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

[AGateFan]

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.
.

Well Im not going to argue with someone so sure of themeselves because, well, theres no point. I will always concede that I could be wrong. In this case I do have a source for my defintion and since you called me out... just a few quick clicks on the web and here is my poormans source from dictionary.com, note the last definition from Source: WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University .


3 entries found for nepotism.
nep·o·tism ( P ) Pronunciation Key (np-tzm)
n.
Favoritism shown or patronage granted to relatives, as in business.


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[French népotisme, from Italian nepotismo, from nepote, nephew, from Latin neps, nept-. See nept- in Indo-European Roots.]
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nepo·tist n.
nepo·tistic or nepo·tisti·cal adj.

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Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.


nepotism

nepotism was Word of the Day on April 8, 2001.


Source: Dictionary.com Word of the Day


nepotism

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


Source: WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University



Although the word nepotism itself mays specifically mean in relation to family we all know (I think we all do, but thats a broad statement so maybe not) that in the english language words will sometimes take on generalized meanings that may be slightly different then what they originally ment or even state in the dictionary they mean. ie Xerox is used for copy, Kleenex is used for facial tissue, Dude is used for...well everything depending on how it is said etc....

I know, I know my examples are weak an uneducated, but, whatever. This is most definitly not worth getting snippy over. I dont care whether Weir was or was not pulling strings for her boyfriend. To me it appeared she was (feel free not to call it nepotism) but its as open to interpetation as saying shes secretly dating Zelenka. (of course if thats true whats she need Simon for? guess I will have to think about that... maybe Zelenka's just got some unrequited love thing going on)

[not so ancient]

Nevertheless Weir uses her position to get a promotion for a friend whom the army deems unsafe, and to have her husband (ok boyfriend) working close to her.

That's a fact.

Um, no.

It's opinion.

If Sheppard were truly 'unsafe' he'd be gone and there'd be nothing Weir could do about it.

It's the Air Force, not the Army.

And Weir didn't need to use her position to get Simon in the program. He made the decision by not making the committment. If he had, then it would remain to be seen whether she pushed for him over another equally qualified candidate. All she did was inquire about his application and encourage him to complete it.

[Shep'sSocks]

Nevertheless Weir uses her position to get a promotion for a friend whom the army deems unsafe, and to have her husband (ok boyfriend) working close to her.

That's a fact.

Well no, because weren't we talking about the Air Force rather than the Army? You're just making this up as you go along, aren't you.

[gwangung]

Nevertheless Weir uses her position to get a promotion for a friend whom the army deems unsafe, and to have her husband (ok boyfriend) working close to her.

That's a fact.

Seems to me that it looks like you're letting personal relationships cloud YOUR judgement (sort of an anti-nepotism---no matter what the person does, the only thing that matters is the relationship). You may want to ponder the fact that it is permissible for leaders to push for people they like if they are qualified---and it is a FACT that there is considerable positive things to be said for Shepherd's qualifications.

It would have been better to address THOSE instead of irrelevancies---hairstyles are of lower priorities than how you TREAT relatives of missing comrades, I'm afraid.

[gwangung]

Um, no.

It's opinion.

If Sheppard were truly 'unsafe' he'd be gone and there'd be nothing Weir could do about it.

True. As I pointed out before, Shepherd DOES have qualifications, and only a fool would deny that they are substantial. He does have a negative (insubordination), and it IS a big one, but I think it's on record in real life that that's not necessarily a bar to advancement (and in a good way).

[Ouroboros]

Weir has the trust of some very powerful people on this planet, and she undoubtedly earned that due to her good judgment. Unless, of course, it's your supposition that she slept her way to the top. Maybe that's how she got her Ph.D. too.

Using your influence with powerful people to try and get other people you know jobs is nepotism. It doesn't matter how you earned that influence in the first place.

Dr. Wallace is a physician and researcher, one with clearance already in place. So why should he be denied equal consideration because of a semi-past relationship with Dr. Weir? Why should Atlantis not have his talents?

No it just seemed kind of freaky to me that she'd look at the list, and before she took her next breath, question why he wasn't on it. It seemed way too fast, like she'd already had it in the front of her mind before Beckett even handed her the list.

It's been stated by some as their opinion. It is just that. Opinion.

Others percieve Sheppard differently.

But can others back it up as well as I can?

If you or anyone else here wants to discuss whether or not shep is reckless maybe you should join me and the others in this other thread instead since this one's supposed to be about Weir.

http://forum.gateworld.net/showthread.php?t=14473

It seems very convenient for you to be all Military Protocol when it suits your purpose in discussion to slam Sheppard for this or that, but you don't seem to remember that it is also military protocol that one's comrades in arms, and innocent civilians, are not disposable, and should be protected, and rescued.

"Leave no man behind" doesn't really cover launching a whole new attack mission on an unknown but suspected to be highly dangerous target with 0 in the way of intel on it. That falls under the category of "suicide mission".

I talk more about why in that other thread. I even wrote a little skit about it!

That comes off as bloodthirsty.

Really, it was more of a hopeless plea for some realism but I guess it was kind of bitter. Watchng this kind of scenario play out over and over again can wear at a man's patience over time.

In real life the badguys are probably going to think of something as simple as guarding the stargate or their ship where all their guys are sleeping helpless. In general if you can think of it, so can the enemy.

That sounds more like Grand Theft Auto than Joseph Campbell and I can only rejoice that the writers seem more acquainted with the latter than the former. I wouldn't watch a story arc along your lines, whereas Atlantis has elements that resonate with me.

If you want to see what a story arc along my lines would look like watch Battlestar Galactica. I've never been able to find anything to really seriously complain about in that show.

GTA:Atlantis would be pretty cool though. You could pull Wraith out of their darts and stuff and then go rob a liquor store with your P90 and unlock an explicet hidden sex scene with Dr. Beckett to get the game pulled from stores.

I wonder why you watch a show where you have such contempt for the characters and character interactions.

Because I'm not one of those people that thinks that in order to like something you have to think it's perfect.

And who's to say I don't find watching her fold up like origami over and over again entertaining. It makes her a sub optimal leader, which was the question that came out here, but it doesn't automatically make her unentertaining.

[Atlantis1]

[QUOTE=Ouroboros]If you want to see what a story arc along my lines would look like watch Battlestar Galactica. I've never been able to find anything to really seriously complain about in that show.[QUOTE]

If Battlestar Galactica is what you want then go ahead and watch the show. We don't need two BSG shows. Some of us really like SGA and I can't figure why we should not get our perfered show. Why don't we give this thread and the one about Sheppard a break. All of this seems to be only to lead to heated tempers.
I don't watch BSG because I don't like that style of sci-fi.

[Hatcheter]

"Leave no man behind" doesn't really cover launching a whole new attack mission on an unknown but suspected to be highly dangerous target with 0 in the way of intel on it. That falls under the category of "suicide mission".

Or "reconnaissance mission". Intel doesn't magically appear, it has to be gathered. Sheppard did quip that they got into the ship without seeing any guards. They went in cloaked, and used the life-signs detector to keep aware of their surroundings. They were careful.

Using your influence with powerful people to try and get other people you know jobs is nepotism. It doesn't matter how you earned that influence in the first place.

In that case, everybody already in Atlantis is there by nepotism, as Dr. Weir said in 'Rising' that she had been picking out her mission team for months. And General Landry is guilty of attempted nepotism as well, by trying to give Sheppard's job to Caldwell (a person he had a more favorable opinion of).

Hell, SG-1 is a dark pit of nepotism. Daniel and Teal'c only got their spots because of Jack's favorable opinion of them. Sam was the daughter of a friend of Hammond's. Mitchell is on SG-1 now because O'Neill "owed him", and is trying to bring the other members of SG-1 back strictly because of how much he admires them.

Damn qualifications and experience, this is all obviously nothing but nepotism.

[Easter Lily]

If you want to see what a story arc along my lines would look like watch Battlestar Galactica. I've never been able to find anything to really seriously complain about in that show.

Well, I love BSG too... and I do think it is one of the best things on television. But there are things that I don't like about it... that grate... like the whole Baltar/Six thread (really someone should be clued in by now that there's something seriously wrong with the guy)...I also don't think the religious aspect of the show is handled convincingly. But it is also a completely character-driven show. It's edgy and grim and sometimes teeters on the brink of melodrama... I love it but I know people who absolutely hate it... probably for the very reasons that we like it.

Stargate has something that BSG doesn't have though and that is a sense of fun and adventure and frankly speaking, I wouldn't want to trade that for anything in the world. It isn't a perfect show... and there probably isn't any (maybe except for Firefly ) but I still love that sense of wonder and awe on the faces of the characters when they make discoveries.

Because I'm not one of those people that thinks that in order to like something you have to think it's perfect.

I'm glad that we can agree on that ...

[Lightsabre]

Using your influence with powerful people to try and get other people you know jobs is nepotism. It doesn't matter how you earned that influence in the first place.

Sorry, but it's not. My boss respects my opinion. IF I recommend we hire someone, and he does, that is not nepotism.
If I simply give the job to my brother without advertising or interviewing THAT is nepotism.
If Weir recommends that SHeppard continue to head the Atlantis military contingent and people who respect her judgement agree, that is not nepotism. IF they didn't trust her judgement, why is she leading the mission.
Nepotism would be in Weir said to her friends "If you don't promote Sheppard, those nasty sex tapes with you in them could get mailed to a tv Station".
In the scene with LAndry and Caldwell, Weir is throwing her weight around, but so are they. They are basically saying, we're gonna put our man in, no matter what. Weir simply reminds them it's her mission and that she has the backing to keep SHep if she wants to.
It's NOT nepotism.

No it just seemed kind of freaky to me that she'd look at the list, and before she took her next breath, question why he wasn't on it. It seemed way too fast, like she'd already had it in the front of her mind before Beckett even handed her the list.

All she said was why wasn't he on the list. It could be as simple as, 'he's a highly qualified doctor, why would carson leave him out'.
IT doesn't always have to be the worst possible thing you know.

[not so ancient]

Using your influence with powerful people to try and get other people you know jobs is nepotism. It doesn't matter how you earned that influence in the first place.

Only, that didn't happen.

Weir enquired about Simon's application. She used her influence - on Simon - to get him to proceed with the application. Simon never completed it, or rather, would not commit, so he effectively withdrew himself from consideration.

If Simon had completed the application, and if Weir had then used her position to secure him a job without consideration given to his qualifications and only to their relationship, it would be nepotisim.

No it just seemed kind of freaky to me that she'd look at the list, and before she took her next breath, question why he wasn't on it. It seemed way too fast, like she'd already had it in the front of her mind before Beckett even handed her the list.

She knows him. She had a close relationship with him. He's a physician and a researcher. They need good physicians. There's something freakish about Simon being a person who pops right into her head in that situation?

But can others back it up as well as I can?

You may feel you have facts to back up your interpretation of Sheppard but others may feel that they have facts, maybe even the same facts, to back up their interpretation of Sheppard. That doesn't alchemize anyone's opinion, perception or interpretation into immutable truth. You look at Sheppard doing X Y and Z and in your mind, he's an SOB. Others look at Sheppard doing the identical X Y and Z and in their minds, he's a pretty good guy.

If you or anyone else here wants to discuss whether or not shep is reckless maybe you should join me and the others in this other thread instead since this one's supposed to be about Weir.

http://forum.gateworld.net/showthread.php?t=14473

To be honest, I've read what you and Darth Buddha have said, at length, on this subject and found it to be sound and fury signifying nothing. Please don't take offense - I'm sure you think the same about my thoughts.

You think what you do about Sheppard because it fits in with your world view. I do the same. Your world view, which colors how you view Atlantis and every other show, is neither superior nor inferior to mine, just different. Potayto, potahto, let's call the whole thing off.

"Leave no man behind" doesn't really cover launching a whole new attack mission on an unknown but suspected to be highly dangerous target with 0 in the way of intel on it. That falls under the category of "suicide mission".

"Leave no man behind" is not an offensive attack at the time and in the manner of our choosing. It's a recon mission launched of desperate necessity.

It's a shame that there wasn't time, or ability, to convene a scholarly panel on intel about the Wraith before rescuing the Athosians, Sumner and members of the Atlantis team, but we don't get to schedule convenient timing for predatory aliens to drop by and snack on us.

I talk more about why in that other thread. I even wrote a little skit about it!

Okay, this I gotta see.

Really, it was more of a hopeless plea for some realism but I guess it was kind of bitter. Watchng this kind of scenario play out over and over again can wear at a man's patience over time.

The only 'realism' that I can find in Stargate Atlantis is in some of the characters and how they approach some of their situations.

We don't have Stargates, Asgard allies, the Daedalus, ZedPMs, Atlantis, etc., more's the pity. The made up universe of Atlantis has people, who do cool stuff with cool toys, and in the process of playing with the cool toys, behave like people who are are smart, compassionate, dumb, nasty, loving, cruel, brave, weird, silly, fearful etc. Same as any TV show. Or movie. Or novel. Nightly, I plop my butt on the sofa and watch a TV show about people - people who could be cops, lawyers, doctors, FBI agents, scientists and explorers and soldiers in another galaxy, but always people.

In real life the badguys are probably going to think of something as simple as guarding the stargate or their ship where all their guys are sleeping helpless. In general if you can think of it, so can the enemy.

If I were the Wraith, and the only spacefaring race in Pegasus that was a threat to us skeedaddled 10k years ago, and all the humans remaining in Pegasus had insufficient technology to pose any threat to us, then I'd sleep with the all the doors and windows open, knowing I was in no danger at all.

If you want to see what a story arc along my lines would look like watch Battlestar Galactica. I've never been able to find anything to really seriously complain about in that show.

I just started watching it. So far, so good, although I don't know all the people and the backstories yet. And seriously? What's with the hallucinating doctor?

GTA:Atlantis would be pretty cool though. You could pull Wraith out of their darts and stuff and then go rob a liquor store with your P90 and unlock an explicet hidden sex scene with Dr. Beckett to get the game pulled from stores.

Atlantis: As Nasty As You Wanna Be. I don't even play video games and I'd buy that. But the naughty business? Has to be with McKay. Or Caldwell. Oooh, Caldwell and Weir. Steamy. Or Sheppard. Or, aw heck, just throw 'em all in there nekkid and they'll sort it out.

Oh dear. In The Gutter™ again.

Because I'm not one of those people that thinks that in order to like something you have to think it's perfect.

Well, that's good. Neither am I. I am, however, a person who has been around the block a few dozen times in sci-fi fandoms since I was 8 and we won't talk about the decades that have elapsed since then. The people who stick with a show they don't like simply to kvetch about it instead of moving to another show, or taking up quilting, are not unknown to me and they grate my nerves like crazy. I'm NOT saying you're one. Not at all. But let's say my little antennae are very sensitive to grumbling. Experience has taught me that some ex-fans stick with a show they've come to despise because they actually grow to like the despising, or even like making things wretched for the fans who don't despise the show. That happened like you wouldn't believe in The X-Files. Ay yi yi. The whole fandom needed - both the snarkers and those who endured the snark - needed a massive dose of Xanax.

And who's to say I don't find watching her fold up like origami over and over again entertaining. It makes her a sub optimal leader, which was the question that came out here, but it doesn't automatically make her unentertaining.

I'd rather have Weir's alleged origami on my side than most people's steel.

[Tomcatter]

I don't think Simon's name ending up on the short list was nepotism at all; I got the impression he was there because he was among the most talented doctors in the world. Plain and simple. And the fact that she asked Carson "Did you review the file of a Doctor Simon Wallace?" indicates to me that she hadn't even hinted at the fact that he should be on the expedition, or that she had otherwise influenced the specualtion process. Otherwise she would have said, "Hey, so what did ya think of Simon's file I put on your desk?"

And as for Shep, I don't see that as nepotism. She was the only one on the expedition who could testify thoroughly to his actions, and because her words happened to benefit him, so be it. And her words were the truth. If she had burned him in her report, and it still had been truthful, would people be crying that she had harbored a grudge instead of nepotism?

Just my two cents.

[Ouroboros]

If Battlestar Galactica is what you want then go ahead and watch the show. We don't need two BSG shows. Some of us really like SGA and I can't figure why we should not get our perfered show.

I do watch BSG, it's my favorite show. I only brought it up because someone made inferences about what I want in a series and I cleared it up for them.

Or "reconnaissance mission". Intel doesn't magically appear, it has to be gathered. Sheppard did quip that they got into the ship without seeing any guards. They went in cloaked, and used the life-signs detector to keep aware of their surroundings. They were careful.

Lets be real here. Shep and his 5 guys didn't not die because they were supremely carful. They didn't die because the plot, introduced certain devices like the scanner and think system out of nowhere and made certain concessions about common sense and reality in order not to make them not die. In other words the Wraith were written stupider/weaker than you'd expect for a race of ancient killers so they could just get away with walking in the front door with a bunch of guns and explosives. You couldn't even walk into the front door of a Walmart with a bunch of guns and explosives without somebody spotting you and calling the cops.

In that case, everybody already in Atlantis is there by nepotism, as Dr. Weir said in 'Rising' that she had been picking out her mission team for months. And General Landry is guilty of attempted nepotism as well, by trying to give Sheppard's job to Caldwell

Weir didn't know anyone on the expedition when she picked them the first time IIRC. Nepotism is when you pick up the phone and say "Hey Charlie have I got a great new job for you. I'll tell you all about it over Fridays card game".

As for the Sg-1 examples that's getting a bit too off topic here. If you want to make a seperate Sam/Mitchell nepotism thread more power to ya.

Stargate has something that BSG doesn't have though and that is a sense of fun and adventure and frankly speaking, I wouldn't want to trade that for anything in the world. It isn't a perfect show... and there probably isn't any (maybe except for Firefly ) but I still love that sense of wonder and awe on the faces of the characters when they make discoveries.

Firefly's a perfect example of how to have a fun feeling show without necessarily bending realism over a barrell while you do it. There were actually a lot of things in Firefly that were very realistic. They didn't even use the sound in space copout. The enemies were also rarely as stupified as the ones Stargate's super Earth regularly takes on. Just look at Saffron in episodes like Trash. They only outsmarted her because they actually well, outsmarted her, not because the writers wrote her stupid so that Mal could win.

Sorry, but it's not. My boss respects my opinion. IF I recommend we hire someone, and he does, that is not nepotism.

What about if one of your friends department bosses was going to fire him for incompotence and you pulled strings with the company boss, who's a friend, in his favour to keep him on and get him a promotion.

Weir is a seperate chain of command. Sheps superiors are military, hers are civillian if any. Rather than trusting the judgement of his military superiors she threatened to exploit her close relationship with the president to go over their heads and keep him on over their protest.

All she said was why wasn't he on the list. It could be as simple as, 'he's a highly qualified doctor, why would carson leave him out'.
IT doesn't always have to be the worst possible thing you know.

Why isn't he on the list. Shouldn't have been the first thing she noticed. She noticed it so rapidly because it was the first thing she looked for.

Only, that didn't happen.

It did with Sheppard.

She knows him. She had a close relationship with him. He's a physician and a researcher. They need good physicians. There's something freakish about Simon being a person who pops right into her head in that situation?

Yes it's fishy considering she's got a whole list of dozens of people just as qualified infront of her and she hardly even glances at it before bringing him up as an extra candidate.

You may feel you have facts to back up your interpretation of Sheppard but others may feel that they have facts, maybe even the same facts, to back up their interpretation of Sheppard.

Well then they can bring them to the table and we'll see what's objective and what's wishful thinking and rose-tinted opinion.

To be honest, I've read what you and Darth Buddha have said, at length, on this subject and found it to be sound and fury signifying nothing. Please don't take offense - I'm sure you think the same about my thoughts.

Nah I just think you're one of those people that's trapped in the pro-human presentation angle of the show and can't or don't want to find any other way to look at it. Sound and Fury sounds like a pretty kickin' name for a rockband though.

We don't have Stargates, Asgard allies, the Daedalus, ZedPMs, Atlantis, etc., more's the pity. The made up universe of Atlantis has people, who do cool stuff with cool toys, and in the process of playing with the cool toys, behave like people who are are smart, compassionate, dumb, nasty, loving, cruel, brave, weird, silly, fearful etc. Same as any TV show. Or movie. Or novel. Nightly, I plop my butt on the sofa and watch a TV show about people - people who could be cops, lawyers, doctors, FBI agents, scientists and explorers and soldiers in another galaxy, but always people.

See that's a different kind of realism though. All that stuff is just part of a sci-fi world. It's what makes the setting. Plot/story elements that reguarly happen in defiance of common sense, logical expectation and reason don't make the setting they makes .

If I were the Wraith, and the only spacefaring race in Pegasus that was a threat to us skeedaddled 10k years ago, and all the humans remaining in Pegasus had insufficient technology to pose any threat to us, then I'd sleep with the all the doors and windows open, knowing I was in no danger at all.

I'm sure that's the same excuse the plot would use to. Doesn't make it any less convenient for our heroes and that's hardly the last example of enemy stupidity being the only thing allowing the heroes to succeed in Stargate.

I just started watching it. So far, so good, although I don't know all the people and the backstories yet. And seriously? What's with the hallucinating doctor?

Stick with it. It's a little complicated but I've found you can pretty much pick the arcs you want to be interested in and just follow those. Doc Baltar has a Cylon implant in his head against his will. That's how the Cylon woman talks to him.

Atlantis: As Nasty As You Wanna Be. I don't even play video games and I'd buy that. But the naughty business? Has to be with McKay. Or Caldwell. Oooh, Caldwell and Weir. Steamy. Or Sheppard. Or, aw heck, just throw 'em all in there nekkid and they'll sort it out.

Yeah in this one Shep does find a "diplomatic solution" with the Wraith woman and the Pegasus galaxy is saved by his truely noble sacrifice.

Well, that's good. Neither am I. I am, however, a person who has been around the block a few dozen times in sci-fi fandoms since I was 8 and we won't talk about the decades that have elapsed since then.....

Yeah I do like Atlantis. I watch it every week afterall. I just think that there's certain things in it that, if tweeked slightly, would make it even better. I've got one of those "fixer" personalities that always looks for ways to make things better. When I'm not complaining about things in a show then it's time to worry 'cause it means I've ceased to care about it entirely.

I'd rather have Weir's alleged origami on my side than most people's steel.

She'd be great to work for yes. Having a pushover for a boss is always a great situation. I'd bet she'd let me put my feet up on my desk and everything.

[Lightsabre]

Lets be real here. Shep and his 5 guys didn't not die because they were supremely carful. They didn't die because the plot, introduced certain devices like the scanner and think system out of nowhere and made certain concessions about common sense and reality in order not to make them not die. In other words the Wraith were written stupider/weaker than you'd expect for a race of ancient killers so they could just get away with walking in the front door with a bunch of guns and explosives. You couldn't even walk into the front door of a Walmart with a bunch of guns and explosives without somebody spotting you and calling the cops.

Indeed lets.
1)It's a tv show. It doesn't have to be 100% real all of the time, they are allowed to play with things.
2)90% of the wraith were asleep. You could get into a wal mart covered with guns if there were 3 people inside it.
3)Hmm, so you think that, given they went to atlantis to find alien tech, that using that tech is unrealistic??

Weir didn't know anyone on the expedition when she picked them the first time IIRC. Nepotism is when you pick up the phone and say "Hey Charlie have I got a great new job for you. I'll tell you all about it over Fridays card game".

You don't know that. She could have been Rodney's lover in college. Beckitt's best friend for 10 years growing up(Not likely considering accents, but hey).
She could have known 90% of the Atlantis team. You are making an assumption to bolster your point.

What about if one of your friends department bosses was going to fire him for incompotence and you pulled strings with the company boss, who's a friend, in his favour to keep him on and get him a promotion.

What about it??
They weren't going to fire Shep, just make him 2IC. That's not a demotion, he was only a temporary leader cause Sumner was killed.
Weir did not make them promote Shep. She merely pointed out that the President was likely to side with her and she wanted Shep. That is NOT nepotism. Had the military pushed it, the President MIGHT have put Caldwell in anyway. THey chose to back down.

Weir is a seperate chain of command. Sheps superiors are military, hers are civillian if any. Rather than trusting the judgement of his military superiors she threatened to exploit her close relationship with the president to go over their heads and keep him on over their protest.

Cause they were wrong. They didn't have the info Weir did. That simple.

Why isn't he on the list. Shouldn't have been the first thing she noticed. She noticed it so rapidly because it was the first thing she looked for.

Wouldn't you look for your significant other on such a list. She knew he was submitted, she scanned the list, he wasn't there, she wanted to know why.
Perfectly normal, nothing suss.
Now, if she had said, "Well add him anyway" THAT is nepotism.

[prion]

Nevertheless Weir uses her position to get a promotion for a friend whom the army deems unsafe, and to have her husband (ok boyfriend) working close to her.

That's a fact.

It's the Air Force, not the Army. If the Air Force had deemed Sheppard a hazard to life and limb, he would not be in the air force. He would have been courtmartialed and booted out. While it's easy for the higher-ups to judge folks in another galaxy, they're also not there as the situation unfolds. Everett found out first hand that he'd made a mistake in judging Sheppard.

As for Dr. Simon Wallace, he's apparently very qualifed to join the expedition. Beckett had no problem with him, and had no idea of Weir's relationship with Simon. However, she did not force the issue with Beckett. She asked him. Had Simon eventually said yes, Beckett would have been the person to make the decision because WEir brought her people (Shep, McKay, Beckett) back to Earth to pick more people for their staff.

However, since Simon declined, and broke off their relationship, the point basically is sorta moot, and the characters are moving on.