This is the problem with the merit system because people will not give you merit unless you pass on their standards. Specially when you have negative trust like me, its hard to collect merits since they judge you in the first place by seeing those red lines under my name. Well I still believe in the long run, people will use their merit to a well deserve people. To get some smerit you should receive merits from other people, and keep on working hard.
Admin commented that we should not be meriting posts because we just agree with what the member says. We should merit if the posts brings some value to the forum. I think very less of the members are following that advice.