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Sep 07, 2016
I truly look forward to reading this book, because when I was growing up, I was taught repeatedly and from various directions, that America is a meritocracy, but have ever yet to see this in action. The closest structure I've ever come into contact with which was meritocratic to some extent, was the US military during the draft. I read much misinformation over the years, and was taught such misinformation, about supposedly // great men \\ and later found out the harsh truths about their lack of ethics, amorality and criminality in amassing their fortunes. Not too long ago I heard the entertainment news journalist [he would call himself a serious news journalist, incorrectly], John Hockenberry, on the Koch brothers financed NPR show, The Takeaway, suggest the late Richard Holbrooke was a great man. I would label Holbrooke of that misinformation category we are always lied to about: Holbrooke barely scraped through journalism school, which his parents paid for, of course, and hoped to join the State Department's Foreign Service, but he flunked the FSO examination. Next he decided to go for a military officer career, but flunked the Army's OCS exam. Thanks to connections to Dean Rusk's family, he was given an appointed to the Foreign Service - - based upon family connections, most definitely NOT based upon ANY MERIT - - Holbrooke was typical of those we have been misled about all our lives - - and take Carnegie, how often have you heard that he was appointed to be Superintendent of Railways and Telegraphs by his // special friend \\ who was the Secretary of War, Thomas Scott? And that Carnegie used this sensitive position during the Civil War to amass a fortune, which he leveraged, thanks to sweetheart government contracts into a much larger steel fortune? Yup, just another death merchant! No meritocracy, just family connections and love connections . . . [And we always hear they gave their fortunes away?! Check out the net worth of Andrew Carnegie Rockefeller sometime - - bet you've never heard of him, either?]