smart people: just as offensive as rich people

Here's another article about how rich private schools are rich, but it's okay because they subsidize tuition for select poor people. (To be fair, the reporter seems skeptical--but that is the schools' PR tack.)

Most people are quick to condemn the gap between the super-rich and the middle class, but no one seems to mind the super-educated. As long as there's not a perfect correlation between education and family background, then the American Dream lives. Also, how awesome is it that we don't have a King?

A super-educated class makes intuitive sense morally and economically. Smart people deserve to receive the best education while sitting in the most ergonomic chairs. Plus, it'll be better for society if they do because then they'll innovate more as adults, which is good for the economy, etc. The result will be that the smart are more informed and way richer than the dumb, but that's fair, and everyone will benefit.

Maybe not, though.

First, the moral argument is wrong. Education should be a right, not a privilege. The more you have of it, the more you can engage with society. All people deserve a good education. It definitely shouldn't be meted out according to IQ. Would you say that the healthiest people deserve the best healthcare?

Second, the economic argument is wrong. Expensive socialization doesn't make people better at contributing to society. Attending pyrotechnic pep rallies and lectures by Akhil Amar about Akhil Amar's book probably impairs critical thinking. Also, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, etc.

So rich private schools aren't good for society. We should tax them, judge people who send their kids to them, boycott Gossip Girl, and atone for attending NYU by not cheating on our taxes when we grow up.