Why Technocracy?

Information Brief Number 28

1955

Historians have recorded the west-ward surge of the North American people and have told the story of the conquering, settling, and developing of the Continent. They have not emphasized the fact that this constant move to the west was to acquire the land essential to the operation of an agrarian economy.
After having moved as far as the Pacific Ocean would permit, the people found it necessary to move in another direction; the only one available being upward. Upward development began very modestly with the establishment of small hand-operated factories which produced essentials which previously had been fashioned by the agrarian families for themselves. As the population increased and travel and communication improved, the small hand-operated factories evolved into the highly mechanized industries of today.
It is this rapid advance of science and technology that has brought about the need for a scientific design of social operations, or a “Technocracy.”

A New Kind Of Slave

Study the chart, “Irreversible Physical Trends Shape America's Destiny.” It shows the greatest change in the history of mankind! If projected on the same scale, the lines to the left would continue at nearly the same level for 7000 years. It took many man-hours of human toil to produce a bare living. Man was the slave who had to work so that he could eat, so that he could continue to work. It is the use of non-human energy that has taken man's nose off the grindstone any particular philosophy or type of government.
The three-curve chart is a statistical record of physical events that have a direct bearing on human need and human suffering. It says an emphatic no to all who claim that machines make jobs. The use of non-muscular energy has freed man from toil, has replaced human labor. A new kind of slave has taken over the old slaves' jobs by the millions. In fact, there are so many of these slaves in North America that they outnumber all the human slaves on the earth by far. These new slaves are very different from the old. They neither buy nor consume the goods they produce; there is no limit to their working hours; they do not tire; and they can accomplish things the old slaves never dreamed of or thought possible.
As you probably have guessed, the new slave is the kilowatt-hour; the old slave is the man-hour.

Work Less To Have More

The chart shows that with a continuous increase in total production and a continuing decline in man-hours per unit of production, there will be a decrease in man-hours of purchasing power with which to buy that production. This discrepancy is the measure at our social instability. It was this inability to buy our mass production that brought about the economic collapse of 1929 and the depression that followed.
Since purchasing power in our present social system depends upon the sale of man-hours, consequently purchasing power drops off as more and more kilowatt-hours replace man-hours. Whereas a few years ago it took many man-hours to produce only a scarcity, the situation is now reversed. Man works less and is able to produce an abundance. When man did 98% of the work he did not have enough goods and services; now, when he does only 2% of the work, technology produces so much he doesn't know what to do with it (under a Price System, of course). These trends will continue. They cannot go back; they are unidirectional and irreversible.
Science and technology have given us nearly all of the physical things by which we live. Look around you right now. How many things do you see that were produced by hand? You are surrounded by things that did not even exist a hundred years ago--most of them did not exist even fifty years ago. Most of the things are produced by different methods than were used just a few years ago, or at any time before in history. Can you realize the magnitude of the change in the methods of production which has taken place in the last half century? It is shown on the chart.
Science and technology have given us these things, and if they were taken away from us we would die off so fast there would not be enough of us left to clean up the mess. With 19% of the world's land area and 9% of the world's population, the North American Continental Area possesses an ample supply of natural resources, fuels and minerals, more than adequate for a potentially optimum high standard of living for the entire Continental population. On top of that, we have close to two thirds of the world's total power capacity, and more than our share of scientifically trained personnel. Why, then, must some of our citizens go without sufficient food, clothing, homes, medical care, and other necessities that would guarantee, to all of us, security and a high standard of living from birth to death?
It is because we are living under a "Price System" which can only operate under conditions of scarcity. That system broke down in North America about fifty years ago with the "threat" of abundance. Price System politicians try to keep adding "props" by destroying, or by giving away to other countries our food and vital resources. To create artificial scarcity was once helpful to Price System business, but it was not to the best interests of North American citizens. Even the tremendous rise in public and private debt has not been sufficient to maintain stability in the economy. This, then, is the brief answer to "Why Technocracy?" Now if you understand why it is, you are ready to ask what it is.

Now, What Is Technocracy?

Technocracy is a social design for living engineered for the distribution of an abundance to all our citizens from birth to death. Today we are at the crossroads of our destiny. The correct turn will take us to a higher level of life than has ever been experienced in world history. Any other road will lead to national suicide.
Technocracy is a social design that is compatible with our resources and technology, and one that provides for the distribution of abundance. If you are interested in North America's future, which is your future and the future of your loved ones, it would be wise to investigate further. We are all in this together. Your help is needed to avoid chaos. One way to learn about Technocracy is through its Study Course. Technocracy welcomes your investigation and stands ready to assist you in every way possible. At the same time we welcome your assistance with the job ahead.