Don Malcolm
Technocracy’s proposed plan is a scientific/social design to produce and distribute a virtual abundance equally to ALL North Americans with the least possible wastage of nonrenewable resources, a minimum of human effort, and a maximum of efficiency. The industrial mechanism would operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Efficiency could achieve required production with less infrastructure. Goods would be better built to last longer, eliminating built-in obsolescence and lessening the production equipment necessary. Products, wherever possible, would be designed with total recycling capability thereby decreasing the drain on non-renewable resources.
A viable method indicated by Technocracy’s calendar would show the population, from age 25 to retirement at 45, working four days on three days off for 287 days (165 which are work days) plus 78 days vacation per year. Technological improvements since 1933 have shortened work time considerably. Citizens up to age 25 would receive education and training. In their greatly increased leisure time, people would have an opportunity to engage in a variety of familial, introspective, artistic, scientific or sporting pursuits or extensive travel.
Money, as we know it, would be replaced with a non-fluctuating medium of distribution. Instead of having an “elastic value” (supply and demand) as at present, goods would possess a measurable energy input and would be distributed on that basis. The total “cost” of all goods and services produced would be the total amount of all energy used in their production. Personal consuming power would be issued to all citizens throughout their lives, in a form of non-negotiable accounting. It would be used only by the person to whom it was issued as a medium of distribution. In modern usage it would likely resemble (physically) the credit card but there the similarity would end. In conjunction with a modern computer system it would be in a continual accounting system (detailing expenditure of energy and natural resources), a continuous inventory, an identification and record of the holder and a guarantee of security. Unlike the credit card, it would NOT be: a medium of exchange, subject to fluctuation of “value”, subject to theft or loss, subject to hoarding or gambling, a symbol of wealth or prestige, a means of creating debt. It would be useless to everyone except the person to whom it was issued. There would be no personal “saving”: the unused remainder of individual’s energy account would be canceled out at two-year intervals and replaced with a new account. Banks would cease to exist.