Obsolete System
The Price System grew out of the days of scarcity, when trading his
crude materials or stealing them, was the only way in which man could
acquire the articles which he required. Through complex ramifications
the trading system has grown until it is now the overwhelming structure
of finance, business commerce, and politics, in short, the Price System
in toto--a gigantic structure, but still just a method of exchanging goods,
springing from the ancient custom and necessity of barter. No intention
or pretense is made of accurate measurement or control; no physical accounting
is involved; no accurate predictions can be made; and no stabilization
can be assured. The Price System is simply a method of erratic exchange.
In scarcity it sufficed well enough as an exchange method; in abundance
it cannot even do that.
The dislocation of the commodity exchange method of distributing goods
and services became apparent after World War 1. The disrupted conditions
at that time led to a scientific investigation which in turn proved that
the only common denominator of all goods and services was energy.
The scientists who pointed this out simply proposed to measure the total
amount of energy used by the North American Continent in a given period;
measure the energy cost of physical production and services; and use these
measurements as the basis for regulation of all Continental production
and distribution.
Technocracy Is The Tool
Technocracy's basic postulate is, `The phenomena involved in the functional
operation of a social mechanism are metrical.' In other words, anything
that materially affects us or changes our environment is measurable. The
scientists and technologists know this and have applied it directly to
the task of equipping North America with the most intricate and efficient
productive mechanism ever to exist on earth. When they are given their
chance they will see that the abundant goods and services produced are
adequately distributed to everyone on the Continent. Technocracy is the
tool by which North Americans may gain abundance and security.
Technocracy would put into operation a Continental control of all flow
lines of production and distribution a Continental statistical system
which would record the desires of every citizen in his choice of consumable
goods and available services. This system would do the following things
in a physical area where abundance is certain:
- Register on a continuous 24-hour-per day basis the total net conversion
of energy, which would determine (a) the availability of energy for
Continental plant construction and maintenance, (b) the amount of physical
wealth available in the form of consumable goods and services for consumption
by the total population during the balance-load period.
- By means of the registration of energy converted and consumed, make
possible a balanced load.
- Provide a continuous inventory of all production and consumption.
- Provide a specific registration of the type, kind, etc., of all goods
and services, where produced, and where used.
- Provide a specific registration of the consumption of each individual,
plus a record and description of the individual.
- Allow the citizen the widest latitude of choice in consuming his individual
share of Continental physical wealth.
- Distribute goods and services abundantly to every member of the population.
Why Not Money?
On the basis of these requirements, it is interesting to consider money
as a possible medium of distribution. But before doing this, let us bear
in mind what the properties of money are. In the first place, money relationships
are all based upon 'value,' which in turn is a function of scarcity. Hence
money is not a 'measure' of anything. Secondly, money is a debt claim
against society and is valid in the hands of any bearer. In other words,
it is negotiable; it can be traded, stolen, given or gambled away. Thirdly,
money can be saved. Fourthly, money circulates, and is not destroyed or
canceled out upon being spent. On each of these counts money fails to
meet our requirements as our medium of distribution.
Money Is Inadequate
Suppose, for instance, that we attempted to distribute by means of money
the goods and services produced. Suppose that it were decided that 200
billion dollars' worth of goods and services were to be produced in a
given year, and suppose further that 200 billion dollars were distributed
to the population during that time with which to purchase these goods
and services. Immediately the foregoing properties of money would create
trouble. Due to the fact that money is not a physical measure of goods
and services, there is no assurance that prices would not change during
the year, and that 200 billion dollars issued for use in a given year
would be used in that year. If it were not used this would immediately
begin to curtail production and start oscillations. Due to the fact that
money is negotiable, and that certain human beings, by hook or crook,
have a facility for getting it away from other human beings, this would
defeat the requirement that distribution must reach all human beings.
A further consequence of the negotiability of money is that it can be
used very effectively for purposes of bribery. Hence the most successful
accumulators of money would be able eventually not only to disrupt the
flow line, but also to buy a controlling interest in the social mechanism
itself, which brings us right back to where we started from.
Due to the fact that money is a species of debt, and hence cumulative,
the amount would have to be continuously increased, which, in conjunction
with its property of being negotiable, would lead inevitably to concentration
of control in a few hands, and to general disruption of the distribution
system which was supposed to be maintained.
Thus, money in any form whatsoever is completely inadequate as a medium
of distribution in an economy of abundance with a Price System control.
Any social system employing commodity evaluation (commodity valuations
are the basis of all money) is a Price System. Hence it is not possible
to maintain an economy of abundance by means of a Price System.
The Scientific Answer
Technocracy's Energy Certificate is the only instrument of distribution
which can be used in this Continent's emerging era of abundance--the progress
of which is being speeded up by automation. This Energy Certificate provides
the accounting means whereby each individual North American can express
his individual preference as to what he wants of the products North America
is capable of producing. That is its function--to record the demand for
goods and services and, thereby, to determine the amount to be produced.
By applying one specific technological measuring device, production and
consumption can be balanced and the first specification for social harmony
is immediately achievable.
Vote With Meaning
The only real vote is purchasing power. What we buy we vote for. With
an abundance of purchasing power we can vote as often as we like, every
day of the year, and always win our vote.
The Energy Certificate eliminates both the basis and the need of all
social work and charity. It would reduce crime to but a small fraction
of what exists today.
If you don't like the war, the poverty, the misery, the waste, the crime,
the disease, and the corruption which the Price System spawns, why do
you stick with it?
