[Bruce Campbells Chin]

I suppose it depends on the context, but I always understood a "ruthless" meritocracy as being one where the only thing that mattered was merit, and everything else is ignored. There has been a ton written on why meritocracy is bad, and leads to "unfair" outcomes that we should opposed.

I say screw that, at least when it comes to the military. Merit is the only thing that matters.

[Olog-hai]

It’s the most fair system that I believe to have been conceived, in all walks of life really.