The Technocracy Movement of the 1930s • Hacker News Board

Re: The Technocracy Movement of the 1930s

#11

Post by justonceokay » Fri, Apr 03, 2026, 6:50 PM UTC

jauntywundrkind wrote: post #4

It's so wild to believe humanity held such a hopeful political mythos, ever. And I see such appeal here. To make efficient, to make a government that functions that builds that runs well. Mechanistic sympathy is a key term that sends the engineers heart aflutter; to work together holds great delight. The idea that there might be some shots for mankind at engineering not just a social, as the article highlights, but g…

Having met the people that run engineering firms, I’m not sure I want them anywhere near my government either. I’ll take my politicians inept over ruthlessly efficient, any day

Re: The Technocracy Movement of the 1930s

#12

Post by simianwords » Fri, Apr 03, 2026, 6:52 PM UTC

tovej wrote: post #6

Expected to read about past and current connections between technocracy and fascism. Was not disappointed. Musk, Altman, Thiel, Ellison, Zuckerberg, Page, and the like are trying to implement technocracy. And that's something we should be resisting at every opportunity.

“Rich people do something so we should reactively go against it” is not the slam dunk you think it is.

Re: The Technocracy Movement of the 1930s

#13

Post by justonceokay » Fri, Apr 03, 2026, 6:53 PM UTC

rootusrootus wrote: post #7

tovej wrote: post #6

Expected to read about past and current connections between technocracy and fascism. Was not disappointed. Musk, Altman, Thiel, Ellison, Zuckerberg, Page, and the like are trying to implement technocracy. And that's something we should be resisting at every opportunity.

> Musk, Altman, Thiel, Ellison, Zuckerberg, Page, and the like are trying to implement technocracy Several people (maybe all, I do not know for sure) on that list are pretty hard core right wing populists, correct? Isn't that completely at odds with technocracy? Or are you thinking that they are just taking advantage of a populist movement but are themselves technocrats?

They wish primarily to use technology to control government/people more fully. Their current angle is to side with a populist government. But they were making deals with Obama and Biden as well. The only populist in my reckoning is trump, who truly seems to like the power for its own sake and will whip people into a frenzy to get it.

Re: The Technocracy Movement of the 1930s

#14

Post by rootusrootus » Fri, Apr 03, 2026, 6:54 PM UTC

throwanem wrote: post #9

rootusrootus wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Musk, Altman, Thiel, Ellison, Zuckerberg, Page, and the like are trying to implement technocracy Several people (maybe all, I do not know for sure) on that list are pretty hard core right wing populists, correct? Isn't that completely at odds with technocracy? Or are you thinking that they are just taking advantage of a populist movement but are themselves technocrats?

Think it over. No one who leads a populist movement is ever ultimately sincere in his populism. But where, excuse me, where on Earth did you get the idea that any of those guys is a populist?

Mostly by who they identify with. I get you, they do not personally seem likely to be populists, but that's the movement they're with.

Re: The Technocracy Movement of the 1930s

#15

Post by _bypa » Fri, Apr 03, 2026, 6:57 PM UTC

jauntywundrkind wrote: post #4

It's so wild to believe humanity held such a hopeful political mythos, ever. And I see such appeal here. To make efficient, to make a government that functions that builds that runs well. Mechanistic sympathy is a key term that sends the engineers heart aflutter; to work together holds great delight. The idea that there might be some shots for mankind at engineering not just a social, as the article highlights, but g…

Why optimize for efficiency though? Why not human flourishing or planetary health, whichever way you wish to define that?

Efficiency sounds to me like an absolutely awful way to run any society as it's what turns individuals into disposable cogs of a machine that needs to be operated smoothly because, well, no obvious reason other than a fetish to see the machine run smoothly, no matter the human cost.

Re: The Technocracy Movement of the 1930s

#16

Post by jauntywundrkind » Fri, Apr 03, 2026, 6:58 PM UTC

mindcrime wrote: post #2

Huh. I wonder if any of this was at all part of (or all of) the inspiration for C.O.C.'s EP "Technocracy"[1]? [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technocracy_(EP)

Lyrics link, to assess by, https://genius.com/Corrosion-of-conformity-technocracy-lyric...

Re: The Technocracy Movement of the 1930s

#17

Post by simianwords » Fri, Apr 03, 2026, 6:58 PM UTC

“Like religious millenarianism awaiting the Second Coming, tech elites believe technology alone will usher in a total and complete transformation of society.”

This is the standard view amongst most social theorists and economists. (Of course it’s not technology alone but that’s the prerequisite).

Without agriculture and the Industrial Revolution, say bye bye to your woke policies L G B T Q rights and feminism. Humans simply wont develop mentally while slogging in a farm or being hunter gatherers.

Surprisingly, Thiel has been quite right about this and the general populace whose sole ideology is “rich people bad” have not internalised some fundamental truths of ssociology and economics

Re: The Technocracy Movement of the 1930s

#18

Post by wnoise » Fri, Apr 03, 2026, 6:59 PM UTC

justonceokay wrote: post #11

jauntywundrkind wrote: post #4

It's so wild to believe humanity held such a hopeful political mythos, ever. And I see such appeal here. To make efficient, to make a government that functions that builds that runs well. Mechanistic sympathy is a key term that sends the engineers heart aflutter; to work together holds great delight. The idea that there might be some shots for mankind at engineering not just a social, as the article highlights, but g…

Having met the people that run engineering firms, I’m not sure I want them anywhere near my government either. I’ll take my politicians inept over ruthlessly efficient, any day

You don't want the people that run the engineering firms, no. You might want some of the people that work there.

Re: The Technocracy Movement of the 1930s

#19

Post by simianwords » Fri, Apr 03, 2026, 7:01 PM UTC

“ However, the overall track record for technology being revolutionary on its own is poor. For the last 20-some-odd years, technological progress has been reduced to maximizing attention in the form of gimmicks, addiction, and apps nobody needs. It’s hardly the sci-fi future many once wrote about. ”

Ah yes all technological progress like AI, EVs and biotech are all bad because social media bad. Why is this article taken seriously

Re: The Technocracy Movement of the 1930s

#20

Post by simianwords » Fri, Apr 03, 2026, 7:03 PM UTC

One thing is for sure, whether you like it or not countries that adopt policies that promote tech will outcompete and destroy other countries (metaphorically). You can’t do anything but watch technology take over. It doesn’t care about what you want or prefer.