Technocracy movement

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See also technocracy, which is the underlying concept. This article is about a specific political movement based on the ideal of technocracy.

The technocracy movement (or Technocracy Incorporated), founded in 1918 as "The Technical Alliance" and incorporated in 1933 as "Technocracy Incorporated" was (and, surprisingly enough, still is) a weird movement which flourished briefly during the Great Depression, advocating the merger of all of North and Central America into one nation, the "North American Technate," to be ruled by scientists and engineers replacing politicians. Existing currencies were to be replaced by the "erg", the centimeter-gram-second (CGS) unit of energy.

The movement's founder, Howard Scott (1890–1970), avoided discussing his past; though he had no college-level education,[1]:28-29 he was alleged to have falsely claimed to have an academic degree and to have worked as an engineer.[2] Scott may have had some engineering knowledge, his work as an engineer consisted of working for the Air Nitrates Corporation during World War I, and later creating a small floor wax manufacturing company.[1]:28-29 His work at Air Nitrates was far from stellar, with co-workers complaining that he talked so strangely that they thought he was a German spy.[1]:28 A later government audit of Air Nitrates found that Scott's crew "had been responsible for gross waste, inefficiency, and shoddy workmanship."[1]:28

Marion King Hubbert, later known for his geoscience work for Shell Oil and his Hubbert's Peak Theory,[1]:29 was an early supporter and the main author of its study course.[3][4]

The movement's fondness for matching red and grey uniforms and militaristic fleets of grey vehicles brought it under great suspicion, given the rise of fascism in Europe in the 1930s. A newspaper article from 1942 claimed that the movement had "the tone of an incipient Fascist movement".[5] In 1942, Technocracy was described as propagandistic and an incipient fascist group.[6][7] The reasons why the movement were both symbolic (driving in identical gray cars, gray uniforms and replacement of member names with number-letter codes) and rhetorical (advocating an end to democracy, replaced by oligarchic technocrats).[7] Following the Pearl Harbor attack, Scott suggested that he become the continental dictator.[7]

There was growing public disenchantment with Scott in 1932; to attempt to recover from this situation, Scott gave a highly-publicized national radio speech in January 1933 before the New York Society of Arts and Sciences.[1]:87 Scott's speech was clumsy and incoherent, and he refused to answer questions afterward.[1]:88 Following the speech, "The American Engineering Council charged the technocrats with unprofessional activity, questionable data, and drawing unwarranted conclusions."[1]:88 The results was a schism of Technology Incorporated and greatly waning interest in the organization.[1]:88 An overarching problem with Technocracy was that as a whole, the leadership was terrible at organizing and politics.[1]:110-115 Adding to this problem was that the public at large was supposed to acquiesce to being led by engineers and scientists, yet Technocracy itself was led by someone without a college degree from its founding in 1935 until Scott's death in 1970.[2]

Joshua Haldeman[edit]

Elon Musk's maternal grandfather (whom Musk cites as inspirational), Joshua Haldeman, was a prominent member in Canada (Haldeman was also a racist and antisemite).[7] In 1940, Haldeman was arrested and convicted of "distributing and publishing documents likely or intended to interfere with the efficient prosecution of the war, and likely to cause disaffection to His Majesty", one of three convictions that Haldeman had in connection with the movement.[7] Unusually, Haldeman, who was born in the United States, was blocked from entry into the US in 1940, where he was to give a speech (Haldeman would normally have retained US citizenship by birth).[7]

Haldeman's movement name was "10450-1", another member's name was "1x1809x56",[7] which sounds a lot like some of Musk's children's names.

Many of Scott's predictions of economic doom failed to materialize and membership dropped after 1948 during much internal dissent. The movement survived, a shadow of its former self, and Technocracy Inc. still exists today with a small presence on the Internet, promoting itself as "Functional Governance for North America."

Gallery[edit]

  • The Technocracy symbol, a version of yin and yang

  • Howard Scott in his younger days in front of a Technocracy "section house"

  • Hubbert in his younger days

  • "Chickens are not people, but their behavior is surprisingly similar."[note 1]

  • Technocracy members in 1945: On the count of three, roll your eyes…]

  • Haldeman in 1945 as a Canadian Social Credit Party candidate for Parliament

  • Technocracy members marching in a parade, in uniform and formation

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ↑ The full quote from Technocracy Incorporated: "Chickens are not people, but their behavior is surprisingly similar. The scale of social priority in the animal world is determined by animal ability to fight. The scale of social priority in the Price System world is determined by financial ability to chisel. The sale of social priority in the Technate will be determined by biological ability to function for the General Welfare of all."[8]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Technocracy and the American Dream: The Technocrat Movement, 1900-1941 by William E. Akin (1977) University of California Press. ISBN 0520031105.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 In science we trust: Back in the first half of the 20th century, a group called Technocracy Incorporated wanted to reorganize society by putting scientists in charge. The movement flamed out, but its underlying message still appeals to many in Silicon Valley. by Ira Basen (June 28, 2021) CBC Radio-Canada.
  3. ↑ Technocracy Wiki: Marion King Hubbert
  4. ↑ Technocracy Pictures Archive: Marion King Hubbert
  5. ↑ Joshua N Haldeman, DC: The Canadian Years, 1926-1950 (1995) J. Can. Chiropr. Asso. 39(3):172-186.
  6. ↑ Technocracy Springs to Life With Big Splurge of Publicity by John C. Rogers (March 18, 1942) Buffalo Evening News, page 37.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Elon Musk’s Anti-Semitic, Apartheid-Loving Grandfather: The billionaire has described his grandfather as a risk-taking adventurer. A closer read of history reveals something much darker. by Joshua Benton (September 20, 2023) The Atlantic.
  8. ↑ Technocracy: Illustrations, Artwork and Symbolization Technocracy Technate Picture Archive.
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