that assertion, but I have no expertise in the area, and am not so interested in the controversy. The correlation is certainly less than 100%...I do not think that many Americans are hoodwinked into thinking that this is a true meritocracy. Rather, the ideal is that inequality is a result not of privilege, but of talent and effort. Almost everyone knows that if daddy is rich, Junior is unlikely to be allowed to fail. Even among the working class, union membership is often a matter of family connections, especially in certain trades. Additionally, as I emphasized, luck plays a role. However, there is an attempt to "level the playing field" without too much restricting liberty. For example, almost anyone who can qualify can go to an elite university, due to grants and loans that are available. The narrative does not describe the reality, no, but the narrative is also known to be an idealization....... |
