stay within the lines to an extent never before seen. Technology made it possible to parametrize every aspect of their development. Only the most compliant and non-threatening can succeed. The goal seems to be one of rote intellectual development without the distractions of considering right and wrong. Winning *really* is everything.
I see it pervasive in industry where someone will make a cost cutting decision based on "the best data we had at the time". They are expert at the analysis and power point presentations and don't waste valuable corporate resources on inefficient "what if" exploration.
For example,
An engineer says - "you are replacing the ignition switch with a cheaper one to save $0.50, but it's spring lock mechanism is weaker and could turn the engine off while a car is in motion. I can't approve this."
The technocrat says - "you have no data to back that assertion. People don't weigh down their key chains with junk. Our research shows that we'll save several hundred thousand dollars this way and our tests using a typical key chain with 2 keys passed all of our tests. People must be responsible for making sure they don't abuse our switch." The technocrat fires the engineer and sends his job to a low wage worker in India who is unburdened with such esoteric concerns.
When the shit hits the fan and hundreds die, the technocrat announces "nobody could predict this failure, we made our engineering decision based on the best data and computer modeling available at the time."
The same technocrat probably told Obama "deep water drilling is absolutely safe, we have all the technology in place. There's never been a leak."
Same with banking de-regulation, "we could not predict the volatile market conditions that occurred to precipitate this crisis. Such an event has never before occurred in our economic history, therefore, it is only fair that, as a nation (*), we all share the difficult sacrifices that must be made to ensure America maintains its position as the world's safest investment option."
(*) meaning the middle class and below
All of this shit becomes much easier for corporations if they start while kids are young and monitor their development using corporate standards. Hence, Bill Gates and Arne Duncan are literally automating our education system with robot teachers assembling kids to the tightest corporate tolerance possible.
Our education and political system is beating ethics and morality out of our population in order that corporations can operate without fear of opposition or dissent. Certainly a SEC regulator whoring for banks will have a much easier time of it if the thousands on the staff are carefully selected for their ability to follow directions without asking a lot of dumb questions.
BTW- the same technocratic mindset is the one that calls Snowden a traitor because he broke a rule. He wasn't compliant. Never rmind that the NSA was doing something abhorrent and wrong and violating everyone's civil rights and constitutional protections. Snowden didn't follow the rules.
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