Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-09-28
Technocracy Unsound
By John THoMAs PAINE

In every historical period in which change
in the means of production compel social
change, with consequent threat to the ruling
class, a large number of solutions" are always
brought forward One constant characteristic
of these solutions is, that at the bottom all
but the truly revolutionary proposals. aim at
preserving the rule OF the master class.
This fact was never clearer than today when
the incurably sick capitalist system Is seeking
every means of engaging the attention OF the
exploited masses with one fantastic mis-lead-
ing scheme after another.
Among these quack remedies is Technoc-
raey.
On the Pacific Coast. and particularly in
the Northwest, this economic pipe-dream finds
far more adherents than in other parts of the
country. In the east, Teehnocracy is dead as
door nail. Some pepOle, therefor, might see no
sense in attention paid Technocracy by the
Voice of Action. But, granted. that Technoe-
racy Is dead on the Atlantic Seaboard, the fact
is that out here too many people are hopeful
regarding this hOdge-podge OF theory and fan
tastic reaction For Technocracy to be ignored
in Washington because 1t Is dead In New York.
is like refusing to take medical measures
against infantile paralysis in Seattle simply be-
cause there is no epidemic in Detroit or Boston.
Technocracy, like anything else must have
a cause before it can come into existence. The
origin of the movement lies in the devastating
effects of the depression upon the small bus
mess man, the several branches of the white
collar group, and particularly upon technOlo-
gists, the men who in every day language, are
called engineers. 1t is from these engineers or
teehnologists, that the name "Teehnocrat"
comes. 1t means the rule of society by engin-
GERS
II this scheme by some stretch of the imag
inatOn, could be put into effect, 1t would not
do away with the class system of society, which
is the basis of all our trouble. but would
simply substitute one set of exploiting masters
the technicians, for the capitalists, who now
ride on the workers backs.
But this recent aspect of Technocracy, the
substitution of engineers for capitalists, has
only an academic not a practical Importance.
This is true because there is in Technocracy, no
realistic provision made for transferring the
ownership of the means of production from
the capitalists to an imaginary "technocratic
society"
There are quacks and takers in economics
and politics even more plentifully than in med
icine. They can be exposed and the harm they
do prevented by subjecting them and their
schemes to the test OF scientific analysis. The
means of judging and testing all such economic
patent medicines" is the scientific theory con-
tanned in the works of Marx and Lenin. And
when this test is made, Technocracy, as a seri-
Gus course of action, simply evaporates.
Technocracy ignores the fundamentals of
social fact. 1t shuts its eyes to the division of
society into two hostile camps, workers and
capitalists. And by refusing to recognize this
basic fact of capitalist society, all Technocratic
theory" ceases to be theory, and becomes only
a delusion and trap.
False theory" cannot work. Hence, Tech
nocracy, as something basically unsound, must
be exposed and rejected.