Feudal technocracy potshots

Potshots at feudal technocracy arguments:



David Johnson writes:



>This is the "key part" of the feudal arrangement that will be manifest in

>a feudal technocracy.  In `theory' one might say that a corporation `owns'

>its shares and merely `grants possession' of them to it shareholders in

>return for `services rendered' in the form of financial capital.



This doesn't make any sense.  Under what theory can a corporation

own its shares and grant possession of them to shareholders, when shares

themselves are merely evidence of ownership?  Shareholders provide capital

only once, when they buy.  Lenders providing loan facilities maybe have

some duty to render service in the form of providing capital.



>No, they provide the technocratic lord with financial capital.  This is

>the equivalent to `fealty' in a technocracy.



Fealty is loyalty.  How is the provision of money equivalent to loyalty?

The Chairman--and, more importantly for this discussion, the CEO--

owe a duty of loyalty to the company and the shareholders, not the other

way around.



>I would express this the other way around.  It is a *portfolio* rather than

>`simply' shares in a single corporation.  A group of shares in a single

>corporate entity makes the shareholder the `vassal' of the `baron' of that

>particular corporation.



>You say, "Tomato."  Dan Qualye says, "Tomatoe."  :-)  It's the same thing.

>In a feudal *technocractic* model a `part owner' *is* a vassal.



Again, you've turned the relationships around.  The shareholders aren't
vassals;

rather, the management of the corporation owes a duty of loyalty to them,

to maximize the value of their investment.  The employees of the corporation

are closer to vassals of the CEO, and maybe a feudal structure could be

arranged around this idea.



Hans Rancke writes



>A feudal arrangement is not about mere ownership. It's about tenancy in

>exchange for service.



I (probably obviously) agree with this analysis.  What is being held in
tenancy,

and what kind of service, are the defining issues here.



The text:  Feudal technocracy.  Government by specific individuals for

those who agree to be ruled.  Relationships are based on the performance

of technical activities which are mutually beneficial.  [Book 3:  Worlds and

Adventures 11 (1981).]