As I’ve thought about these shifts, one idea that keeps coming up for me is the idea of “the enemy / crisis”—there was a very clear enemy during technocrats birth (World Wars, Economic Crisis). The death happened essentially as the first generation without an “enemy / crisis” as their foundational story—and, as they weren’t driven by fear or the purpose of defeating the enemy, they are less likely to be willing to give power or listen to authority. Even Vietnam was a war that lacked a threat or enemy that resonated with the generation. If it was a real war with the Soviet Union (versus a proxy war), I imagine it would have looked quite different.
We can see this dynamic play out at a smaller scale after 9/11 -- support for the president surged and the government was given significantly more leeway than before.
In short, an idea is that technocracy was possible because multiple generations were raised with constant threats and enemies and thus had a larger willingness to cede power and stand behind a leader or elite. And, in the face of great victory, the leaders looked to build on the successes that brought victory—technological superiority—but were unable to keep focus & power without an enemy or crisis to crystalize a largely singular vision and purpose.
epistemic confidence: low—just an idea
As I’ve thought about these shifts, one idea that keeps coming up for me is the idea of “the enemy / crisis”—there was a very clear enemy during technocrats birth (World Wars, Economic Crisis). The death happened essentially as the first generation without an “enemy / crisis” as their foundational story—and, as they weren’t driven by fear or the purpose of defeating the enemy, they are less likely to be willing to give power or listen to authority. Even Vietnam was a war that lacked a threat or enemy that resonated with the generation. If it was a real war with the Soviet Union (versus a proxy war), I imagine it would have looked quite different.
We can see this dynamic play out at a smaller scale after 9/11 -- support for the president surged and the government was given significantly more leeway than before.
In short, an idea is that technocracy was possible because multiple generations were raised with constant threats and enemies and thus had a larger willingness to cede power and stand behind a leader or elite. And, in the face of great victory, the leaders looked to build on the successes that brought victory—technological superiority—but were unable to keep focus & power without an enemy or crisis to crystalize a largely singular vision and purpose.