The basic principle of technopoly, as stated in Neil Postman’s writing, is that technique of any kinds can do our thinking for us. Technocracy requires much less commitment from the people of a society. Technopoly has technology as the center of our world whereas in technocracy, technology is still fighting with the values and traditions of our forefathers passed down from us through generations. In the end, it was inevitable that technopoly would win.
In place of relying on technology to better our everyday living conditions, we are now the slaves to technology, the master of our world. We are slaves to the time keeping machines all around us. If you do not show up to work within the seven-minute grace period of when you are scheduled to work, you are to be written up. If you do not catch the bus at the specific time that it is to stop at your station, you will not make it in time to work. If the bus conductor does not adhere to time tables set for a bus’ arrival, he will be reprimanded by his supervisors who may have received text messages and calls from angry citizens. We are slaves to the machines around us.
It may seem as though the CEO’s of big corporations or the police officers are all getting together in a meeting every Saturday night to plan out a strategy for looting the middle class American more, but that is a highly unlikely situation. The CEO has to adhere to company shareholders and the stock exchange. The police officers have to conform to the rules and regulations set forth to them in their departments. Who can we blame?
We cannot blame technology. Technology is man-made. For every new invention which comes to light, there is a human inventor.
The article called “The thin blue line is a burning fuse” brings to light the extension of technopoly in our world. Many other parts of the world have it worse through everyday riots and racial prejudice. But what took place within the United States regarding the Ferguson case is a topic of racial prejudice allowed through a system which promises to protect its civilians. It was a part of the highly organized justice system itself which attacked the liberty of its citizens.
