The 20th century will be remembered in the annals of history as the “Technological Revolution”. Industrial-Capitalism which seen in it’s birth in the 19th century in England, and spread all over western Europe and America is fastly becoming obsolete as a form of mass production. What was known as the “industrial Revolution” has reached its economical and sociological death. We’re living today in the historical and embryological development of the “Technological Revolution”.
The “Technological Revolution” will create a completely new social order, just as its predecessor (the Industrial Revolution)
In Markist ideology, the thought prevail that what the workers will always remain at the base of industrial class society. There cannot be any proletarian workers at the base of industrial class society for the simple reason, industrial class society itself is fastly becoming obsolete, out-molded. Automation, cyberation, space-age electronics and computer data processing are swiftly obliterating the old order of Capitalist production (industrialism and the industrial worker)
Automation is the root-cause of the high percentage of unemployment. Automation is replacing the skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled; the professionals, semi-professionals and clerical workers are also affected by automational advancement. What this mean is this: technology w9ith its branches of automation, cybernation, and computer data processing has produced a non-working class.
The achievements of technology is creating the “Technocratic State”, whereupon, “work” is rapidly becoming economically and sociologically unnecessary. There is no more fundamental need for us to work.
In the emerging Techno-society, the factories are being heavily affected by automation. What is known as “unwork” is becoming predominant in the factories; unwork is done for no productive purpose whatsoever. An example of this is “dead horse” in the printing industry, “Featherbirdding” in the common job industry. Millions of workers are being affected by automations, which is making their productive role in the factories bogus. Why use a person when automation can do the exact same work more efficient and cheaper. Automation is gradually replacing workers, in the process of production. We’re rapidly becoming an automated society, whereas, work is becoming a relic of the past. America is the most advanced technical society in the world. All that is needed for the complete transition of America from a worker’s industrial society, to be an automated society, is the proper ideology. Marxists holds to the premise that man’s ideas are determined by the stage of production prevailing. If this be true, we can easily see work as being requisite of agricultural and industrial society. But in modern day technology, work as an economic and social product has become effete. Work as an appendage to hunting, fishing, agricultural and industrial society was physically necessary and philosophical views were created to justify why working was economically necessary for production.
Now that work is no longer imperative for production of material goods, new philosophical views must be created, so that the workless class will be psychologically prepared for the emerging “Technological Revolution”.
Techno-society will produce new social relations. Classes as we understand it (based upon a vertical relationship) will not be the social order of the technocratic state. Classes will be based upon a horizontal relationship, in fact, technology can bring Karl Marx ultimate dream into a reality, a classless society. It will be the job of the urbonologist, psychologist and sociologist to create the proper setting and psycho-social ideas for the coming technocratic state.
If man’s technological research have brought him to the historical stage, whereas, his labor is no longer needed and he may “enjoy” the benifits of a hundred years of technological research and scientific achievements…what will be replaced with work? What will fulfill the human spirit of achievement and usefulness? What productive role—if—any—will we play? These are some of the problems that the social scientist must resolve.
America is the most technological advanced society in the world today. America’s technological productions could clothe, feed and shelter the world. America have reached the stage of super abundance. Then why is there inflation, hunger and high unemployment in America herself? Why is half the world starving?
The reason why the above problem exist is because America is clinging to an out-molded 19th century economic philosophy of production (capitalism). Capitalist argument was based upon the premise that material goods were scarce, and this is the reason for a mass proletarian working class (the have-nots). On the other end of the pole was the oligarchy capitalist class (the few that have). The capitalist system of production has been contradicted. Material goods are in abundance, and a new ideological premise must be formulated to accommodate this abundance. History is not static. History is dynamic and will not slacken its pace for any transitory by-gone economic ideology. Let’s move on.
The main reason for inflation and unemployment not being controlled is automation. The workers are being replaced by automated machinery. Not only do the consumers have no money to purchase manufactured goods, but manufactured goods are in abundance; supply and demand are un-cheak, thus the root-cause of the present-day depression is “under-consumation” and “over-production”. The economic indicators (business cycle, charts, graphs, etc.) are showing that things are not bettering toward economic stability but rather, things are getting worse. And this inflational trend will continue , as long as we persist to apply econocentric ideas and motives to the emerging “Technocratic state”. Hitherto, “economic advancement” have been the primary aim of Capitalist production, and technology has been the tool to reach this “economic advancement”. No longer can technology be economically centered; this will only prolong the depression, and keep the workers and workless materially stagnated. America can create the maximinization of material well-being for all her citizens; if only she revise her system of economic production, and destroy the pseudo-philosophical connotation that man must work or have a production role in the human drama, called life.
We are living in a semi-automated society this is on its way of becoming wholly automated. People will be forced out of jobs, and job training programs cannot keep up the pace with advancing technology. Just as the latter part of the “Industrial Revolution” with the mechanization of farming-created an urban population out of the displaced farmers, the “technological Revolution” is creating a “displaced workers” population. The Process is in reverse with only major flaw; the “displaced workers” can’t go back to the farms. What will be done with/to this displaced population? In all actuality, the “technocratic state” will be a welfare state, utopian state, socialist state, etc., call it what you may, but it’s certain that it will have be a “state” where displaced workers will have to work, and their work as a economic and social product will be totally unnecessary. There will be a mass class of non-working consumers, a techno-managerial elite class, and also, a technologist (research specialist) class. There will be the three dominating classes in America, once the capitalist understands that all he can do is prolong-through job training, small wars, stimulating the consumer market with cheap commodities—capitalist industrial production. All the institutions are being affected by the “Technological Revolution”, even the church is being affected by the new technocracy.
A new ecclesiastical ideology is necessary in the light of the miracles of advance technology. How can a medieval conception of God fulfill the psycho-religious needs of modern day man. It’s an existential impossibility for the conception we hold of God to exist in the “Technocratic State”. Man has replicated God’s powers through technical achievements. Modern day man needs a God who understand technology.
All through the ages man’s concepts of a omnipotent God has gone through an evolutionary development. As nature’s mysteries started to unfold before our eyes—our conception of God became more and more sophisticated. At first there were many (primitivism, polytheism, animism etc.), and then only one (monotheism) with man attributes. If science and technology contradicts miracles, then God must become a technocrat, who understand science and mathematics.
Life is meaningless without form (religion and culture), for some religion fullfil this form. Most people have a psycho-religious need to believe in a supreme being, this is rooted in our biological dependancey on outside forces (air, food, water, etc.). In order for the religious leaders of the world to hold the masses, the must become very bold and audacious in their proclamation of the “Technocratic State”.
Capitalism to some is a monstrosity, to others it’s a beatitude. Regardless if one is pro or con one thing is certain; all of us has been affected by this system of private ownership of the means of production. It has brought the old biblical prophency in Genisis to fore: it has out flown the birds of the air; out swam the fish of the sea; it has traveled faster than any creeping thing upon the Earth. The greatest scientific accomplishments in history have been under the capitalist system of economics. Although, this system of dog-eat-dog has brought out the most inhumane competitive spirit in man—it was a prerequisite for scientific achievement and productional advancement.
Capitalism in it’s beginning was ruthless, it knew no distinction between male, female or child, in its work factories. Capitalism had eight year old girls in southern textile mills, ten year old boys working in Pennsylvania coal mines, women working in New York famous (or infamous) garment centers; it created and exploited what was known as child and sweatshop labor. The birth of industrial capitalism was on the labor pains of black slavery, with the partition of Africa in 1884, the colonialization of India’s ancient people, with the genocidal obliteration of the native American Indian, scores of iniquities. but, can we say the past social crimes were an economic necessity? We do know this; if man was to ever master his environment through technological progress, history needed an incentive, so that the momentum would proceed without obstruction, capitalism seem to have been that historical incentive.
Capitalism as all eco-historical production system have come to its natural pit-fall. It is no longer applicable to human affairs, if it stays around any longer it’ll cause famine, ecological damage, brush wars, catastrophe after catastrophe. Man must mature with his own progress, we cannot become like the mad wizard whose powers are out of his control. Capitalism is like King Midas, whose touch was gold, although glittering; cold, hard and lifeless.
Economist admit that they don’t have any immediate solution toward present day economic problems. They’re looking for a solution in the wrong direction, they must revolutionize their thinking, in order for them to bring about an effective change. The economist, politician and capitalist elitist must face the facts that they are living in a revolution of technical production, and computerization of the old beauracratic state. Until the social political and economic leaders face the fact of automation and admit to themselves that a drastic social change is imperative if man is to survive, we will continue to have these productional wars, social unrest and high unemployment, unless the social leaders give a proper analysis of today’s problems of automation.
This is the epoch in history whereas, man must out-think the machine and not become a servant to it. Machines must be deglorified and be taken for that are (an accumulation of materials in the service for the well-being of man). We have the resources to solve all of our social and economic problems; our spiritual values and mores must elevate with our technological advancement. Man must master his nature, which is rooted in his biological make-up; needs wants and desires can be fullfil in all aspects (psycho-social, psycho-sexual; food, shelter and clothing), there is no more fundamental need for man to be against himself in the arena of survival of the fittest. We can discount Herburt Spence social Darwinism, and reach for a more humane and altruistic social, economic and political philosophy, if we fail to act out our historical obligations, then our posterity will look back upon us as a scurrious generation of vipers. No longer can we prolong this malignant pathological growth known as industrial capitalism. We must rid ourselves of this historical relic, so that human society can advance to a degree unthinkable. There is no turning back the clock when something new come in on the historical scene. Automated society must be guided properly, and no left to blind chance or the doctrine of laissez-faire.
Fact: automation is the society of the future. We must plan this society, so that the majority can enjoy the benefits of technology, science and medicine.
Society cannot continue as it is, without the aid of conscientious social planners. The intelligentsia must stop selling out to class interest ideas. Our Psycho-mechanical responds to words like communism, co-operative economics, socialism, planned medicine…must cease. Anything that is beneficial for man must be label humanism.
Capitalism have brought us up to a certain stage in history, but just like an old pair of shoes that has worn out, a new pair is necessary to protect the feet. Dying capitalism is the cause of the present day depression and unless the capitalist let it die a natural death—this cancerousbody must be laid to rest, before its cancerous cells spread and cause a universal cataclysm.
One of the most controversial subjects today is “prison”. Prisons were constructed to serve two functions; rehabilitation and punishment, often times more emphasis on the latter. We can say prison reforms started in 1819, when Auburn Prison was being constructed in upstate New York. Auburn was to serve as America’s first model proto-type male maximum security prison. The objective of Auburn (re-named; Auburn Correctional Facility) was to rehabilitate the convict (re-named; inmate or resident), to give the inmate schooling, counseling and prepare him for his return to society. Other prisons were constructed according to the Auburn blue-print.
Prisons as they are today are fastly becoming warehouses of the workless class, who are socially and economically misfits. This is to say that they’re the workless class) don’t fit in automational production. Their productive role have been destroyed by labor time-saving machines. This forces them to make a living some way other than working. Some people will steal regardless to how well-off he is, but it’s not an accident that over 75% of the inmate population are in jail for property related crimes (robber, buglary etc). The prisons also provides jobs for another segment of society. These small towns like Attica, Stromville, Elmira and Auburn would fold in a week if the prisons were not there to give the town’s population jobs.
Doctors, Lawyers, Dentist, Teachers and Correctional Officers depend upon the prisons for their employment. Once the scientists figure how to control the prison population through automation, the people who depend on the prison system as they are today, will join the ranks of the workless population. Psycho-surgery is one of the first steps being taken to control the behavior of the Prison Population.
Therefoe, prisons are not just institutions for the socially maladjusted person, but are also institutions for the economically maladjusted person too. Prisons also creates jobs for those who are already living in a semi-automational society, making prisons necessary for employment for millions, who would otherwise be unemployed.
One thing must be said on the present day depression. In late October of 1929, American experienced one of the greates depression it had ever faced, 25 billion dollars in stock wiped out. People were literally starving, and out of doors. The soup kitchens served thousands. Industrial production dropped by almost fifty percent and 10 million were unemployed. These were just some of the features of the 1929 stock market crash.
In today’s inflation, which is an economic degree of a depression is slightly different than others. Today there are many governments funded by programs, state welfare and a minimum of job employment. No one is starving, there are no soup kitchens, you might not have enough gas in your brand new car of you might not have enough in your paycheck for discretionary spending, but people are much better off than those of the 1930’s.
This is one of the major contradictions of the economic system; there is so much, yet people don’t have enough. The depression of 1929 brought about new reforms in the government and private ownership of production, or what Roosevelt called his “New Deal”. The present day economic problems will also bring about reforms and more programs for the poor or workless class. But these reforms and government funded programs will not alleviate the future economic problems that will spring up because of our clinging on to a dying system. The capitalist system of production and distribution cannot exist in a fully automated society. There is a vital need not just for a national change but an international change in the present un-cooperative economic order of the world. The “Technological Revolution” demands a change in all spheres of society, and on all levels of existence. New values must be created and are necessary, not just a gradual reform of the system.
We must create new values based upon the understanding that there is no basic need for the mass of people in America to work. We must take the world “work” out of our dictionary of values. Until we understand this the workless class will continue to be labeled lazy, shiftless and other degrading terms. It must be made plain that the automated machinery is replacing the working class. We must learn to enjoy the benefits of the machines, which are (or should be working) for our benefits.
So in conclusion, the “Technological Revolution” is creating a workless class, and this class must adopt a new understanding of society and values in their relationship to work production. A completely new understanding of society is necessary, man has evolved from a hunter and fisherman to a modern day technician, whose food supply is dependant on machines. A hunting and fishing philodophy is appropriate for hunters and fisherman, but a modern Techno-philosophical concept is appropriate for technocratic man who is living in the age of the “Technological Revolution.”