Intergalactic Summit

Often, we hear how successful the Caldari's New Meritocracy has been for the general health and wellbeing of their State. Indeed, the advantages of such Hethite policies have been undeniable. Naturally, for every great achievement, there are those who lose out. The introduction of a more mechanical, codified system of meritocracy means that is now easier more than ever to fall. Alas, this is not the objective of the following position I wish to take.

What is often forgotten amongst capsuleer circles is that the Federation, too, is a meritocracy. However, as an alliance of semi-independent planets, it is far less controlled and 'official' than the Caldari model. In fact, it exists as a social and cultural ideology instead, rather than being a controlled policy under the government of the extremely centralized Caldari State (trying to find a disconnected agrarian village in State sovereignty is a near-impossible task).

In this period of limited war, the Federation still counts as the Promised Land for many. Caldari citizens who disagree with the Executor Heth and his Caldari Providence Directorate, Minmatar who see Shakor's Republic as a step backwards to the dark ages, or Amarr who have grown to disagree with the institution of slavery; all seek recourse in migrating to the Federation. The idea behind this is that, regardless of your background, you can forge your own destiny, go from rags-to-riches on the merit of your ability, talents and skills, and make it big. There are many of these 'success stories' in Gallentean history, of individuals who start their careers as nothing and make it big on their own accord. The founder of Pend Insurance is one such example.

However, such cultural quirks are not labelled as meritocratic often, even if they still fall under the technical definition. Is Gallente society not meritocratic simply because the term is not commonly invoked? I will not seek to explain why such a label is not more frequently used, but I will nonetheless use examples to point out how it still applies, is in some ways superior to the Caldari model, and is in some ways inferior.

As my eleven-year-old, Anette Inhonores, continues to make strides in the entertainment industry, we can see how her merits and talents is elevating her in status and wealth. Her strongest merit, above her acting and musical ability, rests very much in her individual character. Something as mundane as smiling is seen as very important in Gallentean culture (uniquely, we are the only culture that smile in our family portraits). Despite the girl having lost a mother she only knew for a few months, as well as an infant brother she adored dearly, she has been able to put on one of the most bravest faces I have certainly ever known. Anette powers through her career without stopping for breath. When she is not at school, she is either rehearsing for her various obligations, is engaging with her celebrity lifestyle, making planetary visits and so forth, or is doing whatever she may have to do that day. She does this all while continually smiling, showing society how her bereavements have not affected her. This is her merit, and she is getting rewarded for it as such.

(I would note that, on a slight digression, the smiling culture in the Federation has somewhat more sinister undertones; behind the happiness, utopian overtones and all such idealistic traits, there is often a slew of brokenness and questionable moralities that are behind it)

Versus the State's 'industry and militarism' powerhouse, the Federation counters as one of 'arts and sciences'. Individuals who show their remarkable achievements to the world, whether through artistic talent or scientific innovation, are rewarded as so. Why is this superior to the Caldari model? Firstly, the Caldari have a much more rigid definition of what counts as 'merits'. In fact, it does not rest so much in merits, but moreso in ability. If you are assigned a job or occupation, you will be expected to fulfill this to the best of your ability, and will be rewarded as so. The inverse applies. That's about it; do your job and reap the benefits. There is no consideration for individual uniqueness and talents, not only because it is not an individualistic culture, but because there is little cultural stock put into artistic ability, such as music, painting, dancing and so forth.

Take a look at the Caldari entertainment industry. It was only formed to compete with the domination of the Gallentean one, as a profit opportunity. This contrasts itself with how the individual Gallentean sees entertainment as a cultural artform, and a platform for self-expression. The differing mindsets in this, artistic expression versus profit opportunity, can be seen in how Caldari entertainment products have been branded as 'bland' and 'soulless'; they're nothing more than mass-produced items designed to reap profits, not individual canvasses for expressing artistic ability.

The Gallente meritocracy is centred around the individual's unique merits, talents and abilities. The Caldari meritocracy, meanwhile, is measured in how much an individual's ability will contribute to the collective gain. However, this latter consideration is incorporated into the Gallentean mindset as well. A hard-working intern at a corporate firm can and will get promoted if he demonstrates his ability to promote the gain of the company. A factory line worker will get promoted to foreman, as he shows the owner how much of a hard-working individual he is.

The key difference is, however, is that this meritocracy is cultural, and not legal. It is, more often than not, subject to nepotism, with few laws and regulations in place to plug such holes. Granted, while there are many planetary and sub-planetary authorities that have implemented meritocratic policies, it does not and will not ever exist as the Federal level, as that is simply not the role and purpose of the Villore government.

A charming little essay if I may say, even though I don't see the point in it.

Unless you're saying the war between your two cultures would magically stop if Caldari would smile more.

I have a few questions.

First: Is meritocracy a system in itself or rather an ideology applied to a system?
Second: What merit is there in abilities, talents and skills that are centered on the individual and it's own wants and not the society and the greater good? And: How are the societal "merits" of Gallentean society in any way more than accidentally resulting from these self-centered ones?
Third: How can a culture and political system that promotes values as well as abilities, talents and skills that are centered on the individual that's possessing them called in any meaningful way a 'meritocracy'? What's the merit in 'powering through' a career? And: Have the Gallente learned anything from the story of Excena Foer, better known under her stage-name Aura?

Honestly, I think one can only think of the Gallente culture and political system as a 'meritocracy' if one takes the ideological stance of individualism. Those that care best for themselves are the ones ascending. The highest political position is given to the person best able to sell him or herself, not the one with the abilities that merit society most.
Meritocracy, though, is the ideology to give out positions in society to individual whose abilities have merit for society, which makes sense as in those positions that are of central importance for a society are arguably best filled with individuals whose abilities, skills and talents have merit for society. Meritocracy focuses by necessity on society, individualism - to no surprise - does not. One and the other exclude each other as equal partners. There is no individualistic perspective on meritocracy.

Thus, I think the idea of individualistic meritocracy or meritocratic individualism is a paradox: One fitting the Gallentean society that is still striving for the realization of an utopia that is of this world. The resulting creativity might be the only merit for society in this, the cost are the undertones of brokenness and questionable moralities that are behind it.

Undertones? Well, isn't it the knowledge, pushed off into the unconscious, that in fact the prize for this dynamic creativity is a broken society and above and beyond that, that the creativity is merely the desperate effort to heal that rift?

Good opening question. Clearly, the State has implemented it as a system; the ideology hasn't been applied to the system. It is the system. Where does meritocracy come from? I do not believe it is for its own sake; the harsh nature of Caldari Prime meant that efficiency is the only way to survive. How do you enforce efficiency without tyranny? Meritocracy; to encourage the individual to contribute to the collective, and thus society lives on. Though, yes, by the Gallentean standard, the State is authoritarian, as long as the citizenry do not themselves regard this as an issue, then stability and efficiency is built.

Authoritarian meritocracy amongst the Caldari is historically contigent and apart of their civilization. In the same way, dictatorship and totalitarianism is not an historical or social construct with the Gallenteans and Intakis, the latter arguably being responsible for a lot of the pacific-orientated Federal foreign policy. This is why Duvalier's Ultra-Nationalist regime failed; it's democracy or death in the Federation (and it's certainly why democracy will not be exported unless it is organically produced in foreign nations)



This poses an interesting point. The individual Caldari contributes to the whole to better society. The individual Gallentean better themselves to contribute to society. I think it's important to realize that the cultural stock that Gallenteans put into "self-centered merits" is near-sacred. We are very sentimental and romantic about what the ability to sing, dance, paint, sculpt etc. mean. For example, to unfortunately personalize this debate again, Anette's artistic ability inspire hope for many. The individual acting as a role model and rally point for other individuals, as opposed to society as a whole. After all, we hate government here; we think they're corrupt and sleazy. Better to rally with each other than behind those folk.



A good point. It could be said that the Federation is not a meritocracy because these merits are focused on individual gain rather than collective gain, ie. the system. However, as I have just pointed out, our societies benefit from individualistic behaviour. It has meritocratic values, and is in-so-far a meritocracy socioculturally, and not constitutionally.

As for Excena Foer? I'm familiar with the old story, but I don't think I could speak for all Gallenteans on that matter.

Still, as I think that those benefits of individualistic behavior to society are merely accidental and non essential to the individualistic behaviors in question, that one could only speak of something like an 'accidental' meritocracy. That's a weird form of meritocracy, then.
One that happens by accident more than anything else. While I'm surely thinking of it as something positive that even a society brings about people with qualities that are beneficial for society after all is said and done, I don't see it as an achievement of that society. It's rather the wonderful way in which God managed to create a cosmos, a whole in which the parts fit just miraculously into one another. It's not meritocracy, though, in my book, for that presupposes that it's something the society puts effort into to achieve. Not something that just happens to happen while we focus on our own individual traits and what they gain us.

It's radical to say that there are advantages to the Caldari system? Surely it's common sense to acknowledge the benefits of other systems than one's own – if only to show that you're making a balanced judgement in favour of your own.

As a Caldari expatriate living in the Federation, I'm still proud of my heritage and my people: I admire many things about my fellow Caldari and the society they built. My issues are with the State's current governance and direction. Am I 'radical' if I say that there is much merit within the Caldari system? Doesn't it make sense to recognise what, if anything, other cultures are doing right, and see if their methods can be adapted to better ourselves?

Recognising another culture's strength doesn't imply that one wishes to submit to it entirely. It simply provides a balanced picture by which one can judge one's own relative position.

So they do happen? Interesting.

But I think you overstate the situation. As I said above, there is no shame or stigma in recognising the strengths of others and learning from them for one's own improvement. Economically, philosophically, militarily and politically it makes sense to do so, and many of the most powerful corporations in the State are where they are precisely because they are willing to learn from others.

There would be a power vacuum for a time, yes; and yes, internal factions would compete to fill it. But I think you're propagandising here. I know it's easy to do: Gallente teach their children that the Caldari as little more than unthinking, unfeeling robots, and your comment here seems to reinforce that rather simple view. Speaking from a humanitarian viewpoint, the Caldari have different policies and live under a different culture. That doesn't make them stupid or incapable, much as Gallente extremists would like everyone to believe it does. Speaking from a military viewpoint, it's very foolish to underestimate your opponent: here you're asserting a vulnerability that the State does not have, and while conflict exists between the Federation and the State, it's to be hoped the Federation's leaders, and her military, don't start believing the same thing.

The Caldari have a sense of order and position that the Gallente don't share. For a Gallentean, there's no such thing as knowing your place: you've taken social mobility to its limit, arguing that even the poorest should be capable of becoming president if they work hard enough. No-one is excluded from reaching the top. Even Mr. Inhonores, in his original submission here, offering his proto-celebrity daughter as his example: at eleven years old, she is “powering through her career”. Good for her, then, and I hope she continues to do well.

But while no-one is excluded from reaching the top, and that's perfectly commendable, there's only so much room up there. Not everyone can be president; not everyone can be a lauded holoreel star. Not everyone can be rich, or powerful, or famous. It's the same in the State. Some will be on top looking down, some will be halfway down with pressure from above and below, and some will be at the bottom with cricked necks from looking up at everyone else. There's a hierarchy in both nations, whether you like to highlight it or not. The only difference is in people's expectations. In the Caldari State, someone at the bottom of the heap tends to merely accept their lot, and works to make the best of it. Here in the Federation, people become dissatisfied, unhappy, even miserable because, try as they might, they can't seem to strike it rich, or become famous, or get elected into office – yet their society keeps on telling them that they should be able to; they have a right to it; they deserve it. So, they think, what's wrong with me? I can't be good enough. I'm a failure. Then they get bitter. Then they get disenfranchised, and they stop being productive. Not good for them; not good for the Federation.

Now, looked at from that point of view (and let me stress I'm not claiming the Caldari system is perfect: if I thought that, I'd still be living there), do you really believe the State is populated by drifting, mindless automata who'd be helpless without constant leadership and direction? Or is it possible that they're just people possessed of a somewhat different value system than your own?

Indeed. You can picture me tremendously surprised.

That’s an elaborate, and internally consistent, model. ‘Internally consistent’, that is – not ‘accurate’. You say you "like to think" of the Caldari as machine parts, but that's your prejudice, not an objective assessment. If you build your strategies around that prejudice, then when conflict arises you will be caught off guard by the more complex truth: that the Caldari are no less human than you are. At that point, the way you 'like to think' becomes a critical, dangerous weakness.

I can’t imagine where you get these ideas from. In the State, efficiency is all. Putting aside your over-simplistic ‘cog’ analogy, the State wouldn’t see the sense in just casting someone aside because they don’t fit a particular role. That person has skills and experience and training. If they don’t fit in one place, you find them another place, where they function more efficiently. You like comparing people (Caldari, at least) to machines, so try this: If you put an extractor down on a planetary surface and find that extractor isn’t pulling as much material as it could, do you demolish the thing and do without it? Or do you move it so that it’s extracting more?

Don’t look now, but you’ve just described the Caldari system. Every Caldari knows that they can’t all be CEO; however they all know that they have a chance of being CEO. Those that work the hardest towards that goal will be rewarded, even if they don’t manage to become CEO.

The difference seems to me to be in expectation. Caldari don’t expect the Universe on a plate; they’re not constantly being told that they deserve to be rich and successful, so – as I said – they don’t feel betrayed or inadequate when they don’t get it. You’re right that the Gallente system might provide more flexibility in society, but it also makes for more discontent and disenchantment.

The obvious reply to this would be to ask how one improves the life of the whole by seeking fame and adulation in the holoreel industry, or as a sports star. And you might rightly reply that such people serve not only to (vastly) enrich themselves, but to transiently entertain the masses. Which makes the masses happy, and thereby improves society, if only for a time. You assume that working to better one’s corporation is a life without gain or promise; but the truth is that of two otherwise comparable State employees, the one working for the richer corporation will enjoy a better lifestyle – as will his or her colleagues, from bottom to top. The goal of any given employee in the State is precisely the same as the goal of any citizen of the Federation: to make the best they can of the life they have.

As I said, the only difference is that Caldari are taught to be glad of what they have. And I don’t think that’s a bad trait.

A Caldari sentiment, if ever I heard one.