Who Is A Technocrat?

Wilton Ivie

1953

Published in:

• The Northwest Technocrat, October, 1953.

• Information brief #25, April, 1954
• The Technocrat, March 1965, No. 213
• The Northwest Technocrat, 4th quarter 1969, No. 237
• TechnocracyTechnate.org 2009

The name `Technocrat' may be applied to anyone who actively endorses and advocates
Technocracy as a form of social control in his Area. So far as we know, there are no
Technocrats on the North American Continent outside of the Organization of Technocracy
Inc. There may be, and probably are, many potential Technocrats; but like potential
energy, they are dormant and without kinetic force.

In the literature of Europe and America especially America-there is developing a

tendency to employ the words `Technocracy' and 'Technocrat' rather loosely. The origins
of such references are mostly traceable to Roman Catholic writers of propaganda
releases, but other willful stooges of reactionism often pick up the words and carelessly
proliferate their applications in writings and speeches.

The plot among the Catholic propagandists evidently is to disparage `Technocracy' and
`Technocrats' through the well-worn propaganda techniques of name-calling and
unfavorable association. The worst `association' that can be made today is to bracket
something with communist or with the Bolshevik Party of Russia. Hence, there are to be
seen such references as: `Red Technocrats,' in connection with the scientifically-trained
men in the government of Russia; `Malenkov, a terrorist-technocrat'; and the
`Technocracy of Russia.'

The implications of the word `Technocrat' are expanded further to include those
Americans and others who are active in designing and installing machines for the
production of abundance and the displacement of human toil--who, of course, are
deemed subversive of the old values of Scarcity, Human Toil, and Insecurity, hence are
regarded as no less than emissaries of Satan. Less skilled writers and speakers
frequently go so far as to use the word `Technocracy' in place of `technology' and the
word `Technocrat' in reference to anyone with scientific or technical training.

When these propagandists are challenged by Members of Technocracy with reference to

their use of the words in loose and improper ways, the trite answer is that the words
were intended to be spelled with a small `t,' hence do not refer to Technocracy or
Technocrats as an organization or members thereof. In other words, presumably if
`technocracy' is spelled with a small `t,' it can be used in any sense that the writer
chooses.
The instances of such misuse of `Technocracy' and `Technocrat' are too numerous for us
to cite them specifically; but they are to be found in various propaganda books, in
popular magazines, in daily newspapers--from the New York Times down to the Hearst
papers--and in the bulletins and house papers of various industrial and service
enterprises.

Literally, the word `Technocracy' means government by skill, as contrasted to

government by opinion--whether it be an autocracy (government by one man's opinion),
an aristocracy (government by the opinions of an upper class), a plutocracy
(government by the opinions of the wealthy), or a democracy (government by
everybody's opinion). The word `Technocracy' was synthesized and casually used, but
not clearly defined, by others than Technocrats, even before the Twentieth Century, but
its current usage and definition pertain properly only to the social concepts, organization,
and membership which grew out of the thinking and writings of Howard Scott. The
application of the word in any other connotation today is a clumsy usurpation and a
fraud.

Technocracy is strictly a specific form of social control (or government) which is designed
to utilize the knowledge of science and the methods of technology to produce and
distribute an abundance of goods and services to all citizens in its domain. It is a form of
social control in which the physical factors, not human opinions or traditions, determine
WHAT shall be done in the way of social operation, as well as HOW it shall be done.

For example, the physical factors of this Continent demand that the whole Continent be
integrated with a high-capacity, low-cost transportation network. Further, the physical
factors indicate that this must, for the major part, be a waterways network. Other forms
of transportation consume too much non-replaceable fuel and other resources in ratio to
the amount of material transported; hence, they must be reduced to a secondary status
and employed for special functions.

Technocracy Is Opposed To

Technocracy as a form of social control is opposed to waste, especially waste of non-

replaceable energy and mineral supplies; it is opposed to the inefficient degradation of
energy; it is opposed to shoddiness of manufacture; it is opposed to scarcity, especially
planned scarcity; and it is opposed to opinionated tyrannies (such as fascism) as a
means of social regulation. This is because the physical factors needed in the operation
and continuance of a high-energy civilization on this Continent (or any other continent)
would be seriously handicapped by the prevalence of any of these.

The resultants of Technocracy applied to the North American Continent would be: The
production and distribution of all the goods and services that the entire population of the
Continent would require. Reduction of human effort to the minimum that the effective
operations of the Continent would permit. The maximization of both Continental and
individual security. Obligation of every Citizen to contribute his pro rata share of time
and effort in manning the operations of the Continent, which amount would be very
meager, indeed, as compared to Price System expectations. The highest standard of
health and education that it would be possible for a society to maintain. The individual
human being would derive a great deal more from the system than he or she would
contribute to it. Hence, everyone would live on a heritage of unearned wealth, a
circumstance which, today, is permitted to only a very few of `the best people.'

This is the only form of social control or government that legitimately can be called a
`Technocracy.' There are no technocracies in the world today. All governments on the
earth, now are Price System tyrannies, whether they are autocratic, fascistic, republican,
socialistic, or a hybrid combination of two or more of these. The present governments of
the United States and Canada are goulashes of all these elements.
Propagandists, whether in the economic, political, or religious fields, have had a long
experience in, and have perfected various techniques for propagating deception. One of
these techniques, as we have already indicated, is that of `association.'
The trick is to take something and attempt to influence opinion for or against it by
associating it with something else regarding which either a favorable or unfavorable
opinion has already been formed. For example, the advertising propaganda of the soap
companies may associate a certain trade name with a popular movie actress, both by
pictorial means and with testimonials. The theory is, if the public loves the movie actress
it will also love that soap.
The authoritarians have despised science from its inception and have tried to associate it
with everything unsavory that could be imagined. Under their influence, Hollywood has
repeatedly depicted scientists as sadists, maniacs, and screwballs in the cinema
productions. In this way, an attempt is continually being made to discredit science in the
opinion of the public.

The form of social governance that the authoritarians despise above all others is
Technocracy; for, in a Technocracy, decisions based upon authority and opinion would be
reduced to a minimum. In comparison to Technocracy, the authoritarians consider
communism to be `lovely'; for, they can still `do business' under communism, although
perhaps not as happily as under fascism. However, a considerable amount of success
has been achieved in non-communist countries toward branding communism as
obnoxious and heretical, and on the basis of this success a cold war hysteria has been
instigated and maintained in America against the Soviet Union and affiliated nations.

Disdain For Fascism

During World War II. a certain disdain for fascism developed in America and some other
countries, although the authoritarians did not take an active part in promoting this
disdain; rather, they actively tried to soft-pedal it and direct the stigma toward the
personalities of Hitler, Mussolini, and Tojo (but not against Pacelli, Victor Emanuel, or
Hirohito; for, evidently, the former were considered expendable but the latter were not).

In character with true propaganda techniques of the authoritarians, Technocracy was

proclaimed to be `fascistic' during World War II. But, as soon as the war was over, the
communism was branded as the mortal enemy of authoritarianism (while fascism was
blessed with absolution), and in complete disregard for intellectual consistency the
propagandists of authoritarianism associate Technocracy with communism, Technocrats
were no longer depicted in cartoons as goose-stepping fascists, but were transformed
into swaggering commissars. The Hearst papers went so far as to lump the four great
heresies together into one `brotherhood' -- Science, Technocracy, Communism. and
Atheism.

Various petty officials have, from time to time, attempted to brand Technocracy as
`subversive,' but the reasons for such (when given at all) have always been very vague
and evasive. When investigated, these petty persons usually turn out to be affiliates or
dupes of some organized intrusion of authoritarianism on this Continent-which is
opposed to abundance, security, and freedom from toil for the inhabitants of North
America. More often than not, their allegiance is oriented more toward Rome than
toward the welfare of this Continent. They tend to belong to outfits who think that
characters like Joe McCarthy are great guys. Such petty subversives and dupes are to be
found in the Armed Forces, in veterans organizations, in industrial public relations
personnel, in the schools, and in professional agencies charged with persecution of
heretics.
Subversiveness

But no charges of subversiveness against Technocracy can be substantiated; for,

Technocracy has none of the elements of a subversive organization. It has no foreign
connections; only citizens of North America can be Members of Technocracy. It neither
supports nor propagates any foreign ideology-political, economic, or ecclesiastical.
Although Technocracy is objectively analytical and critical in its appraisals of trends and
developments on this and other continents, it neither conducts nor advocates any action
against the governments of this Continent nor against any of their official enactments,
whether the latter are arrived at by strictly legal means or otherwise.
Technocracy neither takes nor advocates any destructive action against the established
institutions of this Continent, whether in the economic, political, or religious fields.
Technocracy has never opposed the war efforts of this Continent nor advocated evasion
of wartime regulations, no matter how unwise they may have been. Members of
Technocracy have served their respective countries faithfully in all branches and all ranks
of the Armed Forces. They have served in super-secret capacities, and none have been
convicted of violating their trust. (That is more than can be said of certain honorable
Senators and Congressmen, not to mention bankers and industrialists.)

Technocracy Inc. is a 100 per cent North American organization, having originated on
this Continent, being active only on this Continent, having a membership made up only
of citizens of this Continent, and its social objectives pertaining only to North America.

Total Conscription

During World War II and again during the Korean `police action,' Technocracy urged the
institution of Total Conscription as the most effective means of organizing this Continent
for defense and saving human lives and resources. In this, Technocracy went further,
and placed itself on record as being far more patriotic than any other organization or
agency in America. Many labor union locals and other minor groups endorsed
Technocracy's Total Conscription Program; but the upholders of inefficiency, graft, and
international gangsterism opposed it; and few of the large daily newspapers or slick
magazines had a good word for it. Technocrats are proud of their Organization's stand
on this issue, and of the enemies it made.

Technocrats are proud to stand on their program of Abundance, Security, and Freedom
from Toil for all North Americans, regardless of what the grafters of the Price System
and the crackpots of authoritarianism think of them and their program. The howls and
yappings of the Roman Catholic press and the communist press against Technocracy are
music to the ears of Technocrats; we rejoice that these social elements have aligned
themselves on the other side.

Technocracy will not promise to be silent about waste, human toil, premeditated
scarcity, subversiveness, mismanagement, and authoritarian inquisitions on this
Continent.

The Most For The Least

Technocracy advocates the most and the best for the people of this Continent, with the
least social cost in energy, resources, and human effort. It shall yield only to those who
can devise a program which goes beyond that of Technocracy Inc. in the achievement of
these objectives; but it will not yield to, or compromise with, any who fall short of it. To
the former, we should be glad to yield even the name `Technocracy.' However, no such
eventuality is imminent, even as a probability.
The Organization and Membership of Technocracy Inc. define `Technocracy' (whether
with a large or little `T') as any social system which is organized and integrated on an
Area basis to apply the knowledge of science and the methods of technology to the
physical operations of the Area, and which has the objective of achieving the highest
sustained standard of living for all of its inhabitants that its physical factors permit, and
whose ultimate objectives are the production and distribution of abundance, the
achievement of the maximum security for the Area and its citizens, and the reduction of
human effort and vigilance to a minimum. Any application of the term `Technocracy' to
anything inferior to this, we contend, is dishonest and inaccurate.

A Technocrat

The name `Technocrat' may be applied to anyone who actively endorses and advocates
Technocracy as a form of social control in his Area. So far as we know, there are no
Technocrats on the North American Continent outside of the Organization of Technocracy
Inc. There may be, and probably are, many potential Technocrats; but, like potential
energy, they are dormant and without kinetic force. In fact, there is no vehicle of
expression for Technocrats or would-be-Technocrats outside of the Organization of
Technocracy Inc.

Technocracy has become firmly established on the North American Continent as a

definite and specific form of social operation; and the name `Technocrat' applies only to
one who actively supports that form of Area Control. So, when anyone attempts to apply
those words to anything or anyone else, or to make inaccurate associations, you can put
him down as a propagandist for, or a dupe of, some agency whose objectives for the
people of North America are the antithesis of those proclaimed by Technocracy.
A file copy of this information: Who Is A Technocrat? - Wilton Ivie