精英依然主宰世界

    透过寝室的窗户，我能看到抗议的人群。约翰•哈佛雕像前的帐篷上挂着这样的标语：“大学校门应向99%的人敞开！”、“占领哈佛”抗议活动是为声援更大规模的“占领运动”而举行的，目的是将学生从政治派别中分离出来。一位自称属于“自由派”的朋友说：“真是可笑。哈佛大学（Harvard）之所以特殊可不是因为随便一个傻瓜都能来这里上学。”

    克里斯托弗•海耶斯在《精英的没落：后精英体制时代的美国》（Twilight of the Elites: America After Meritocracy）一书中对这种说法进行了批判，同时强调，精英体制把社会优质资源分配给最优秀、最聪明、最勤奋的人，我们对这种体制的信任毫无根据。

    海耶斯在书的开头写道：“美国似乎已经四分五裂。”他写道，这个国家正在经历一场“权威危机”，美国国会山（Capitol Hill）、华尔街（Wall Street），乃至棒球场和天主教会（Catholic Church）的一系列丑闻就是例证。这本书写得确实很好，事例详实，明显经过充分的调查，语言简单，易于阅读，证据充足，充分证明精英们让我们失望了。

    虽然如此，但我还是确定自己可以接受这种观点。美国社会确实存在精英腐败和渎职的现象，这一点我并不否认。但我认为精英无能是一个更靠谱的解释。好吧，我承认自己有些多愁善感。爱因斯坦曾说过：“世界上只有两种东西是无限的——宇宙和人类的愚蠢。对于宇宙的无限，我还不太确定。”（每当有人对这句话与我辩论的时候，我都会推荐他看看互联网上任何一则消息下面的评论内容。）

    既然人类的愚蠢是无限的，那么，无论什么时代、什么地方的精英们也都难免会犯傻。海耶斯认为我们现在正处在一个特殊的夕阳期，也就是他所谓的“衰退十年”。这种说法略显苍白，因为从历史上来看，不称职的精英人物一直都存在，比如古罗马暴君尼禄、卡迪甘勋爵、内维尔•张伯伦，还有吹嘘泰坦尼克号（Titanic）永不沉没的那些人。

    而且，如果说愚蠢是无限的，那么任何职位、任何收入水平和任何威望级别的人都有可能犯错。确实，著名的人物经常在自己的岗位上渎职。但那些不是那么著名或者非精英阶层的人也会犯同样的错误。正如达蒙•鲁尼恩所说：“腿脚快的不一定跑得过，实力强的不一定打得赢－－但是打赌的话，只能这么选。”

    I could see them from my dorm room window. The signs on the tents in front of the John Harvard statue read: "We want a university for the 99%!" With this slogan, Occupy Harvard -- a student protest expressing solidarity with the larger Occupy movement -- managed to alienate students from across the political spectrum. "That's ludicrous," said one self-described liberal friend. "Harvard's specialbecause not just any idiot can get in."

    In Twilight of the Elites: America After Meritocracy, Christopher Hayes indicts this sort of thinking, arguing that our faith in meritocracy -- the notion that society's rewards accrue to the best, brightest, and most diligent among us -- is unfounded.

    "America feels broken," Hayes opens. He argues that the country is experiencing a "crisis of authority," illustrated by the scandals on Capitol Hill and Wall Street, in baseball and the Catholic Church, among others. Well written, thoroughly researched, and easy to read, the book delivers ample evidence that our elites are failing us.

    That being said, I'm not sure I buy it. I don't doubt the existence of elite corruption and malfeasance, but I find elite incompetence a much more probable explanation. Call me sentimental. As Einstein allegedly said, "Two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not yet sure about the universe." (I refer anyone who takes issue with this to the comments section of anything on the Internet, ever.)

    If stupidity is infinite then it must extend to elites at all times and in all places. Hayes argues, unpersuasively, that we're in a special, sunset period of history -- what he calls the "Fail Decade." Yet history is replete with examples of elite incompetence -- think Nero, Lord Cardigan, Neville Chamberlain, and whoever called the Titanic unsinkable.

    And if stupidity is infinite, people of all titles, incomes, and prestige levels are susceptible. It's true that distinguished individuals often mess up their responsibilities. But so do their less distinguished, non-elite brethren. As Damon Runyon said, "The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that's the way to bet."