Brexit = Death of the Technocrats

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My political opinions lean more and more to Anarchy (philosophically understood, meaning abolition of control not whiskered men with bombs) … the most improper job of any man, even saints (who at any rate were at least unwilling to take it on), is bossing other men. Not one in a million is fit for it, and least of all those who seek the opportunity.

– J. R. R. Tolkien

What transpired last night in the United Kingdom represented one of the most extraordinary expressions of democracy in my lifetime. When faced with an event of such monumental significance, it’s difficult to pick any particular direction for a post like this. I have so many thoughts running through my mind and so many angles I could potentially address, it’s simply impossible to do them all justice. As such, I’ve decided to focus on one very meaningful implication of Brexit: death of the technocrats.

To start, I want to dive into one of the more interesting controversies from the weeks leading up to the vote. What I’m referring to is the statement made by Vote Leave’s Michael Grove regarding “experts.”

From the Telegraph:

On Friday night, during an interview on Sky News about the EU, Faisal Islam challenged the Justice Secretary to name a single independent economic authority that thought Brexit was a good idea. Mr Gove’s response was defiant.

“I’m glad these organizations aren’t on my side,” he said. “I think people in this country have had enough of experts.”

Mr Islam spluttered incredulously. People in this country, he repeated, “have had enough of experts?”

Mr Gove stood his ground. Yes, he said, people in this country had had enough of experts “saying that they know what is best”. Mr Gove had “faith in the British people”. The so-called experts, clearly, did not.

For his words, Mr. Gove was attacked relentlessly. His language was described as dangerous, and he was scolded for its supposed anti-intellectualism. The “very smart people” issuing these condemnations did so in their typical self-satisfied, smug manner. Nonetheless, Michael Gove was absolutely correct in his assessment, and in this post I will detail precisely why.

First of all, what is an “expert?” From what I can gather this term is bestowed upon someone with an advanced degree who has successfully maneuvered him or herself into a position of prominence within government, a think tank, central banking or academia.

As someone who worked on Wall Street for a decade, I was constantly surrounded by people with advanced degrees from the most prestigious institutions. I also know that your degree means absolutely nothing the moment you walk in that door for the first day of work. You enter a place filled with people who have battling it out for years if not decades in their profession of choice, and the only thing that matters now is performance. If you don’t perform you’re gone, and nobody’s gonna care about the long sting of letters next to your name.

The world of politics, government and central banking famously and problematically does not work this way. Look around you at all the discredited “thought leaders” who continue to be paraded around on television, and who still advise Presidents and Prime Ministers the world over. In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis no changing of the guard was permitted. Sure we were given a fresh face with Barack Obama, but his advisers didn’t change. He immediately hired both Larry Summers and Timothy Geithner, and that’s the moment I knew he was a gigantic fraud. To summarize, the exact same people who ruined the world bailed themselves out, avoided all accountability and continue to call the shots. These are the men and women we know as “the experts.”

The point isn’t to say that having an advanced degree in a particular field of study doesn’t make an individual especially useful to society. It does. The issue here is accountability. If you want to go around calling yourself an expert and demanding that your views be implemented across a given civilization, you had better do a good job. If you do a poor job, you should be immediately replaced with someone who has a different perspective. After all, there are plenty of experts out there to choose from. Unfortunately, our societies tend to get stuck with egomaniacal, incompetent, but politically savvy experts who never go away. They can blow up the world a million times over and still somehow survive to call the shots. This is the main reason the world is in the state it’s in, and it’s the reason reactionary forces are rising across the globe.

The Brexit vote in itself proves the point. Sure, David Cameron has announced his intention to resign, but where are the the resignations of EU technocrats? If anyone was discredited by this vote it’s the leadership of the EU, but they aren’t going anywhere. Why? Because they’re experts, and experts stay around forever. Like Larry Summers, bank executives and neocon war mongers, these people never suffer the consequences of their actions and thus remain free to run around endlessly destroying the world from their unassailable perches of power.

That’s the point. Being an expert does not make you infallible. Your credentials should certainly offer you a seat at the policy making table, but from that moment on you had better demonstrate performance. It’s the same way with a corporate job. The resume gets you in the door, but your production day in and day out keeps you in the seat.

The status quo doesn’t see things this way. To the status quo technocrat, this is a lifelong position. They consider themselves to be the wise indispensable elders required to steer the world in the appropriate direction irrespective of any and all calamities they cause along the way. Unfortunately for us, history shows us that the biggest disasters happen precisely when you combine such expert arrogance with unbridled power.

One of the best modern examples of this relates to the tale of the 1990’s mega hedge fund Long Term Capital Management (LTCM). A story that was perfectly captured in the excellent book by Roger Lowenstein, When Genius Failed.

The leadership of LTCM was hailed as the best of the best from the beginning and expectations were high. It’s principals consisted of not only Wall Street veterans but also several former university professors, including two Nobel Prize-winning economists. Yet, what transpired after only five years in operation was one of the most spectacular failures of modern times. A train wreck so large and so completely out of control, it required a Federal Reserve led bailout.

What happened with LTCM is happening right now across the political and economic spheres in virtually all nations. You have a collection of self-assured, arrogant “experts” running the world into the ground with their policies. As I said earlier, I have no problem with experts. I have a problem when experts are permitted to operate with zero accountability. The EU represents such technocratic immunity better than any other institution in the Western world. The British people recognized that they couldn’t remove these technocrats from power from within (something proven once and for all by the fact no EU leaders have resigned), so they decided to leave. I commend that choice and I think the sooner the status quo is disposed of, the greater the likelihood for a positive longterm outcome.

As I warned last year in my post, A Message to Europe – Prepare for Nationalism:

Actions have consequences, and people can only be pushed so far before they snap. I believe the Paris terror attacks will be a major catalyst that will ultimately usher in nationalist type governments in many parts of Europe, culminating in an end of the EU as we know it and a return to true nation-states. Although I think a return to regional government and democracy is what Europeans need and deserve, the way in which it will come about, and the types of governments we could see emerge, are unlikely to be particularly enlightened or democratic after the dust has settled.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims of these horrific events, but the Paris attacks didn’t happen in a vacuum. The people of Europe have already become increasingly resentful against the EU,  something which is not debatable at this point. This accurate perception of an undemocratic, technocratic Brussels-led EU dictatorship was further solidified earlier this year after the Greek people went to the polls and voted for one thing, only to be instructed that their vote doesn’t actually matter.

Actions have consequences, and we’ve now witnessed the first of these consequences. The “experts” have warned us of the disaster to befall Great Britain should it Brexit. Well we now have front row seats from which to observe the outcome of the UK versus large economies that remain in the euro such as France, Spain and Italy. As usual, I suspect the experts will be wrong.

For more, see:

It’s Not Just the UK – Widespread Support for EU Referendums Seen Across the Continent

If the British Vote for Brexit, Will They Get the Greek Treatment?

German Study Proves It – 95% of Greek “Bailout” Money Went to the Banks

Does the Migrant Crisis Represent the End of the European Union?

A Message to Europe – Prepare for Nationalism

In Liberty,
Michael Krieger

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19 thoughts on “Brexit = Death of the Technocrats”

  1. We need a campaign to get rid of Mark Carney. Cameron did the honorable thing, now its time for Carney and Osborn to go

    Reply
    • What a stupid article since the elites that created the EU are the ones behind Brexit: A carefully designed change of events seeking the same goal (control of the masses)

  2. I’m confused why people think Brexit is a certainty. Has everybody forgotten the shenanigans they pulled with Greece? There are still ways the Brussels Gang can manipulate this in their favor.

    Reply
    • The UK is not Greece, and we don’t use the Euro.. Our main issue is ensuring that our conniving Conservative Party does not pull the associate membership trick which is on offer. That would be worse.

  3. I suspect it’s going to take eons to disentangle the UK from the EU – saw 5 years mentioned somewhere. The entrenched, unelected euro bureaucrats won’t give up their gravy train so easily.

    Still, what an unexpected outcome. The elites not feeling so smug today? I looked at the referendum results district by district – this is a class war like no other.

    Reply
  4. Great Post,
    Even at these early stages the Brexit vote is a strong example of the power of non-compliance and non-participation, all without a shot fired (pardon , I believe there was one fired and maybe more to come) but regardless it is an inspiring movement in a time when there is not a lot of inspirational headline news. Now if I can just muster the will to personally break my chain from this machine I will have accomplished life’s greatest challenge, achieving freedom in a world wide state of human oppression (self oppression).

    Reply
  5. The Plan to get out has been worked on by many people under the leadership of Dr Richard North The people least aware of this plan are our useless politian’s. There is still much work to be done, but against all the expectation of the bubble dwellers in London the quiet people of the UK want change. This is but a first step, a prerequisite to being back in control. Americans need to come together and work on a plan to recreate the USA, and this time NOT allow your Laws to be misused without proper consultation.

    http://www.eureferendum.com/themarketsolution.pdf

    Reply
  6. Man may claim that he has expert Authority, but He is deluded in making His claim. Man may believe in Man’s Authority, but he is fooled.

    There is no Authority in Natural Law but The Creator’s Law.

    Do not do unto others what you wouldn’t want done to you.

    Do We allow the principles of Natural Law to manifest freedom, or do we follow the directions of the experts into the violence of history?

    Whatever happens we will be the creators of the reality.

    The choice is ours.

    Reply
  7. Britain must seize the day. The opportunity is clear and present. Let London be a freeport. Let the rest of Britain produce goods and services for sale through the free port. Go for it know full on.

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  8. Inspiring words, Michael, especially this: “The issue here is accountability. If you want to go around calling yourself an expert and demanding that your views be implemented across a given civilization, you had better do a good job. If you do a poor job, you should be immediately replaced with someone who has a different perspective. ”
    This is should be posted on the doors of every un-elected, omni-present bureaucracy the world over.

    Reply
  9. Brexit is not entirely good news, especially here in London were the majority has voted to stay in.

    Politicians campaigning for exit made promises they will not be able to keep. There are already retraction of statements made about saving money or drastic cuts in immigration.

    Let’s see what the alternative to the EU will look like.

    Reply
    • Yes London is full of the complacent class. I know as I work there. When trying to get otherwise intelligent people to engage with the real world and with the real exit plan they refused to not only acknowledge what was happening outside London, but also that there was a well worked out exit plan that wouldn’t cause the brain cell meltdown we currently see.

      Anyone believe anything emanating from any Politian’s mouth should take a long look at themselves in the mirror. Our young in the UK are especially gullible, and amazingly compliant and resigned. A terrible state of affairs.

    • A well worked out plan? There is virtually no prime minister until October, financial impacts, and millions of European nationals working in London, like myself, wondering what will become of their free movement and working status.

      You have to admit the exit campaign has used fear of immigration amongst other lies to rally people. The point is not politicians lying, we all know they do, it is the scary realisation that people could be convinced so simply and reflect this in their vote. the similarity with Donald Trump’ success is obvious. Saddening times…

  10. Not two days have passed and it looks like there’ll be no Brexit.

    Cameron has refused to invoke article 50 and Johnson, who spear headed the whole thing just to get rid of Cameron, in his first speech said there’s no need to invoke article 50.

    Article 50 is giving notice that you’re leaving.

    Reply
    • Article 50 is a trap. I hope Boris and Mrs May realises this. What they need to do is repeal the 1972 EC Act. See The Road to Freedom by Gerard Batten MEP.

  11. exellent post
    the eu has been a festering boil in uk politics for 40 yrs or more because the elites knew all along that last thursday was the true democratic position. I am well past my 3score yrs &10 and I have watched this issue kicked down the road for most of my adult life. At last it has been well and truly lanced by the referendum. Any attempt by utterly discredited politicians and experts to overrule this verdict will be met by active opposition by hordes of people like myself who have quietly tolerated all these impositions for years because there was no legitimate means of political opposition until ukip came along. The referendum was only offered to try to spike the ukip popularity.The elites tried every angle to withdraw the referendum promise but ukip kept their feet to the fire. Why do you think even the brexit mainstream politicians revile ukip? ukip didn’t let them fudge it and now they are all stuffed! This is only the start – referenda on the house of lords -the monarchy- the so called honours system -the bbc license tax- trident- hs2- fracking. They’ve lost it- the genie is out of the bottle big time. Maybe britain will enter the 21st century before I pop my clogs and politicians will just be like dodgy glazing salesmen trying to persuade the public to buy their product by way of a referendum decision.Dream on.

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  12. Spot on article! Thank you for directing attention to the rise of Technocracy, which began in the 1930’s in Germany, then made a resurgence in the US in the 70’s, led by Zbigniew Brzezinski of the Trilateral Commission. Yes, that’s Mika’s (Morning Joe) father, who wrote in his book, Between Two Ages, in 1970:

    “The “nation-state” as a fundamental unit of man’s organized life has ceased to be the principal creative force: International banks and multinational corporations are acting and planning in terms that are far in advance of the political concepts of the nation-state.”

    There is a weak argument regarding how the rise of multinationals were meant to remedy the outbreak of national wars. Unfortunately, “multinationals as a means to prevent war became war by another means.”

    http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2016/06/matt-stoller-how-the-us-saw-multinationals-as-means-to-prevent-war.html

    Recently, even the IMF has managed to cough up a lukewarm apology for the 40-year damage that neoliberalism has caused. In fact, the EU was created for the very purpose of spreading neoliberalism throughout Europe. Still, zombie capitalism continues to loot small countries in the name of austerity. The technocratic elite just can’t seem to muscle the gumption to put down rabid Old Yeller, who served them so well all these years.

    We need to eliminate the massive hodgepodge of unelected NGO agencies like ALEC, COGs, etc. which have stolen governing authority away from citizens and their representatives. The bureaucratic buffer zone insulating unelected officials from the needs of communities must go. Now whatever will the EU do with their brand new billion dollar palace in Brussels? Hitler would’ve been proud.

    The singularity is here, folks. We created the machines (corporations). A century ago, they assumed our identity and now they want to cause an end run around national sovereignty and establish global corporate governance. It will be a very interesting next few years…

    “The twenty-first century will witness an epic struggle between the forces of global governance and the sovereignty of liberal democratic states.”

    ~ John Fonte, author of Sovereignty or Submission: Will Americans Rule Themselves or be Ruled by Others?

    Below is a very informative video that explains the ideology of Technocracy and its self-aggrandizing “experts”:

    Reply

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