merit matters, no question
representation also matters, and especially so for children
both are true
and of course governing people harder has generally made the situation worse
Discussion
If there are market niches not properly served then removing obstacles & quotas & regulations is the only way to make it more likely that someone wil serve them.
Idk what sort of representation a person can possibly feel entitled to (in any just manner) beyond the basic respect for property rights & freedom of speech & not being forced to pay for permission to produce & earn a living.
Of course. That’s ideal. Even a form of utopia it would seem, in the face of what is.
I don’t know where you live or what the culture is there. Where I currently live, merit isn’t really the issue in most cases in daily life because there are lots of smart, capable people with experience and integrity from all sorts of backgrounds whose individual merit is more than up to the task. Other forms of competition are present like class based networks and generational wealth that tend to overpower any other measure of merit.
Also, I’m not calling anyone to govern and regulate harder. I do suspect unjust laws and unjust enforcement are two of the biggest obstacles to human flourishing.
It’s probably a conversation that isn’t easily memed with sufficient depth.