The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-01-24
BY A. ALLEN.
/. WHAT is TECHNoCRACY?

1. WHAT is TECHNOCRACY?
nURING the last few months the
bourgeois and the social-fascist
papers Of America have been con-
Quoting an exceptionally broad and
persevering campaign for techno-
cracy. AS a result Of this campaign,
democracy has become a general
topic Of discussion among certain
parts Of the population, especially
among the technicians and engi-
neers, but also among the workers.
The basic idea of technocracy is
the rule of the engineers; it Is a
teaching whose supporters say that
the only way out Of the crisis is to
give the engineers and technicians
the power to take care of capital
ism.
The center of democracy is the
Columbia University in New York.
Over a decade ago the bourgeoisie
founded there a committee OF engi-
neers and professors to survey the
extent of natural resources and the
supply of energy in North America,
as we'll as their technical adapta-
ton for use.
THIS investigating committee has
4 been carrying out its task quiet
ly for many years. Its members
have begun to call themselves tech
nocrats, and they advance the
teaching of democracy, or the rule
Of the engineers, as the only pos
sible solution to the crisis.
However, the bourgeoisie and its
press until recently have not paid
any great attention to these tech
noCrats; articles concerning the de-
velopment, mechanization and ra-
tionalization of technique, which
have been published now and then
in bourgeois publications.
The first impetus to the present
big campaign for democracy was
given by the ex-governor of New
York state, and Democratic candi-
date for president in 1928, Alfred E.
Smith, one Of the leaders of Amer
ica's big bourgeoisie and an out
standing leader Of the organization
directing boudgeois political cor
ruption in New York, Tammany
Hall. Last November this gentle
man began to publish the New
Outlook, a periodical edited in a
very fascist spirit. The first issue
of this magazine contained an ex-
tensive article Of propaganda for
democracy. Starting from Mr..
Smiths publication, which has a
great deal of influence among the
bourgeoiste, the democracy cam
paign spread like wild-fire over the
entire country, with the result that
people have begun to speak of it
just as excitedly as they did last
spring about the kidnapping Of the
Lindbergh baby.
2. WHAT DO THE
TECHNOCRATS SAY?
THE teaching OF democracy Is
J. confusing, conservative and uto-
pistic. They pretend to be against
everybody and everything, against
the democrats, the republicans, the
fascists and communists. But es-
pecially against the teachings OF
Marx. They often use anti-capita1-
list phrases, but they never advo-
cate the overthrowing Of the capl-
talist system.
They paint a very gloomy pic
ture Of the crisis; they predict the
colossal increase of unemployment.
They preach against the price
system and are of the opinion that
money should be replaced as unit
OF value by energy units, such as
kilowatt hours, etc. In the opinion
Of these gentlemen, the agents Of
the capitalist class, there are no
classes and no class struggle. 1t is
out of question to think that they
would say something about inlme-
diately improving the miserable
condition Of the workers.
The great technical advance
made during the rule OF capitalism
and especially during the last few
decades is the A and o Of teaching
of the technocrats. They bring oEt
as a supposedly new and revolt
tionary discovery the role of ma
chinery and new inventions in lay
ing Off labor power. But all that
is nothing new, for the main direc-
ton OF changes in production
brought about by technical advance
was already very clearly indicated
SIS early as 13dS in the Communist
Manifesto, written by Marx and
Eingels, and later explained IN de-
tail In Marks Capital In speak