Technocracy Is Unique

John Berge

1994

Published in:

The Northwest Technocrat, 4th quarter 1994, No. 337

Technocracy is without a like or equal on the face of the globe. It may be defined as the application of science to the social order. A moment's thought will reveal the fact that no other system of social control in all history has applied science to the problems of society in any land. Politics is not science. Hence, Technocracy cannot be compared to politics of any kind. They are basically dissimilar. Politics approaches social problems from the standpoint of the opinions of men, while Technocracy proceeds from the basis of known facts. The former is uncertain in the extreme; the latter is as certain as science itself.

Every thinking North American today realizes that all is not well. Those same North Americans also realize that something must be done to correct the increasing difficulties, but they are not in agreement as to what should be done or how. Here confusion enters the picture, and politics only adds to the bewilderment by its everlasting outpour of words, words, words, and its accomplishment of nothing concrete towards the correct solution of our most pressing problems.

BUSINESS ON RELIEF Now, suppose we take note of some rather upsetting facts (that is, upsetting to the idea of good government as entertained by the average North American), and see if we can arrive at some definite and helpful conclusions, thereby clearing the air so that we can begin to see the actual picture instead of the mirage.

Did it ever occur to you that business has not been able to support itself since 1929? Stop spending and see how long business could last. In the early years of the "Great Depression" the cry went up over the length and breadth of the land "Balance the Budget!" Then, in 1937, when the government (due to tremendous pressure from business) tried to curtail relief expenditures, business took a nose-dive, and in four months reached a "low" that it took twenty months to reach after the 1929 crash. Do you realize that today, every bank, every corporation, every man, woman and child in North America is on relief? Again, stop spending and how long would any of us last? Suppose your income were cut off at this hour, how long could you last on your savings? Thirty, sixty, ninety days? Whatever it might be, do you realize that you are just that close to starvation? A nice kettle of fish we are in today, don't you think? Not much social control in such a picture, is there?

Now, let us make another observation. Politics has had years in which to find the solution to our pressing social problems, and it is more confounded today than ever before. If politics can solve the problem, yet has not brought forth the solution, or, if it simply does not know the answer, then, you must agree that it is incompetent to serve this Continent in this mounting crisis. Add to this the fact that neither business nor finance has been able to bring forth a solution.

APPLYING SCIENCE Here is where Technocracy steps into the picture and points the way. Our attention is directed to the fact that due to the unprecedented increase in our technology, we are now capable of producing more than we can possibly consume. Science has made this possible, not business nor politics. Business and politics may interfere with its arrival for a while, but stop it they cannot!

WE CAN PRODUCE Automaticity has been developed to such a stage that millions of jobs no longer exist, and this trend will continue until the limits of social tolerance have been reached. This accounts for the unemployment problem already looming on the horizon.

So here we are, in this wealthiest land on the globe, capable of producing an abundance for all, but without a system to distribute that abundance. That is what makes Technocracy's plan unique. Technocracy is the application of the knowledge of science and the methods of technology to social management. Among other things, it has been determined that since a technological method of production is in use a technological method of distribution must accompany it. This, too, is unique. It has never been done before.