Ideas 38...What Is A World Technocracy

Before we ask what, maybe we should ask why. As I write this in the UK in 2019, the pound is falling in value, as trust and respect in politicians has clearly fallen off a cliff, as the battle between parliament and prime minister intensifies. It's clear that the MPs' want to spend a lifetime discussing Brexit, whilst receiving their lucrative salaries. Three years and counting, with a general election in the air. It should of course be another referendum, one for a technocracy. Do these people really know what democracy is? Is democracy regarded as a joke by our politicians? Well across the world in Hong Kong, its citizens certainly don't think so. In their struggle to retain their human rights, they run the risk that Hong Kong could become another Beirut. The civil war there lasted from 1975 to 1990 and cost the lives of 120,000 people. Neighbour turned against neighbour. Christian against Moslem. 76,000 people are still displaced, whilst one million have left the country. More comparable is the fate of the insignificant town of Hama, across the border in Syria, where the people there rose up against their ruler President Bashar al-Assad in 1982. An estimated 20,000 people were killed by the Syrian military. The citizens of Hong Kong should know that they'll get no help from HMG should the going get tough. Do you really see this bunch of thumb suckers in Westminster saving ya, because I don't. Of course Hong Kong citizens don't need a lecture from me regarding the dangers of political protest. They all know about Tiananmen Square, Beijing in 1989. Something that the great firewall of China can't blot out. You don't need to look any further to see why we all need a world technocracy. And by all, yes I do include President Xi Jinping, despite what Bloomberg has to say about him and his colleague's finances.

Have you ever wondered what is multi-party democracy. You would probably reply that it is the right to vote in the cause of freedom. In reality it is far from that. Over the years I have realised that much of it is an act. That parliament is nothing more than a huge time waster, water and wind, whilst bureaucratic government is a huge psychology machine of smoke and mirrors. So much so that even politicians complain of civil servants not carrying out minister's instructions to the letter. Few governments differ from this description, because their objectives are all the same, namely to maintain the status quo. They are so obsessed with this that very often the big picture gets ignored. By identifying what is wrong with the structure of government I have over the decades been able to create a constitution that would work without the latter's failings.

Governments in the developed west each employ hundreds of thousands of people. And yet in recent years other organisations have drastically reduced their workforce as jobs have been taken over by information technology, CAD CAM, CNC, DNC, CFD, FEA, etc. It's clearly time for governments to employ the same cost saving techniques that provide a quicker, better service. If Amazon and eBay can do it, then so can HMG and the rest. This would enable revenue to be diverted into areas of more importance, such as social care, defence, health service, R&D and energy. I mention research and development because clearly HMG, caught out by its failure to detect Russian hypersonic missile development, is not monitoring the emergence of new technology, business practice and consumer trends enough.

A world technocracy (WT) is a world order, consisting of relevantly trained and educated professionals, designed to bring about peace, good health, good education, good housing, a purposeful life and harmony for the human race on a global and possibly galactic scale. Its purpose is also to protect ecology, and hence does not support consumerism and capitalism. In an age where AI and androids will wipe out jobs, consumerism and capitalism, 'cometh the moment - cometh technocracy'. The structure of the technocracy would be that of a cascade of seven person committees. The superseding of the post of prime minister therefore by the post of chairman on a one month rota basis, should be adopted. All committee meetings would be visible live, by CCTV, on the internet, making it a totally transparent political system. There would be no single leader. Parliament would be reserved for ceremonial duties only. All complaints no matter how minor, and not just political, would be directed to a Complaints Department (CD), not the powerless departments that exist at the moment. The CD would also have a department for strategic ideas, accepting contributions from the general public. No other organization, not even utilities, nor emergency services, will have a complaints / help department. This is to ensure that the government knows everything about what is going on. It would have the power even to sort out the government. Ultimately it would be composed largely of artificial intelligence (AI) and androids, and have the power even to police planets, even in other solar systems. All persons working for the government, at minister and deputy minister level, would be technocrats, selected by AI, with a one month hand over period. These self motivated, obsessive, compulsive, technocrats, would be conscripted scientists with PhDs and vision, with a proven successful track record in research, in order to promote a science based civilisation. They must be good communicators, organizers, disciplined and loyal, in order to prevent the reemergence of apathy and incompetence. The technocrats elected by the general population would be the watchers, whose duty would be to monitor the government's activities including attending all government meetings. Government would in effect be monitored by CCTV, watchers and the CD, to ensure that AI does not threaten human interests. There would be no civil servants, no political parties and hence no general elections, and no regional government. In an age of extensive databases, computerised data gathering techniques, internet communications and AI, the ideal of a far reaching centralized government will become a reality. Complaints Department 2 will monitor the CD. The electorate would have sole power to change the constitution and wage war. There would be freedom of speech, with no restrictions on the news media, although it would have to have balanced views. High quality political and charitable websites would have access to free advertising space on news websites.

The structure of limited companies will be similar to that of government, with seven man committees. Whilst the government consists of the cabinet and its project management structure of ministries, plus the complaint's departments, limited companies will consist of a board of directors and a board of governors, the latter being elected technocrats. The board of directors will handle the production, acquisitions, advertising, tendering, whilst the board of governors will handle accounts, investments, health & safety, working environment, training, environmental control. No spending will take place without the approval of the board of governors. A formal suggestion scheme will also exist within companies and government, designed to ensure that opportunities are not missed, and to ensure that funds are not wasted on schemes that have not been thought through enough. There are many projects in the UK that have been supported by HMG and the taxpayer, LearAvia Lear Fan 2100, DeLorean stainless steel gull wing sports car, Aerospatiale/BAC Concorde, High Speed 2 (HS2), etc.

And considering Concorde was financed by the tax payer, I'm still confused as to why it was never converted to be a cruise missile carrier for the RAF after its retirement from civvy street. Had it been, then no doubt a second generation supersonic airliner would have come along long before now, since the experienced personnel would still be around. This problem of piecemeal personnel recruitment is why the UK can no longer build its own nuclear power stations, caused by a lack of strategic planning by government in a world of competing political party stop-go policies.

The failure of these projects is the reason why companies need a board of governors. HS2 will be a failure, irrespective of whether it is built or not. HS2 will fail because people like me won't use it. I still haven't used Virgin high speed trains, decades after their introduction on the Birmingham to London route. Few can afford the cost of a ticket, or in this age of free for all capitalism, with umpteen rail companies, can't find out where to buy the ticket. The time reduction of half an hour does not justify the cost of 106 billion pounds approximately in HS2. There are many who think that anything other than a free for all capitalist system won't work. Well I worked as a work study engineer and I know that in such a system you can appoint supervisors who simply don't supervise. The answer to supervising the decision making process at every level is of course Artificial Intelligence, just as soon as it comes along.

LearFan failed because of gearing failure which prevented it from getting an airworthiness certificate from the USA's FAA.

DeLorean failed due to a lack of financial control, even over the high cost of the CEO's office carpet. He was later arrested during a drug's sting.

Concorde failed because no one in authority took supersonic booms over land, high ticket prices, risk assessment, maintenance costs and 57 tyre burst incidents seriously. The Concorde crash soon after take-off at Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris was a catalogue of mistakes. The aircraft was overloaded with baggage, the fuel tanks in the wings were filled to the brim, it took off from the wrong end of the runway consuming less fuel to get there and hence heavier, taking off down wind thereby using more runway than necessary, resulting in it running over a metal strip, bursting a tyre, which it would not have done had it took off from the other end. Parts of the tyre hit the fuel tank, the shock wave through the full fuel tank causing it to rupture and ignite. Because maintenance technicians had not replaced a 200x200mm approx. spacer in the undercarriage, the aircrew could not carry out an emergency stop, because the faulty undercarriage caused the aircraft to veer to the left towards a taxiing jumbo jet. They were therefore forced to take off. The flight engineer shut down one of the engines he thought was on fire, when in fact it was the wing burning. The airliner, full of German tourists bound for a world cruise departing from New York, crashed into a hotel. There were no survivors. As far as I know, no one was brought to trial over these failings.

Another Concorde loss was narrowly averted when an Air France airliner flying westward, made an emergency landing at Gander, Newfoundland after one of its engines blew up. The cost of new replacement engines was found to be prohibitive. In short, the politicians, directors, designers and technicians can only be described as a total load of crap. Many of them cared more about their job security and embellishing their Cv's than ensuring that the product actually worked well. Now ask yourself the question, how would things have gone had the work been supervised by AI and androids? You would definitely get your knuckles wrapped. Of course that all depends on the degree of tolerance programmed into it. No doubt in dictatorships the tolerance would be more severe. That is why I decided that AI and androids do the work, whilst humans supervise. Does that make sense?

Many of these projects fail because people in authority haven't got the guts to complain to senior management, the media and their political representative. This is why you need discipline in society, national service and team work all based upon a foundation of loyalty to one's fellow man. By squandering these resources, it simply means that a better world for many will take longer to achieve.

Recruiting government technocrats will be through the World Curriculum Vitae Centre (WCVC), formerly NCVC. Based upon relevant criteria, three candidates will be selected by the WCVC computers, all of whom will be members of the same relevant professional guild. The candidates will be required to submit their five page review relating to the vacancy on the internet for the electorate to read, three weeks prior to the election, which will be electronic. The candidates will undergo a live speech followed by a question and answer session, on the internet, in the final week viewed by all relevant guild members. The final selection will be made by members of the professional guild that they belong to. This is designed to get the electorate to take voting seriously, since its outcome may well affect their job security. There are no bi-elections and general elections as at present. There are no political parties, in order to remove the injustices created by safe seats, where many members of the electorate in a constituency, refuse to consider alternative views from other parties, whilst party whips threaten deselection if MP's don't vote according to party policy. There will be no pollsters to influence decision making in order to reduce the time it takes to decide matters in a WT. The world technocracy will probably only employ about ten thousand people, a minimalist organisation designed to eliminate beaucracy. All technocrats, will be employed for only two years, because this is likely to be their most productive period, and they will be anonymous, in order to ensure that strong personalities do not override the good ideas of others.

There will be no political capital. The political system will not be geographically based. This is to eliminate one area being favoured over others, thereby stimulating the regions' economy. It also ensures that the government is likely to survive a nuclear attack better, and with departments of government run by guilds located across the UK, it would reduce the possibility of a break up of the union. It also enhances the policy of anonymity. Government will operate through the professional guilds and the NCVC, Complaints Department, and internet based forums, referendums and elections that replace a physical parliament. Individual guilds will be based in towns, where their training centre is located. Each guild would serve one industry. This means there would be guilds for shipbuilding, aerospace, automotive and their military counterpart, etc. Government policy will be to improve the standard of living for all, through the creation of an egalitarian society, whilst furthering the frontiers of knowledge in a science based economy.

Technocrats will have to be educated and trained to a very high standard even though they will only be employed for two years in any one job, most within their respective guild, although there will also be a need for seven man committees to represent the nation abroad. Embassies and trade fairs could become virtual. It all depends on how the technology progresses. These technocrats would need to be geniuses with a high IQ (intelligence quotient). The training should consist of the following:

Languages and culture.

Economics. Capitalism v Utopian Ideal.

Ecology and the right of species to have similar human rights and representation in court, through ambassadors, such as a World Wildlife Protectorate, where necessary.

Sociology. How to create an harmonious society.

Law including the need for trials which determine where guilt lies, a court of inquiry, as opposed to the trial of individuals. The main object of the trial would be to work out how best to avoid such an event in future.

General management and facilities management systems.

Disaster management.

Project management.

Logistics.

World history

Health and the need for gene therapy (bio engineering).

Public speaking.

Information technology and electronic communications technology, IT security, AI algorithms by AI.

Accountancy.

Natural resources management: Mining, farming, national parks, fishing, etc.

Clean energy management: Wind, fission, fusion, hydro, geothermal, energy storage

Communications: Satellite, cable, microwave, road, rail, aircraft, shipping

Geography, including new boundaries based on the concept of geologic areas, as opposed to existing borders, city states and ethnic regions.

Emergency services, international rescue

Research and development to challenge minds, create employment and sense of purpose. A science based society. What technology comes next?

World technocracy department structure.

Solving real world problems.

Education.

Housing, communications systems & similar architecture.

Clean energy.

Local agriculture & meals in biomes, hydroponics, animal & fish farming, artificial meats.

All candidates would have to be over the age of forty years, already have a technical degree in science or engineering, speak and write English fluently, whilst preferably physically and mentally fit, and not be from a privileged background. The candidates must also have set up a successful organization and managed it with skill for at least seven years. It must be profitable. That would be decided by people who worked under them and from other bodies. They would need vision. WT would be multi-racial and composed of geniuses where possible. WT would have the power to conscript technocrats into government and educational roles from the geniuses reserve, listed by the NCVC. As with all graduate technocrats, candidates would have to have done their six months basic military national service before entering their preferred field of employment. They would also need to do six months each in welfare and emergency services

There would be no capital since the government would move around the globe in airships, thereby ensuring that no race was perceived as receiving preferential treatment. The WT would have at least six duplicate computer centres, located at isolated and guarded locations. I don't expect ideal candidates during the first round, but it would be nice to have the vacancies filled by obsessive compulsive technocrats. In order to deter the spread of corruption, all technocrats would be subjected to a polygraph test every three months, as would senior management of all other organizations. Tests will be performed by a sub department of CD or CD2.

The primary language of a WT would be English. There are three reasons for this:

1 English is the international language of science and engineering since it has a long history, being composed of words from numerous other languages, Celtic, Greek, Latin, Angles, Saxons, Vikings, French, plus words from the British Empire and Commonwealth.

2 It is one of two languages spoken by more people than any other. The other being Mandarin.

3 If one looks at the breakup of the Austria-Hungarian empire during the first world war, then one realizes that in order to hold an empire together there must be a primary language that is taught in a free education system. It must be quick to learn and therefore not composed of thousands of symbols.

This does not preclude the use of other languages. However, there is a need to update the English language so that people can learn it and type it quickly, whilst people like me don't have to refer to a spell checker so often. There also has to be a standard way to portray dates in number format in correspondence for instance, namely year-month-day-hours-minutes-seconds. Since there will be no cities and towns, correspondence will be electronic only, with people named after their email address, which will be in the following format:

Your new name cannot have any religious or ethnic connotation, and must be unique. It is in the format: first name.date of birth (year-month-day).location of birth.SPEV number

Your name will be contained in a person's RFID identity chips which will be implanted into everyone at birth, in discreet places in the human body. It will be interrogated each time a SPEV transaction is carried out with that person's mobile phone, and at security checkpoints, etc.

e.g. bill.2015-02-04.SunEarth.009000000000

In a WT there will be no kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers, borders national flags and national anthems. Existing royal families will have the opportunity to act as ambassadors for the WT and possibly charities if they are allowed to continue after capitalism is brought to a safe conclusion. On the sensitive subject of an anthem. I have thought long and hard on the subject. Currently there is talk of a national anthem for England. How about 'My old man's a dustman' by Lonnie Donegan. You can't get more socialist than that. I don't think the Americans would accept 'Internationale' any more than the Russians would accept 'Fanfare for the common man'. As for the lyrics, they can't be too emotive. For instance 'I am Australian' by the Seekers always moves me to tears, and I've never even been to Australia. I have come to the conclusion therefore that there should be no anthem for the first twenty years. A cooling off period. As for replacing the Eurovision Song Contest with a World Song Contest, I bet their will be something to screw it up. Like singers, other celebrities such as in sport will represent themselves, or in the case of a team, the team's name would be meaningless.

Of course there is no guarantee that a WT would not be taken over by a very popular technocrat who would change the constitution, only to become a dictator, before those robot wardens are created. In such a case it will be necessary for each household to have a war chest, secured with an electronic lock. In the above circumstance, should more than one million members of the electorate vote for the regimes removal, then all the chests would be unlocked to give access to weapons. There would be a warning sign on the chest lid starting with the words: WARNING - TECHNOCRACY OF LAST RESORT - USE WISELY. In Switzerland, a soldier is allowed to keep his weapon after doing military service. So this idea is not too far fetched.

The creation of a world technocracy must not make the same mistakes as the European Union. The EU is a spent force because it has given away its trump cards, namely free travel within Europe without hindrance, and a single currency and all the regional aid that goes with it. The European Commission and Council now have very little to offer its members as an inducement towards a United States of Europe. The trump cards that the world technocracy possesses are immortality and the right to live in an 'affluent,' free from stress, and law abiding society. Under no circumstances should these cards be given away before all countries have joined the organization.