A Scary Future: Technocracy Takes The Fear Out Of The Future

John A. Taube

1996

Published in:

Technocracy Digest, 4th quarter 1996, No. 322

In his article, ``American Inequality: Its History and Scary Future,'' New York Times, December 19, 1995, Benjamin Schwarz contends that our future is scary.

Schwarz reports that never have Americans had equality of incomes. Technocracy concurs. According to Schwarz, a small improvement, to a limited amount of people, in the differentiation of income, occurred from 1910 to 1929. Some would argue -- and rightly so -- that it was better than anything before or since. Schwarz contends that, while the anti-poverty programs of the 1960s lessened the downward drift somewhat, it did not equal the 1910 to 1929 period.

Schwarz states that for the past 25 years, blue collar labour had declined as a percentage of the work force. Consequently, low-paying service jobs increased as a percentage of the work force. Furthermore, technology and the re-engineered workplace have eliminated the overall need for many ``low-skilled'' jobs. This, in effect, adds to the problem that our entire work force cannot be employed -- some are unemployable. In addition, recently, one onerous result was noticeable: the differentiating of income favors a larger percentage of the high income group at the expense of the low income group.

There is little -- or perhaps better stated -- no chance of the trend of jobs lost being reversed, ``unless America produces fewer unskilled workers,'' using Schwarz's words. That's not likely. The problem of the entire work force not being employable will only intensify. The situation looks bleak. The differentiating of income in which a larger percentage goes to the high income group at the expense of the low income group will continue.

Schwarz contends that up until lately, social programs have smoothed the rough edges and, to a small -- very small -- degree, benefited all classes. Now, the system itself does not operate in the interest of all parties. It is selective. While current measures are making no drastic changes in the system, they halt, however, any move whatsoever that would start a move to equality. Equality is not possible in a Price System -- it doesn't work like that.

Schwarz further contends that, ``If Americans want what they have never had -- the kind of equality Tocqueville described -- then they should recognize that only radical measures can bring it about.'' Radical measures, indeed!

Sadly, Schwarz has no solution of any substance to offer, radical measures, or otherwise. He suggests a $170 billion per year program of retraining and educating people. In today's political climate of spending reductions in Congress' futile attempt to balance the budget, Schwarz's suggestion is dead in its tracks. It's a dud. Moreover, if people are trained for jobs, where are the jobs? They just don't exist. Futility, futility, futility.

Schwarz articulates well the unequal economic conditions which extend far into the past and the increasing inequality now in process. His statement that if trends are to change, ``radical measures'' will be necessary, is well put. Pathetically, he offers none. (Parenthetically, Technocracy does.)

North Americans must realize that inequality of income has been a standard way of life throughout humankind's history. Throughout history, it could not have been any different, for the simple reason that enough to fill the needs and amenities of all could not be produced. Some had to do without. A way had to be found to decide who would get how much of what. That was the pre-ordained fate in which most got little.

The methods of distribution in the past were designed for scarcity conditions which required everything to have a ``price''. Therefore, those who could pay the ``price'' got; others did without. This system, which Technocracy calls a ``Price System,'' worked relatively well in scarcity conditions. It is doubtful if any other system would have worked as well.

Only recently has one spot on earth -- North America -- become able to produce enough for its citizens. Ironically, this made another huge problem for North America. The design of our social economic structure -- our Price System -- is such that it runs into a serious dilemma when goods are produced in abundance. For a solution, ``radical measures'' are required. In the remedy, nothing can have a monetary value. In other words, the Price System must be dumped. A new system must come into effect, where everything is distributed, and nobody does without.

When one talks about ``equal distribution of goods and nobody doing without,'' inevitably the idea conjures up morality considerations. When Technocracy talks about this matter, morality is never considered. Technocracy's standpoint: since physical goods can be produced adequately, equal availability of goods is not a desire; it's a physical necessity. Technocracy's stand has nothing to do with morality or virtue; its members are not purists.

No group has ``radical measures'' that measure up to Technocracy's. Its Technological Design is as radical as they come.

-- John A. Taube,

Technocracy member at

San Francisco, Calif.