erinlynum 's review for:

The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? by Michael J. Sandel

4.0

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I really enjoyed this book. It really spells out major issues that have separated Americans and differences made clearer via politics in recent years. I thought the author did a great job of examining how religion is often tied to merit - that those who are successful are blessed and those who are suffering are sinners and are deserving of their circumstances. There's also this pronounced belief that those who are victims of circumstances are more worthy of help than those who have made poor decisions (unless you're a bank and it's 2008). It's also this holier than thou dichotomy of successful people who think they are smarter or worked harder for their success than those who are struggling, but the reality is that they almost never achieved this success on their own - society paved the way for their success. And yet their merit and value is not based on how much they give back to the society that supported them. A major point made by the author is that some people only make more money because society has put more vale on their work, not because they're smarter or inherently better or more important. A person's market value doesn't equate to an individual's contributions to society, but people often mistake this as a proxy. The author also dives into higher ed and how it does little to increase upward mobility. Sandel made valuable points as well about the grievances that conservatives feel, which led to Trump's success in 2016. This injury is about the loss of recognition and esteem. Instead of blaming larger political and financial forces at work, blame is then shifted to the educated, people of color, women, and immigrants for taking their roles. In sum, our system needs to be completed reformed because it's just going to create more discontent, economic divides, and injustice.