Maybe you can help me put together a framework for it. If it works other people can do something similar. I have a broken leg right now. Got about two more weeks of this. When I go back to work I can start. It costs about $10 a month for up to 50 people and $15 for unlimited so the cost is irrelevant. I can cover it. It’s always free to join.
New California Meritocracy Hub
What’s needed is a group title and a basic description of the group, The discussion section can have a guidelines post or any subject we want to put on it.
I’ve got time to help with the meet up page.
Hi Lee,
I think all we would need to start is as follows
Group Title/Picture
200-300 word group description
About a 500 word guidelines section
Can we exchange e-mail addresses? We can create and edit content that way.
My e-mail is [email protected]
Also you can ask Roberto to set you up on “Meritopedia.org”.
I’m also on facebook under Dave Bethea.
Are you guys still going forward with this? If so, please keep us posted!
I’m hoping to start the site in a week or two. I will try it for a couple of months and review any success.If it works others can try the same in their area. I’ll let you know as soon as I get it going.
1 Like
The meetup group has been started. I did this myself but can edit any content. Could someone give it a review and please join if you live in the area. http://www.meetup.com/The-Round-Table-Meritocracy-Group/
1 Like
By far, social activism is the best route to go in recruiting idealists and rationals. Everybody is surrounded by rhetoric all the time, abstract solutions for concrete world problems. If you want to turn heads, especially in California, then we need to go out and do something visible in the public.
I think we could do this by developing an impromptu soup kitchen in more economically depressed areas of San Francisco, L.A., and other large cities with the largest “at risk” population. Specifically I had this idea by understanding the christian connection to such matters. Why are Christians the only ones running soup kitchens and homeless shelters? They help people because they are ordered to, not because they care. They reinforce acceptance of the current power structure by telling the poor and homeless that Jesus is the solution to all their problems. the church will help aid them in returning to society; as long as they believe…
You could speak volumes by replacing this model with one founded on meritocratic principles, where people help each other because they want to. You can have literature and posters available to people, you could have a listing of all social services in the area, and maps to resources the poor need. make our views relevant to the immediate concrete problem.
I realize that many of you might be thinking about the money needed to open such an institution, but its really more a matter of just finding people willing to help. You don’t need a physical soup kitchen to throw up some table and chairs in the park and offer people sandwiches and conversation. I know of several activist groups in Cali doing such things now, all from acquiring food that was being wasted or thrown out by local businesses and restaurants.
Attracting more and more intellectual middle class people to the website will take us only so far. We need to harness the rage of the marginalized underclass.
2 Likes
Eli’s post highlights the effectiveness and importance of Meritocracy Parties getting involved in their local communities as much as possible. Elections are only every so often, but action can always be taken - and it’ll be remembered when it’s time to vote: you’ll actually have a solid case for why you need X people in Y legislature in order to achieve Z. You could say and show how you’ve reached the limits of what you can do privately.
People don’t expect Parties to act as NGOs, I doubt they expect much of them at all other than rhetoric, so that’s a strong differentiator and “selling point”!
1 Like
Yes, there is no reason that Meritocracy can’t set out to prove itself in as many ways as possible. In can be an actual entity that exists no matter what. No matter elections or otherwise. That way when an election or crisis comes, it’s not “I don’t know about these Meritocracy guys…who are they? What are they about? I’ve never heard of them. Sounds weird”. That “Carnegie pledge” thing that I posted a while ago was intended to highlight this exact notion. Although as soup kitchen is much more practical! haha
Has anyone looked at the meetup group yet? The intention is to have social events as well as activism opportunities and to spread Meritocracy. I’ve posted a few articles on the “Pages” section on the site and have a direct link to “meritocracy party.org” under the “Sponsor” section. I’m posting simple volunteering events like beach clean-up. I’m also looking into a group called “Illumination Foundation” in Irvine CA which helps the homeless. I’d also like to get people involved with local government so I’ll be posting City Counsel Meetings and such.
In the first week a dozen or so have joined, but only one seems interested so far. People just click the join button never to be heard from. This is an experiment I’m hoping will gain traction. Any advise is welcome.
Looks sweet! A hub sounds profound and central. I like it! The US needs this party, especially since election season is coming
The site is still up but inactive right now. I’m recovering from a broken leg and haven’t been mobile lately. Still an ongoing project, I’ll keep you posted.
2 Likes
Are you doing daily short updates? That may feed interest while you’re immobile and unable to lead at the events.
I’m almost healed. I’m going to visit an atheist group on Sunday. (another meetup group) Be polite, respectful and perhaps open a window… I have one event for July. A jazz concert then a meeting afterwards. I know it will be slow going at first and the broken leg didn’t help things but I’ll get it going.
1 Like
Hi, Dave. Sorry I haven’t been on here in a while. How is the Meritocracy Party doing in your area? Get any recruits? I myself have taken a backseat when it comes to the Meritocracy Party. This might sound Anathema to you all, but I decided to Register as a Democrat. I’m hoping that Bernie has a chance to get the nomination. I realize the current system is broken, but it’s the one we have right now in the United States. Plus I’m not personally comfortable with espousing anti Christian Rhetoric. I grew up in the Christian Church, and there are good people in the church who care about people. But I applaud the efforts of the Meritocracy Party for desiring to create positive change around the world. The world needs more people who are dedicated to fixing the world’s problems.
I myself am planning to run in 2018 for city council in my town of Yucaipa, C.A. The city I believe is largely Republican and I believe most of the council members are too, but I think they’ve got the best interests for Yucaipa in their heart. Yucaipa is a pretty well run city and their not in debt. But I’m going to try to galvanize the young people, especially those who support Marijuana legalization. If I can get the young people of my city to register and vote for me, I think I’ve got a chance to win by landslide. I’m a young guy, 31 years old, so I can relate with them.
Anyways, keep up the good work Dave!
Just make a website comparing individual voting strategies issue by issue. Attach a community platform that ranks the most popular participant. users can apply the voting strategy of a political party, organization, figurehead, expert, or prominent voter by matching their guidelines. Videos could be attached allowing participants to state their intended strategy and debate others.
Boom! meritocracy… I think.
FTW
Sorry I came late to this post. I get where you’re coming from with the ‘not being comfortable with espousing anti-Christian rhetoric.’ That’s at least 2 ppl on these boards who’ve basically left because of it & who knows how many more didn’t join in the first place, because of it.
We have to look at this & find an agreed strategy.
What has religion [ any religion; mainstream, alternative or otherwise ] got to do with politics? You can be one or the other in my book, but not both. So is M Party a religion or a political party & movement?
I think we’ll mostly agree it’s a political party & movement. You just have to look at the problems thrown up previously in Northern Ireland & on-going in the Middle East to realize the mess that evolves when mixing religion with politics.
If most ppl agree so far, then as a political party we can’t be seen to favour or denounce any religions over any other. Banning them would only drive them underground & lead to hatred & resentment of the M Party.
If we’re against the influence of mainstream religions in schools, we can only promote the restriction of the amount of time spent on religous studies in mainstream state schools.
We can also promote that religious worship should stay in the churches & other places of worship, outwith schools & colleges. But i reckon that’s about it, in realistic terms. The Christian churches are 2000 years old in the founding & M Party will be turning up in the voters lives relatively 5 mins ago, in the grand scheme of things. Likewise with Judasm & Islam, which are even older than Christianity.
The ideas on this thread about setting up soup kitchens, helping the poor & the homeless etc… are defo on the right track though. That would be ‘playing [ & hopefully beating ] religion at its own game’ - if it were to come to fruition. That part would probably be better to be organized & promoted by meritocracy ‘movement’ rather than ‘party.’
Thanks for lending your ears 
1 Like
I’d also remind members to read this post from Dec 2014, when taking everything into consideration -