NationStates Jolt Archive

The title asks it all.

I think Meritocracy would fix a considerable amount. The problem with the US is people get power and responsibilities that they aren't ready to have, don't deserve, will blatantly misuse or can't handle. Guns for example, tons of people who shouldn't have them have them and now some parts of the coast are the gangster equivalent of Iraq and lets not forget all the school shootings in the US this year alone. Meritocracy would only give rights to the individuals who earn them. Its as logical as making sure only responsible worthy drivers get a driver's license or only people with doctorates get certain top notch jobs. We don't want people unfit to be parents having children or people who'd cause harm having guns.

I guess the one thing I always wonder about when someone talks about fitting certain people into certain slots is "Who gets to decide?"

I guess the one thing I always wonder about when someone talks about fitting certain people into certain slots is "Who gets to decide?"

In meritocracy its the one with the most merit as a national leader of course.

In meritocracy its the one with the most merit as a national leader of course.
I think you've just avoided the question.

In meritocracy its the one with the most merit as a national leader of course.

whats that got to do with who gets guns?

whats that got to do with who gets guns?

I wouldn't give guns to anyone that I didn't trust, would you?

How much would Meritocracy fix in the US?

It wouldn't. This has been yet another episode of brief answers to stupid questions.

It would not fix anything because meritocracy falls into the same pitfalls that any other "structured" society manages, that if you grant certain rights and liberties only to a specific group, it would inevitably become a cycle in which the powerful act soley to keep and increase their own power.

I think you've just avoided the question.

I think it's dependent on circular logic to begin with. To have a working Meritocracy, you need to have people who are best suited to making decision pick who gets what position. To pick those people, you need to have the people best suited to decide who should make decision already in place. It'll never work.

whats that got to do with who gets guns?

Since only those who are worthy of certain rights will get them and the rights they aren't worthy for they will lack nobody would get a gun unless they're responsible with it. Also since only the absolute best person who'd make the best national leader out of everyone else would make intelligent and effective laws and apt guidelines as to who's responsible enough to own a gun and who isn't.

Since only those who are worthy of certain rights will get them and the rights they aren't worthy for they will lack nobody would get a gun unless they're responsible with it. Also since only the absolute best person who'd make the best national leader out of everyone else would make intelligent and effective laws and apt guidelines as to who's responsible enough to own a gun and who isn't.

i hate to burst your bubble but the current president of the united states is a graduate of the 2 most prestigious universities in the country.

the one before him was a freaking rhodes scholar.

smart just aint all its cracked up to be.

Since only those who are worthy of certain rights will get them and the rights they aren't worthy for they will lack nobody would get a gun unless they're responsible with it. Also since only the absolute best person who'd make the best national leader out of everyone else would make intelligent and effective laws and apt guidelines as to who's responsible enough to own a gun and who isn't.

the leader would make the best decisions, because he would be smart, wise, and compassionate. He would have to be smart, wise, and compassionate, otherwise he would not be the leader.

Therefore the leader makes good decisions, because he is the leader.

Yeah....circular logic ftw!

Define merit objectively.

...if we had a meritocracy, Texas would be one of those states with only three electoral votes... >_>

i hate to burst your bubble but the current president of the united states is a graduate of the 2 most prestigious universities in the country.

the one before him was a freaking rhodes scholar.

smart just aint all its cracked up to be.

Bush graduated? :eek: OMG! Judging by his actions and speeches I thought he was note well educated.

I guess the one thing I always wonder about when someone talks about fitting certain people into certain slots is "Who gets to decide?"

Invariably, it's someone who's completely unfit for the job, who decides his friends and business partners are deserving and everyone else isn't.

'Specially them furriners.

Bush graduated? :eek: OMG! Judging by his actions and speeches I thought he was note well educated.

Bush went to Yale...you'd think someone who advocates meritocracy would be a bit cognizant of such things.

I guess the one thing I always wonder about when someone talks about fitting certain people into certain slots is "Who gets to decide?"

I do believe that the last running meritocracy used an exam...
But...
Who writes it?

nobody would get a gun unless they're responsible with it.

So if you've never had a gun to be responsible with, you'll never GET a gun.

So if you've never had a gun to be responsible with, you'll never GET a gun.

Why remove guns completely when only the responsible will have them. It'd be like punishing everyone in a class by removing privalages for a small group of kid's broke the rules. Only the culprits deserve to have the privies taken away and the rest can keep them.

Bush went to Yale...you'd think someone who advocates meritocracy would be a bit cognizant of such things.

He was a president's son, they went easy on him, and he probably cheated.

He was a president's son, they went easy on him,

Um....bush jr. graduated from yale YEARS before Bush sr. became president. Do you even know at ALL what you're talking about?


and he probably cheated.

Oh, an unsubstantiated, undocumented, unverified claim by South Lizasauria. What a shock.

I for one would applaud the decision, for you would not be able to troll us anymore, since your internet rights would be taken away.

Why remove guns completely when only the responsible will have them. It'd be like punishing everyone in a class by removing privalages for a small group of kid's broke the rules. Only the culprits deserve to have the privies taken away and the rest can keep them.

you um.....you kinda totally missed the point there didnt ya?

So if you've never had a gun to be responsible with, you'll never GET a gun.

This would be a very interesting idea...

Of course, it'd also apply to the military. I wonder how that would work out.

*Imagines swordsmen fighting tanks... they get their ass beat.*

And the invaders take the capital.

I for one would applaud the decision, for you would not be able to troll us anymore, since your internet rights would be taken away.

winner.

Oh, an unsubstantiated, undocumented, unverified claim by South Lizasauria. What a shock.

Emphasis on probably.

Emphasis on probably.

That um...that really doesn't change what I said.

That um...that really doesn't change what I said.

I didn't say he cheated, I just said it s a probability.

I didn't say he cheated, I just said it s a probability.

Yes, I saw that, I can read.

What I didn't see is something to back up that assertion.

Yes, I saw that, I can read.

What I didn't see is something to back up that assertion.

Well he is bit of a weasel with all the cheating and lying he's been doing and he seems somewhat good at it or else he would have lost his power earlier o wouldn't have gotten elected at all so the thought that he was good at lying and cheating before or during college struck me.

Why remove guns completely when only the responsible will have them. It'd be like punishing everyone in a class by removing privalages for a small group of kid's broke the rules. Only the culprits deserve to have the privies taken away and the rest can keep them.

You're missing what you've said.

You can only have a gun if you have proven you can be reponsible with it.
Logically, this means that ONLY people who possess guns in the first place and have proven that they are responsible, will retain the right to have them.
If you have never had a gun, you will never be able to prove you can be responsible with it.
Therefore, if you have never had a gun, you can never have a gun, in your world.

It's called following your idea to its logical end.

Well he is bit of a weasel with all the cheating and lying he's been doing and he seems somewhat good at it or else he would have lost his power earlier o wouldn't have gotten elected at all so the thought that he was good at lying and cheating before or during college struck me.

you mean you are FINE with the way bill clinton did the job?

you mean you are FINE with the way bill clinton did the job?

We never even mentioned Bill Clinton in this thread once. What makes you think I am?

We never even mentioned Bill Clinton in this thread once. What makes you think I am?

because i said that the past 2 presidents had excellent qualifications. you went off on bush and left clinton uncommented on.

because i said that the past 2 presidents had excellent qualifications. you went off on bush and left clinton uncommented on.

Because Clinton had nothing to do with the discussion.

I think you've just avoided the question.

I can't believe I'm doing this, but I agree with you.

Because Clinton had nothing to do with the discussion.

really?

you believe in meritocracy. clinton would be an excellent example of the kind of man who would be promoted by such a system.

it is my contention that HE more than bush is a demonstration of why meritocracy isnt all that great an idea.

This has been yet another episode of brief answers to stupid questions.

I'm beginning to like that show.

I first read about meritocracy when I was something like twelve. The context was ancient China. At first I thought "wow, that'd be a great way to run a country". Immediately afterward, I realized that meritocracy would be idiotic for the reasons already elucidated above: easy to fall into corruption, and of course the "who writes the test" point.

So no. Meritocracy would not fix America or any other country for that matter.

Invariably, it's someone who's completely unfit for the job, who decides his friends and business partners are deserving and everyone else isn't.

'Specially them furriners.

"Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job." - Douglas Adams.

It's true, most of the world's rulers are the absolute worst people for their respective positions who in turn surround themselves by people just as ill fit. The best people to run a democratic country tend to be completely unelectable.

This would be a very interesting idea...

Of course, it'd also apply to the military. I wonder how that would work out.

*Imagines swordsmen fighting tanks... they get their ass beat.*

And the invaders take the capital.

If the world is anything like Empire Earth 1 then those tanks would be wrecked using a ratio of about 1 tank: 6 swordsmen.

It wouldn't. This has been yet another episode of brief answers to stupid questions.

It would not fix anything because meritocracy falls into the same pitfalls that any other "structured" society manages, that if you grant certain rights and liberties only to a specific group, it would inevitably become a cycle in which the powerful act soley to keep and increase their own power.

But that would be a selfish crime. They would be punished. Punished by magic police fairies.

If the world is anything like Empire Earth 1 then those tanks would be wrecked using a ratio of about 1 tank: 6 swordsmen.

That was one of the downsides to that game. No realistic rewards for tech advances in the military.

magic police fairies.

Magicpolicefairieocracy!

It's the obvious solution to all our problems.

Magicpolicefairieocracy!

It's the obvious solution to all our problems.

Would soon turn into a magicfairypolicestate...everyone knows that :rolleyes:

The only thing the USA needs to fix is it's foreign policy and a few aspects of its law.

edit: oh and it's health service.

Magicpolicefairieocracy!

It's the obvious solution to all our problems.

I for one welcome our new magic police fairie overlords and would like to know if they would wish me to clap.

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/a/a2/Jorgen_Von_Strangle.gif
I don't know, the magic fairy police don't seem too nice to me....

I'd rather not have the Stupid Anarchist Resistance Movement, thank you.

Magicpolicefairieocracy!

It's the obvious solution to all our problems.

Who else do you turn to when you are at war with the Gnomes but the magic police fairies. And before you ask... we have always been at war with the Gnomes.

I wouldn't give guns to anyone that I didn't trust, would you?

I wouldn't give guns to anyone, period.