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.......... Introduction part TWO
When power is used in vast quantities, the resultant is an abundance of goods and services. The rate of extraneous energy consumption on this continental area has reached an order of magnitude which results in a plethora of goods and services beyond the manageable limits of our present social control technique. Never in history has man faced the technical problem of distributing an achieved abundance.
His efforts in the past have been directed towards philosophical speculation as to how an abundance might be achieved. Now, abundance has been thrust upon him by technology. One technical problem has been solved, but man, not realizing that he is faced with another technical problem, has turned to philosophic speculation to solve the distribution conundrum.
The availability and use of vast quantities of power opens up many vistas of possible human achievement hitherto seen only as shining mirages by the utopian dreamers of history. It realizes the physical fact of abundance.
What then would be the technique whereby that abundance can be distributed? NOT just another variation of the method of haphazard exchange now in operation throughout the world, but a technique of mensuration, a physical accounting system on a Continental order of magnitude. This Continental accounting system in operation would be the arrival of certainty in all human physical requirements.
Science and technology have developed the method of research and analysis. Man is now adept with an honor-roll of in achievement in the discovery and classification of physical knowledge by which he has constructed energy consuming devices that have created a new world.
In the manner of design too, science and technology have made strides, but, only to the minutiae of science and technology. Man has designed and constructed enormous dams, power plants, and canals, but he has never designed and constructed a Continental "hydrology." Man has designed streamlined trains, and magnificent railroad terminals, but never an integrated Continental system of low-cost rail transportation. Man has designed automobiles and highways, but never a super highway system with control of traffic organization and load factor. Man has designed mammoth strip steel mills, but not an automated steel sequence from iron ore to finished product. Man has built haphazard `price system' economies and political empires, but never has he designed a self-contained technologically controlled social mechanism.
In other words the design of the past has been but the design of the minutiae, the working up from the part to the whole; and not the design of the whole, leading down into the microcosmic parts of the entity.
Technocracy -- the DESIGN:
When a Continental social mechanism is designed as an operational totality, then, and then only, will the results of the whole exceed the sum of its parts. When, and only when, all the factors relevant to the operation of a social mechanism, are measurable, is a planned social structure possible. Human history can become for the first time a planned progression, based on a quantitative analysis of the Continental totality.
With immeasurable factors, effective social planning is impossible. Today, the predominant immeasurable factor is `price,' (price is value in terms of money) which explains why neither the United States of America, nor Russia, nor any other area on earth has been able to effect a planned economy, but, of course science and technology have never had the opportunity until recently to design in this manner.
Science and technology are comparatively new. They have been engaged in building with the tools and knowledge at hand. They have never looked upon the social order, unless it be in a Jekyl and Hyde escape from their laboratory. Therefore, the discovery of the importance of the energy factor in social measurement was made by a scientist who never left his laboratory - a scientist whose laboratory was a Continent.
It is precisely the intricate immenseness of the Continental problems arising in the control and operation of a unique high-energy civilization that requires and results in: a unique and entirely new social methodology.
MEASUREMENT
by
energy cost.
The disrupted social conditions at the close of WWI led to a fourteen year investigation, which in turn uncovered the astounding yet almost obvious fact, that the only common denominator of all commodities and services, is energy.
The scientists who pointed this out simply proposed to measure the total amount of energy used by the Continent in a given period; measure the energy cost of physical production and services; and use these measurements as the basis for the regulation of all Continental production and distribution.
Most people will agree that our social system is not working anymore. Many also realize that it cannot be fixed. However it CAN be replaced. The forms of government that we are told of in the establishment schools are NOT the only ones possible.
The `price 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 require 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 total - a gigantic
structure, but still just method of exchanging goods, springing from the
ancient custom and necessity of barter. No intention or pretense is made of
accurate mensuration or control; no physical accounting is involved; no
_accurate_ predictions can be made; and no stabilization can be assured.
`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.
When the possibility of assuring accurate measurement of all goods and services in quantitative physical terms was announced, it was treated with scorn by all of the institutions of the `price system'. To take science out of the laboratory and apply it to social operations was considered heretical. But now the inevitability of such a development it is fast becoming accepted.
Facts and social progression.:
Physical development has made the next step mandatory; on this Continent we
have built and are operating the largest and most complicated array of
technological equipment in existence; we have the highest average consumption
of extraneous energy per capita of any continent. There need be NO restriction
of our physical standard of living due to inadequate resources.
We can only continue toward maximum physical consumption by the increased substitution of kilowatt-hours for man-hours, and by a continuous improvement of our equipment; that we will be forced to a greater and greater integration of our physical equipment; that we will be forced to adopt a technological administration of all the `sequences' of all the social operations is then our social progression whether we like it or not. We must accept these physical conditions, and adopt a method of social operation capable of administering these processes. The North American people must demand that we move forward, we must conscript as our `leaders', the technologists, scientists, and engineers to lead us.
Control of things NOT people:
A functional government will put into operation a Continental control of all
flow lines of production and distribution - a Continental statistics expressing
the desires of _every_ citizen in his choice of consumable goods and available
services.
This energy credit system will do the following things, in a physical entity such as our Continent where abundance is certain;
(1) Register on a continuous 24-hour time period 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 balanced load period.
(2) By means of the registration of the energy converted and consumed, make possible a balanced load.
(3) Provide a continuous 24-hour inventory of all production and consumption.
(4) Provide a specific registration type, kind, size, et cetera of all goods and services, where produced and where used.
(5) Provide specific registration of the consumption of each individual, plus a record and description of the individual.
(6) Allow the citizen the widest latitude of choice in consuming his individual share of Continental wealth.
(7) Distribute goods and services to every member of the population.
The operation problem of distributing our Continental abundance is without precedence in the social history of man.
The magnitude of this operational problem prescribes that there can be only a unique solution. The physical wealth of a Continental abundance can be produced only by the technological application of extraneous energy to all means of production and distribution, namely, to the means whereby human beings live. This Continental production of abundance will therefore necessitate the largest per capita consumption of extraneous energy possible of achievement, consonant with the maximum conservation of natural resources.
The degradation of this volume of extraneous energy on the Continent in the processes of producing abundance would require the maximum efficiency at the closest approach to full load (24 hour) operation. It is obvious that the production of the physical wealth of the Continental abundance will be attained only with human toil at a minimum, and it therefore follows that the unique solution of this operational problem must be the accurate measurement of all extraneous energy converted on the Continental area, and the continuous recording of its allocated degradation in providing the citizens of this Continent with the physical wealth of abundance for individual consumption.
Technological requirement:
Science and technology have no values; only measurement. The only method know
to science in the measurement of the cost of all physical operations is that of
the amount of energy consumed per unit mass, per unit time, per unit distance.
Functional control requires metrical control of the conversion and consumption
of extraneous energy on this Continental area.
The interactive
distribution device -- IDDs 
Our IDDs will be much like the "debit cards" in use today however
instead of dollars it will be energy credits. There are other differences such
as instead of the individual being responsible for the replacement of energy
credits spent, the energy credits would be replaced automatically every two
years.
HOW!
The total amount of energy credits which will are to be issued to each one of us to "spend" via our IDD's will represent the total amount of NET energy converted in the making of goods and the provision of services _on a Continental basis._
All operating, replacement, maintenance, and expansion costs (in energy units) of the Continental complex, all costs of communal services and provisions (such as: public utilities, local transportation, public health, acceptable housing space for each individual) are deducted before the net energy is arrived at.
The conversion of human energy does not enter into this calculation since it amounts to below 2 percent of the total consumed energy.
The individuals share will NOT based upon his contribution of work or effort to the total operations of the area. There is no theory of labour `value' or any other `value'.
Every individual receives as their share of purchasing power an equal part of the total net consumed energy. The amount will be issued _directly_ to the individual, it is non-transferable, non-negotiable, and therefore cannot be stolen, lost, lent, borrowed, or given away. It is non-cumulative, therefore cannot be saved; it does not bear interest. It need not be used but loses its validity after a designated time period.
Females and teens will receive the same amount as the male, and receive it entirely independent of him.
These `energy credits' represent equal though not identical purchasing power for every individual living on the Continent. In itself it represents nothing of value. It is much in the nature of a blank check.
The credits are valid only for the purchase of items individually consumable. Means of production and distribution are not obtainable by ANY individual on this Continent or elsewhere.
The individual owns nothing beyond his immediate personal implements and apparel. For example, he will not need to own or maintain an automobile but merely pays for the use of transportation on a time-distance basis (rent them).
As the amount of per person credits will be more than _could_ be consumed, our functional administrations mechanics of social control will permit no curtailment or differentiated increase of individual purchasing power.
The IDD's energy credits furnish the individual with the means of maximum social expression and decision since purchasing power is the only means whereby the individuals as such can participate in directing the variations possible within the limits prescribed by energy determinates of the area wherein he lives. Which is to say that we vote via our IDDs too.
The rate of flow of goods and services in abundant quantities can be controlled by a mechanism such as our IDD's `energy credits.'
Incidentally, such `energy credits' are not applicable to any society operating under scarcity conditions, or any area dependent beyond a certain maximum upon other areas for it's supply of energy and resources. So the rest of the world will have to await the installation of such a planned society until such time as we are functioning well enough to assist them.
Social problems
The IDDs will eliminate both the basis and need of all social work, charity, and philanthropy, _no one_ need ever beg.
As in excess of 90% of crimes are crimes against property, energy accounting will reduce crime to but a small fraction of what exists today. That fraction will fall into the field of pathology (illness). The reduction will NOT be due to any change in human nature, or oppression by brutal police but to the absence of objects of `value' and the lack of gain to be had! With energy accounting the element of a chance to win, or the risk to lose, disappears.
Those who fret about our environment should see in our design the possibility of non-polluting industry. As simplistic as it seems there will be nothing to be gained by polluting so it will not be done.
As the energy credits amount of each item is based upon a determinable change of physical cost per unit produced and of service provided, it is NOT subject to fluctuations of `value,' prices will stay the same or go down as efficiency improves.
We find the IDDs to be then, the method whereby citizens gain access to abundance, a methodology of technological accounting - a methodology which applies the same rigid mensuration that our mass-production of today employs, and has to employ in it's swiftly moving flow lines of intricate equipment and varied products.
The increase of energy-consuming devices in a high-energy civilization tends to nullify all concepts of `value' inherent in those of previous ages. Previously, that item which was scarcest and involved the largest expenditure of human effort was the highest in `value.
For purposes of illustration: let us consider one material without which no life can continue, air. Air has not been subjected to the operations of trading, financing, mortgaging, lending, borrowing, evaluating, or any other manipulations of the `Price System.' Why? Because its bountiful supply has never permitted the creation of a demand! With air there has never existed the opportunity of introducing the concept of `value.' The characteristics of air can be duplicated with ANY other needful thing, we have the technology. It is high time that the significance of real Continental wealth is understood by every citizen!
Re-read energy accounting details
End of introduction
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Definition:
A Price System is any social system whatsoever that effects its distribution of goods and services by a system of trade or commerce based on commodity evaluation effected by means of debt tokens, or money.
The term Price System must not be confused with such terms as profit system, or capitalist system. The factor of ownership does NOT alter the mechanics of operating a Price System, and it may be added in passing, that unless it be in some remote and primitive community, none other than Price Systems exist at the present time.
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