Society is not a pure meritocracy, but I think it’s more merit-based than random. And people have agency over their success. This is despite society having crooked elements.
It seems to me that it's more about luck, chronyism, backroom deals, and backstabbing than it is about merit. One's abilities only go so far, then you become victim to politics.
Politics is its own skillset in which merit plays a role, no?
The "one percent" that matters most is very much not about ability. Merit is just another thing that that class buys.