Nepo babies - and other people with unearned privilege
What is a Nepo Baby?
Nepo baby (n.)
An individual who has benefited from nepotism: unfair advantages/influence given to them by members of their family/friends/connections
This got us thinking...
What about the Nepo Babies in other industries?
Banks
Corperations
Media
Legal Firms
Elected Officials
Boards of Directors
Because look, if we're talking about people benefiting from unfair advantages, let's really talk about people who have unfair advantages.
Especially since so many people with the highest levels of financial, political and legal power and influence hold those roles because of generational wealth, insider insight, and connections.
And these are the jobs that often have the most significant real-world consequences.
And if we push this concept a little further...
...shouldn't we discuss those who have intergenerational wealth because of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade (or other forms of exploitative labour)?
...or those whose families stole land and resources via colonization?
...what about settler-colonies countries like America, Canada, New Zealand and Australia - aren't they nepo-countries?
These countries have continued to benefit from the stolen wealth, resources, land and lives via their colonial parent - The British.
This whole discourse further proves that meritocracy is a myth, making nepotism feels inevitable in our current system.
But that doesn't make it okay.
Especially when so many people with privilege (including Nepo Babies) are so damn defensive.
The total lack of personal awareness and the inability to own their unearned systemic and familial benefits adds insult to injury.
Because if a person can't own their privilege, they aren't able to use it to make a difference for people who don't have privilege.
The cycle of this system further aggravates it. When nepo babies are put in high power jobs they then use that power to continue to uphold the systems that put them there.
Which means our leaders aren’t necessarily the best for the job, but rather the ones with the most connections. Which in turn limits our creativity, potential and progress as a society.
