Agreed. Outwardly the definition of meritocracy sounds positive:
"an elite group of people whose progress is based on ability and talent rather than on class privilege or wealth."[1]
However defining what constitutes "merit" has some issues:
The term "meritocracy" was originally intended as a negative concept.One of the primary concerns with meritocracy is the unclear definition of "merit" What is considered as meritorious can differ with opinions as on which qualities are considered the most worthy, raising the question of which "merit" is the highest—or, in other words, which standard is the "best" standard. As the supposed effectiveness of a meritocracy is based on the supposed competence of its officials, this standard of merit cannot be arbitrary and has to also reflect the competencies required for their roles.[2]
"an elite group of people whose progress is based on ability and talent rather than on class privilege or wealth."[1]
However defining what constitutes "merit" has some issues:
The term "meritocracy" was originally intended as a negative concept.One of the primary concerns with meritocracy is the unclear definition of "merit" What is considered as meritorious can differ with opinions as on which qualities are considered the most worthy, raising the question of which "merit" is the highest—or, in other words, which standard is the "best" standard. As the supposed effectiveness of a meritocracy is based on the supposed competence of its officials, this standard of merit cannot be arbitrary and has to also reflect the competencies required for their roles.[2]
[1] http://www.dictionary.com/browse/meritocracy
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meritocracy