Are we destined to be a meritocracy?

The complexity of modern life requires that culture
elevate people based on their merit to society.
By this principal, a perfect meritocracy would have
each citizen optimized in their economic utility.
(bush is an example of a breakdown in this)

Many recent generations believe that improved station
in life can be earned if they "merit" it. This historically-recent
belief is distinctly middle class, and does not come
from monarchy or neo-feudalism. To overturn the
middle class expectation, feudal institutions have
redefined "merit" as loyalty to the boss, to the
job, to the plantation, and reallocate the pie to
that end.

To overturn the institutions of social merit, the
bush neocrims have set about a new system of merit
that explains why "they" merit their positions. Whilst
this might be all fine and dandy for their political
careers, it wrecks great damage at the institutions
of global society, as we need the best citizens
promoted to their natural positions of intelligence,
and we, to survive, need the institutions of
meritocracy restored; a functioning 4th estate.

When the person who is president should be a grave digger,
and the grave digger is in the president's chair, our
society is at risk at its very strategic core, violating
its own mechinisms of natural selection for bad DNA.

Strange formatting. Who wrote it? Is it something historical?

The writer also seems to be confused about whether he/she likes meritocracy - seems to against it, but in the end, comes down in favor it.

:shrug:

It is formatted that way, as i'm trying to ask
a complex question based on an observation.

We require, given the highly technical nature of
our culture, that the network admin's know what
they're doing... and across all careers, all
nations. This being "democratic" underground,
i sided the op towards meritocracy, as we may
be democratic, but we arn't really.

As the democratic party is supported strongly by
universities and many professions that have very
defined systems of merit and achievement, and
the republican party, generally, more business
money with country club education, perhaps a bible.
The denial of the meritocracy makes sense from
the country club.

The country club can't get petrol for its gas lawn
mowers without a meritocracy. They then position
their entire club on top of the meritocracy, morally.

any better than not formatting it that way, but so be it. :shrug:

So, that post was your writing, then?

And you are saying that a meritocracy (based on skills/knowledge) is the best way to go; and you are offering the suggestion that the republicans have redefined "meritocracy" to mean "those who are loyal/sycophantish enough regardless of their skills/benefit to society"?

If so, then I agree with you wholeheartedly. I think meritocracies are bloody wonderful, and very sensible systems (though unnatural to us humans, and thus difficult for us to pull it off properly, I submit). I worked in a firm that was a meritocracy and beat the shit out of every union job I ever had - I was good, so actually got rewarded. Whereas in the union jobs, I was good, and got jack shit because pay was all about how long I'd worked there, no matter how much more I produced than anyone else, or how good of a job I did.

And you make a good (albeit unclear) point about how the rich republican-types like to redefine meritocracy based on asskissing (my one-word summation of your phrases).

I developed a bad habit from the old DU editor, hence the formatting.

I always post my own writing, a very occasional italic quote at times.

I do believe that meritocracy is the best way to go, yes, even over
democracy. I think a retired school teacher should have more votes
than a fast food worker. I think military service should give more
votes than a civilian. I do believe that contribution should weigh
on influence.. not by money, but by merit. The republicans, seem
to try to mix these 2 things, by presuming a puritain belief that
"good people come to wealth". It seems the core hueristic in their
program of merit.

I was going to say that the universities encapsulated merit, but that
is not so true, so i was thinking its sorta the 4th estate, 5th estate
thing, only by challenge in open free speech debate can any merit or
truth be truly tested.

You write much more clearly, -fingers are rusty today-.

:-)

Renters should have no voting rights as they do not pay taxes. Now I guess the owners are really paying those taxes out of their own pocket for love of the renter? Who is paying the tax really? I think when you say one job should have more say than other you are thinking the same way. It is always a two way street. The owner of the mill would have nothing to sell with out the workers who would have nothing to make with our the mill owner. People can do different things or want to do different things and the value of that thing should not be a value thing for votes. Or that is how I look at it. This country has just been a little better at letting talent go to the top and not birth to be the 100 percent judge. Just look at the White House and Congress and you will see both sides of the coin played out there.

Samsarrah as well points to the fallability of plutocracy,
and this is the operational system today, just by the
ability to purchase an election. My observation, however,
is that such a system will not select DNA for survival,
it cannot, because it does not distinguish its betters.

My seeing, is that such a system is prone to fail at some point, and that point,
should replace it with a meritocracy, where obvious social merit is given weighted votes. Such a system is working very well in switzerland to maintain extremely
high standards of living, and green(er) coexistivity.

In my vision of a meritocracy, i would give every person 1 vote for every 20 years of life. Generational votes for wisdom of living on the earth and surviving.

1 extra vote for military service
1 extra vote for civil service (ie: school teacher)
1 extra vote for paying double your taxes

Such a system would be more likely to promote competence, as those
who have proven competence in society would have more say in getting
intelligence to the top. We're already seeing the other side of
the coin playing out, tragically as plutocratic greed rots away at
liberty's foundation more effectively than any enemy.

the people who do not vote but I frankly do like what you are saying. Odd that when I lived in the middle of the service life few of those people voted. I was looked as a nut as I always voted and I had to have a higher officer sign the vote so I could send it in.

as opposed to a no account schmuck like me?

I would get 2 votes, for over 40 years of life.
I don't know your age, so if you are over 40,
then we have equal voting weight.

If you're a retired police officer who's 65, you'd
have 4 votes, 3 votes for 3 generations, and 1 vote
for civil service.

A retired military general who's 80 years old and
pays double his taxes, would have 4 generation votes,
1 military service vote, and 1 double taxes vote...
6 votes.

A single mother of 2 kids would get to vote the kids
votes until they were voting age. Say she is 30 years
old, 1 -generation vote.. 2 kid votes... 3 votes,
1 more than me.

...

Is that a fair sketch?

redefinition of "merit." :)

:-)

Apologies for the more obsolete terms,
where political utility is presumed in "economic utility".

else.. so there will be a handy massive under class to exploit when China starts outsourcing all their poluting, environmentally distructive and low paying jobs here..

They use whatever works to get us to behave. If a meritocracy within a hierarchy of wage slaves works, that is what they will use. If instead tasers and mass arrests are best to keep us down, that is the method they will employ. When the system is in danger of cracking up, war is always in order. The system has always been this way.

It spoils the folly of political choice.

.. as long as those who are disabled, incapable, etc are taken care of.

The first step to implementing a meritrocracy would be a 100% "death tax" i.e., being born into a rich family is not a "merit" :)

THAT would sure clear up the deficit in a big fat hurry, wouldn't it.