The Great Delusion

Dear All,

Somewhere somebody decided that controlling the money could control decision-making process, therefore society. It sound common sense, but it is a big delusion. Due to this strategy during last few decades the capitalism has gradually diminished its productive function and became primarily speculative machine for redistribution of wealth to generate power. As a result has emerged today's financial imperialism and power elite. So, could power elite control society with power of money? To some extend yes, but not entirety. (Sorry). Money could bay almost everything: goods (classic), decisions (according official reports a staggering one trillion dollars are spend yearly to corrupt politicians worldwide – truly big business), loyalty (some people are flexible in compromises), conscience (very often), but money can't bay knowledge.

Firstly, in foreseeable future the money will diminish as factor and will be gradually shifted out by knowledge. This is so, because in ever increasing complexity of society surviving of humanity increasingly depends on knowledge, not money.

Secondly, the knowledge is curious and elusive creature. It resides in numerous of heads. In single head reside only personal opinions. Opinions become knowledge in the process of verification in social practice. Once verified it is too late for sell. So people sell and bay opinions not knowledge.

Think about "decision-making market", ting-tanks, spin doctors, "brain trusts", generate opinions. Mysterious Steering committee of Bilderberg club invites a hundred delegates to present visions on particular key subjects on annual conferences. Decisions are not made; this is exclusive prerogative for the Steering committee itself. So, do such bodies and procedures generate knowledge? To some extend yes, but not entirely. The measure for this extend is a level of complexity of society. Above certain level of complexity, produced opinions are useless even dangerous staff.

The knowledge is very important, because it is a fabric of decision-making process. Agrarian society is relatively simple organisation and single person could make decisions and rule the kingdom. (Not surprisingly kings sincerely believed their power is divine therefore will last for ever – also ludicrous delusion). Industrial society is more complex and reinvented democracy as collective decision-making mechanism, which include political parties voting system and so forth. Ever increasing complexity of society generates global problems, insolvable by one country or even unions like the UN, EU, and G8. Current global politics make things worst. This is so, because money-minded people consider society as an enormous multinational corporation and tray to run it accordingly. Huge mistake. Humanity is a single organism and wars and hegemony already belong to history.

The power elite can't solve emerging global problems, because the mindset of these people creates the problems itself, therefore they are part of the problems. Democracy was degenerated to plutocracy and most importantly complexity of society is so amazing that even proper collective democratic decision-making mechanism can't solve the problems.

At the present time humanity is on the brink of transition from industrial to "post-industrial" society. This transition will bring new knowledge-based economy and new more sophisticated collaborative decision-making mechanism, respectively new elite of knowledgeable people. The current money-based power elite will perish as 18th century's aristocracy, because it is not relevant anymore.

Society is very different compare with Multinational Corporation and can't by administrate by board of directors. Controlling society trough power of money could be considered as megalomaniac and laughable delusion if it's not so dangerous idea. For time being it is social cancer spreading uncontrollable throughout social organism, which make the guillotine (or the scalpel if you wish) more visible on the horizon.

So, the first law of knowledge based "post-industrial" society (let say Epistemism as opposite to Capitalism) is – Knowledge is not for sale, the people who need it can bay it, the people who possess it can sell it.

D. Tchurovsky

www.netocracy.org.uk