Is Dr Weir a case of nepotism? (Intruder spoilers)

[TheCorpulent1]

It was implied that Beckett wanted to add Simon to the short list. Weir asks if Carson considered Simon and he says he was also more qualified than Carson himself, but that he never signed the blind, 1-year commitment. All of the candidates had to sign that commitment, since it's impractical to believe that they'll always have a failsafe way to return to Earth. Simon didn't, hence he didn't make the short list. Without any consultation from Weir, Simon was considered and approved on his own merits, it was just the lack of commitment that excluded him. No nepotism involved.

[Lightsabre]

It was implied that Beckett wanted to add Simon to the short list. Weir asks if Carson considered Simon and he says he was also more qualified than Carson himself, but that he never signed the blind, 1-year commitment. All of the candidates had to sign that commitment, since it's impractical to believe that they'll always have a failsafe way to return to Earth. Simon didn't, hence he didn't make the short list. Without any consultation from Weir, Simon was considered and approved on his own merits, it was just the lack of commitment that excluded him. No nepotism involved.

WHile I didn't consider what Weir did nepotism, one thing concerns me.
Beckitt gave her teh final consideration. Would she have picked Simon??? Or simply told Beckitt that she had a conflict of interest and couldn't make selections??

[Easter Lily]

I'm not sure what the selection process for the expedition is like... but I'd say it would be quite stringent...
I was interviewed for a piddly teaching job by two people... so I can quite imagine that there would be at least three people on the selection panel for something as major as going to another galaxy...

[Major Fischer]

Would she have picked Simon??? Or simply told Beckitt that she had a conflict of interest and couldn't make selections??

Probably the biggest what if of that episode.

[prion]

- She succeeds in having her friend Shepperd back on the crew, despite his apocalyptic results in the Pegasus galaxy, and she even obtains a promotion for him despite he should have "un-promoted".

Sheppard has shown his mettle in the Pegasus Galaxy, and he's got hte experience to continue. Quite honestly, I've seen far too many people brought into jobs becuase they're "more qualified" but have zip in experience, which then forces the experienced folk to pick up the slack of the "more qualified" folk.

- She use her authority to add her husband for a central job on Atlantis, and it is only because HE doesn't want to that she doesn't succeed.

Boyfriend, significant other, but not husband. I'm not sure where that got started... in watching Weir from the pre-Higginson days, there's not a single indication they're spouses. And she simply asked Beckett if Simon Wallace had joined the team - but didn't tell beckett to add him. If she'd done that, then it would have been nepotism.

Well, I can tell you this kind of attitude is considered as a serious evil at the United Nations and in the United States Air Force. It is not an unknown practice, it can happen, but not in public exposure, and it is certainly a transgression to show the main heroin of a popular series doing that.

Er, heroine, not heroin Weir wanted Simon on the expedition, but didn't force it, except for trying to persuade Simon to come, but that was personal, between the two, and when he said no, well, hey, didn't see him on the Daedalus. As for Sheppard, she stood up for him, nothing more. Now Landry and his crew were ready to just willy-nilly - without even telling her - insert THEIR person onto Atlantis.

[gwangung]

Well, think of it this way...

For Shep, he DOES have considerable plus points. He knows the territory. THe territory knows him (i.e., he's well known and liked by Atlantis and Pegasus people). He has the Ancient gene. He thinks well under fire. He has PERFORMED well under fire. Those are points that should not be ignored (though his insubordination should not be either), and any project leader who emphasize these points can hardly be accused of nepotism ("He saved our asses five or six times, and you think it's nepotism?").

For Simon, he's part of a short list where the decision maker has explicitly said, "They're all more qualified than me." If Weir leaves it entirely out of her hands, there's absolutely no question of nepotism. And you have to think hard about depriving yourself of a valuable person if the ONLY reason is potential nepotism; there may be other factors that have to be considered...

[KundiSmack]

They all have something that proves to be of vital importance and that is the experience they have. That experience alone and their general skills should balance it out. Also, I'm sure most humanoids in the pegasus galaxy that are familiar of the earth teams are familiar to their faces. Its like changing a president in the middle of a war...just makes us look bad and questionable. Also, its just a tv show....

[not so ancient]

I'm sure if Carson's mother or Rodney's cat had something equal to contribute to the expedition as anyone else, they would have been invited as well.

Rodney's cat could have a very important role in the Atlantis expedition. Comforting Rodney, showing him affection, and helping him relax are ways to vital in keeping him functioning efficiently and coming up with brilliant scientific discoveries.

But since there are no kitties allowed, so far, on Atlantis, I will ::: martyred sigh::: volunteer for the job. I'm very good at massages and such. I could definitely get him both relaxed and refreshed. And I don't need a litter box.

[Furling God]

Well I have a special grudge against nepotism, because last year I was a parliamentary assistant in the European parliament, and I was fired because my boss wanted to give the assistants' jobs and money to her lover and her son in law.

However, with my experience of international executives, I think nepotism is exactly what Weir does: being in charge of a large organization, and being active in making friends profit from the opportunities of that organization. The way she talks and negociates is very close to reality, I was myself present at such meetings or restaurant talks. However the clever ones arrange for a promotion for their friends and relatives in ANOTHER organization, through mutual favours. Those who want them close to their office are the unqualified and weak executives.

And, even if the loved ones are qualified, that kind of privilege inevitably ends up in unfair discrimination against those who are out of the private circle. A ship in such high level organization, with a highly qualified scientific crew, is bound to be highly dysfunctional. There are always temperamental decisions.

Last about Shepperd: He is NOT qualified, he is just good at shooting things, and TBTP like to give the impression that he is qualified by making him victorious in ridiculously contradictory situations. The simple fact that he visits the family of a missing soldier with a bad hair shows that he is not a respectable person, he is kind of the failed soldiers you find late at night in bars, looking for trouble. His attitude towards the Asgaard ally is the attitude of an ennemy.

Therefore Weir actually avails herself of her position, not only to allow him to stay, but to grant him a highly unfair promotion.

TBTP present Shepperd as the Hero, but his acts and behaviour are that of the main villain. And in fact for thousands of millions in the Pegasus galaxy he simply means horrible death, or unnecessary wars. I guess TBTP will show him shooting the galaxy away episode after episode, insulting friends and stealing from potential allies, but that doesn't make him a respectable character.

Let us rewrite SG1 and chevron guy says in each episode "Hey let's just shoot at those guys passing the gate, we have the will and the capacity to kick some ass", and then we make him general as he convinced a Tollan- Goauld-Aschen united armada to destroy Earth. No diplomacy, no friends, no civilization, no discovery, no learning, just shoot first and "kick some ass".

[Ouroboros]

This was something that was sort of swimming around in my head to.

I was pretty surprised with how Weir scanned the list of candidates Beckett handed her and asked within seconds why her boy toy wasn't on it. It came across clear as day to me that the first thing on her mind was to take him back with her on the next trip out and now she was just looking for a way to make it happen. Like screwing someone else out of equal consideration for his seat. That's pretty much the dictionary definition of nepotism.

As has already been stated also Sheppard is not qualified for the job he holds. He's reckless, emotional, impulsive and doesn't like to follow orders or take suggestions that aren't his own. While all very romantic as traits these traits do not make for a good soldier or a good leader.

His impulsive behavior was responsible for the mission that awakened the Wraith, and whether he knew about the magic button in the Keeper or not is irrelevent to the fact that such a mission could not have been expected to do anything but provoke an agressive response from "the enemy who whiped out the ancients". That phrase being all the intel Shep had at the time before he decided to mount his little rescue hunt to somplace he'd never seen before.

I would have loved for it to have been crawling with automated defences, hundreds of thousands of Wraith troops, mines or all of the above. Just once I would love to see one of these "we've got to go right now before planning at all" hero types actually be made to pay for their reckless approach.

Shep's impulsive personality is only made worse when taken into consideration with the fact that Weir seems pretty much unable to really control him. Oh sure she can say no from time to time but if he really really wants to do something he'll push on her until she caves or just do it anyway over her protest and then not be punished for it later.

They should have appointed Caldwell. He seems to actually know what he's doing.

[Shep'sSocks]

It is already a bit surprising that Weir is reconducted on Atlantis, but, ok, let's admit it is necessary for the show. Here is what she does in SGC, as at last she is fully in charge of something:

- She succeeds in having her friend Shepperd back on the crew, despite his apocalyptic results in the Pegasus galaxy, and she even obtains a promotion for him despite he should have "un-promoted".

- She use her authority to add her husband for a central job on Atlantis, and it is only because HE doesn't want to that she doesn't succeed.

Well, I can tell you this kind of attitude is considered as a serious evil at the United Nations and in the United States Air Force. It is not an unknown practice, it can happen, but not in public exposure, and it is certainly a transgression to show the main heroin of a popular series doing that.

In real life courts have already condemned such a behaviour.

Hmm, after the interesting use of 'barfly' in the other thread, I've popped in here to find some more interesting word usage.

1. One can only be nepotistic to family members. Neither Sheppard nor Simon Wallace are family members.

2. 'Unpromoted' is not a word. I think perhaps you mean 'demoted'.

3. Apocalyptic ... To quote Inigo Montoya, I do not think this word means what you think it means.

4. Heroin is a drug, which is derived from the poppy plant. Dr Weir is not, I believe, heroin or has anything to do with the drug, unless you are suggesting something nefarious regarding her diplomatic activities in her previous job.

5. And while, in this point, I am not noting anything to do with the peculiar dictionary you must be using, I would like a citation of the USAF and UN laws where obtaining 'jobs for the boys' is a 'serious evil'. I don't believe, though feel free to prove me wrong here, that this particular 'serious evil' is transgressive enough to be illegal.

[AGateFan]

1. One can only be nepotistic to family members. Neither Sheppard nor Simon Wallace are family members.

nepotism

n : favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those in power (as by giving them jobs)

Note that most definitions indicated favoritism shown to relatives only but I think this definition is the one people are referring to. I have heard the term nepotism used in this context in the past and it is a violation of USAF rules.

[CoffeeGirl]

Well, no, it's not really surprising. It's an international expedition, and there's no way the international community would stand for an American military commander.

Plus, Weir rocks. Big time. And it's very refreshing [in a Stargate context] to see a woman in command and not have her waving a P90 around all the time. You can be strong without carrying weapons. So, more power to her.

[end mini-rant]

[Easter Lily]

They should have appointed Caldwell. He seems to actually know what he's doing.

Maybe, maybe not. He's largely been untested where the alien exploration side of things are concerned... so far he's been relying on the experience of others...

[Shep'sSocks]

nepotism

n : favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those in power (as by giving them jobs)

Note that most definitions indicated favoritism shown to relatives only but I think this definition is the one people are referring to.

Your citation? I have no argument with the use of the term 'jobs for the boys' but nepotism (n) refers to favours to relatives. If the USAF is using the above definition they should buy themselves a dictionary that does not contain unnecessary neologisms.

I have heard the term nepotism used in this context in the past and it is a violation of USAF rules.

And where the argument falls flat on its face and injures its nose is that the Atlantis expedition is not a UN expedition nor is it a USAF one. Weir, however much she might want jobs for all her relatives and friends and their pet monkeys, is not in the USAF nor does she work for the UN and is thus not bound by their rules.