It seems like a good idea: instead of rule by people who had no more qualification than that they were the offspring of the previous ruler, or someone closely connected to the previous ruler, or simply the strongest, meanest, and most cunning, we should let the country be ruled by smart people. But mere intelligence has no greater component of morality or wisdom than mere physical strength. Ross Douthat describes what went wrong with the meritocracy:

We’ve created what seems like the most capable, hardworking, high-I.Q. elite in all of human history.

And for the last 10 years, we’ve watched this same elite lead us off a cliff — mostly by being too smart for its own good.

Read the whole thing here.