Question about the US two-party system

Ashavan · 04-08-2008, 10:29 PM

I just got Transhuman Space, was looking through the country writeups, and noticed the politics discussion in the USA writeup. I liked the fact that we still have the two-party system (for better or worse, we can't seem to get rid of these two parties, so it's definitely realistic), but I wondered about the descriptions about the two parties. The Democrats are described as "preservationist" and the Republicans as "technocratic." I get "preservationist", as it's described in the "Memes" section, but what does "technocratic" mean in the Transhuman Space context? Does it mean AIs are making the decisions, or is it something more akin to the modern use of the word where apolitical, technically competent people are running things?

MrTim · 04-09-2008, 12:40 PM

I would take it as the latter. If it's not worth explaining the new meaning in the book, there probably isn't a new meaning.

04-08-2008, 10:29 PM	#1
Ashavan Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Falls Church VA	Question about the US two-party system I just got Transhuman Space, was looking through the country writeups, and noticed the politics discussion in the USA writeup. I liked the fact that we still have the two-party system (for better or worse, we can't seem to get rid of these two parties, so it's definitely realistic), but I wondered about the descriptions about the two parties. The Democrats are described as "preservationist" and the Republicans as "technocratic." I get "preservationist", as it's described in the "Memes" section, but what does "technocratic" mean in the Transhuman Space context? Does it mean AIs are making the decisions, or is it something more akin to the modern use of the word where apolitical, technically competent people are running things?

04-09-2008, 12:40 PM	#2
MrTim Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Albuquerque, NM	Re: Question about the US two-party system I would take it as the latter. If it's not worth explaining the new meaning in the book, there probably isn't a new meaning.