That’s Meritocratic Democracy

Meritocracy is not what you’ve heard. Equal Opportunity for Every Child: That’s Meritocratic Democracy—true Meritocracy—the political, economic, and educational means by which humankind will transcend mediocrity and dissatisfaction, and transform life in this world into vibrant communities of fulfilled individuals who embody excellence.

Free Market Democracy

Whom does the market serve? Does it serve the interests of the people? Is the market democratic? Can we elect representatives into the market? Can we remove people from the market? Could we have prevented the 2008 financial crisis if We the People had enjoyed insider influence and foresight of the consequences of an unrestrained, unregulated market? How can we prevent nepotism, cronyism and inequality in a free market system? It’s a fact that the market is entirely undemocratic and serves the interests of an elect few; it’s private corporations, private banks, private insurance companies, private entrepreneurs, private lawyers, private accountants, private economists, private lobbyists, and private super rich who run the market. The People are at the mercy of the vested interests of a tiny fraction of society. 1% decide the economic future of the 99%. In what way does the market reflect the interests of the general will?

Politicians are in the pockets of the 1%. Their loyalty lies not with the People, but with the selfish agendas of completely amoral corporate entities. The failure of our leaders to predict and prevent our financial crisis should automatically imply that their economic policies are unequivocally false, and therefore should be resigned to the status of pseudoscience and woo-woo. Unrestrained and unregulated markets are a sure recipe for disaster. The market should be under the direct control of the people whose future it determines. No more bailouts for the privileged few, no more too-big-to-fail banking giants, no more ludicrous bonuses for financial criminals, and no more boom-and-bust!

“You cannot have democracy and free-market capitalism together. They are diametrically opposed. You either put the rich in charge, or you put the People in charge. What’s it to be?

In Meritocratic Democracy, the farce is brought to an end. The rich are told once and for all who’s in charge—the People. All entities external to the political process that have power over the political process are brought under direct government control. All people in positions of power must be elected and accountable to their electorate. This, of course, spells the end of free-market capitalism—rule by the rich. It will be replaced by Meritocratic, “social” capitalism (aka “public” capitalism) where the capitalist beast is tamed and made to work for the People rather than against them.”—an anonymous contributor under the alias “22o”

Meritocratic Social Capitalism

Universal suffrage is the declaration that all people, regardless of their knowledge, are qualified to make decisions pertaining to the nation’s future. Both utopian and idealistic, in practice this doctrine breeds mediocrity.

Qualified Universal Suffrage recognises that certain individuals are better suited to make decisions within their field of expertise, and that all citizens are afforded the opportunities necessary for developing and proving their merit for voting on issues and candidates.

“Qualified [Universal] Suffrage replaces universal suffrage in a Meritocratic society. Our world is run by privileged people who are interested in only one thing: increasing their wealth and power at the expense of everyone else. People who behave in this way belong in a psychiatrist’s chair, not in public offices. The simple fact is that we have blatantly deceptive politicians striving to maximize their own power and wealth, and voters who are unqualified to judge the merit of the candidates.”—Alicia Gumm

Meritocratic Social Capitalism is the way by which the people take control of their economic future. It ensures the market operates in the public interest by means of introducing a system of Qualified Universal Suffrage, whereby every citizen capable of a well-informed opinion is granted the right to vote on the best candidate to occupy a position of influence. No restriction or distinction is made based on race, sex, belief, sexual orientation, gender identity, wealth, or social status; only on the capacity of the individual to demonstrate sufficient knowledge regarding a candidate’s field of expertise and sphere of influence.

Private banks will become public banks run by the most Meritocratic experts elected into position by their peers. These people will be proven experts in their field and will act according to the general will of the public they serve. For the first time in history the people will be able to unelect banking executives if they fail to serve their general interests. Banks will operate on a local level and become decentralised. Competition between local banks will be encouraged and mediated by a supreme council of economic experts. This council will comprise the most qualified and experienced economists in the country: only the most talented individuals will become elected into the supreme council.

Dialectical Logic

“One core principle of a Meritocratic Democracy is the dialectic—thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. The thesis is the first attempt to understand or explain a concept or to improve anything that already exists. The Antithesis is the opposition to the thesis, and it seeks to show what is wrong with the thesis. The synthesis takes what is best from the thesis and antithesis and leaves behind the rest. In a Meritocratic Democracy, the dialectic provides the basis for a healthy government to function, and it will improve every aspect of human affairs.”—Alicia Gumm

Social capitalism is based on a system of dialectical logic. Meritocratic Democracy recognizes the conflict between private interests and the interests of the public. The council’s primary function is to synthesise the best possible outcome for both entities, ensuring a true representation of the general will.

Short History and Modern Misconceptions

The concept of Meritocracy dates back to the works of Confucius. In its most basic form Meritocracy is defined simply as a system of government whose representatives gain office via standardised examination. Aristotle defined Meritocracy as an ideal ethos for a society to strive towards; though his conception of this ideal is based upon aristocratic or oligarchical structures, rather than the modern state. More recently, the word Meritocracy has been coined by British sociologist Michael Young. His essay, “The Rise of the Meritocracy”, was based upon the tendency of modern governments, in their striving towards high IQ scores, to ignore the failure of education systems to utilise correctly the gifted and talented members within their societies. Christopher Hayes’s recent publication, “Twilight of the Elites: America After Meritocracy”, argues that since the 1960s, America has become more Meritocratic in its ethos, thereby creating an elite class of citizens who use Meritocratic ideology as justification for inequality.

It is perplexing that anyone could think of America as a Meritocracy. Since when did America give everyone an equal chance and allow the brightest to shine? The obvious truth about America is that those who come from wealthy backgrounds have far more opportunity for success than those who don’t. America is a Plutocracy based on private wealth and privilege; it is overwhelmingly anti-meritocratic! Any leader with merit would support equality of opportunity for every child, which means that they would be implementing the Millionaire’s Death Tax, and striving towards creating the Optimised Education System.

Inheritance Tax

Excessive privilege is inherently anti-equal opportunities. It allows wealth to be transmitted down generations, denying countless lives proper resources and opportunities to fulfil their potential. Meritocracy ensures a level economic playing field via the implementation of the Millionare’s Death Tax, a guarantee of equal opportunities and an end to extreme wealth and privilege. When the government is re-formed and recreated Meritocratically, instead of using tax money to further entrench the elite in their hegemony, it will depend on the guidance of meritorious experts, and spend it in the most intelligent way that human society currently knows. The Millionaire’s Death Tax will go towards only proven social programs, such as nutrition and education, for example. Instead of acting only for the benefit of the super rich, government will act for the good of everyone. This is the single most important tax in human history—the tax upon which rests the fate of humanity, and human freedom itself. The Millionaire’s Death Tax is essential if government is to serve the People.

Optimised Education

“Children must be afforded a learning environment wherein they can easily perceive how bright and beautiful they are, and how rich their world is. They must be encouraged to discover how they can most aptly gain from and impact their community. A childhood of choice and voice, and access to abundant resources of the richest quality, will immunise young people against the hegemony that currently excludes all—except the children of the entrenched elite—from Optimised Education, the bedrock of a Meritocratic Democracy, and from the choicest opportunities after degree conferral.”—Halle Bingham, “Optimised Education in a Meritocratic Democracy”

Thus the citizenry and the community it comprises advance unbounded towards continually higher degrees of excellence and fulfilment.

Rational Government for Vibrant Society

When candidates are chosen by people who are qualified to judge them; when the world’s bountiful resources are removed from the possession of inheritors, and made available to all the living; and when all people enjoy a youth-long invitation into the best possible life they can make for themselves and for each other, then we will have embarked, with rational government at the helm, on the journey to a vibrant society. That’s Qualified Universal Suffrage working in harmony with the Millionaire’s Death Tax and Optimised Education. That’s Meritocratic Democracy.

by Thomas Payne