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America is far closer to a meritocracy than any other country.If we're talking about politics - which is the reason that plutocracy is coming into play - then you're mistaken. As the other commentor points out, plutocracy means that money gives you political clout/power.
Compare the corruption rates in the US elections to a country like, say, Finland (which ranks lowest on corruption—that is, has the least). Go to Finland during an election and you'll see posters everywhere that feature tens of faces of people from every income level who are running for office. I can tell you that, as an American, this experience for me was not only surreal but almost disturbing.
Then look at the US, where the vast majority of politicians are rich to begin with and become only more enriched. Look at PACs, which use money to create voting blocs inside the governing bodies, and how lobbyists tend to write laws and then lawmakers simply sign them.
I remember reading an article in the NYT last fall, quoting a guy who heads up one of the international voting monitoring organizations. He said that the US is so bad, we don't even meet their minimum requirements for monitoring.
Money = power in the US. That hasn't changed much since its beginnings.
The sentiment that "The US is bad, sure, but it's better than all the alternatives!" is common here on HN (and among educated Americans in general). I really wish people would question it more and look at facts, and travel outside, to see that it's not true.
Maybe it feels like betrayal to say "Actually, the US is just really bad," but how can you heal a major wound if you won't even admit that you're bleeding out long enough to apply some pressure?
