“The human race is getting to be too much for itself and too much for the world.” – William Saroyan as quoted in Mankind at the Turning Point (1974)

The Club of Rome is a premiere think tank composed of approximately 100 members including leading scientists, philosophers, political advisors and many other characters who lurk in the shadows of power. This series of articles described the major conclusions of the 1974 book Mankind at the Turning Point: The Second Report to The Club of Rome [1]. Part 1 described their desire for the development of a totalitarian world system presented under the euphemism of an “organic society”. Part 2 described the need to create a new value system to ensure the acceptance of the upcoming world government. This new value system will be based on a “world consciousness.”

Mankind at the Turning Point used an absurd, exponentially based computer model of the world system in an attempt to hide their predetermined conclusions behind the vale of science. One of the main scenarios developed by the model was an analysis of the price of oil. This was an obvious choice due to the importance of oil to the world economy and the Middle East oil crisis which began the previous year (1973). The conclusion of this analysis was that an optimal price exists for oil. A price too high, would encourage development of alternatives and result in long-term losses to the exporting nations. A price too low, would encourage over use and resource depletion which would result in long-term losses of the importing nations who would not have sufficient time to develop alternatives. Therefore, there existed an “optimal” price for oil and that the only way to obtain this price was through cooperation. Naturally, an optimal price would exist for all commodities and the only way to obtain these prices was a planned world economy. After all, a planned economy was working so well in the Soviet Union, why not extend it to the rest of the world?

From Mankind at the Turning Point:

“The conclusion applies not just to oil, but to all of the finite resources – food, fertilizer, copper and so forth. The “most beneficial” price range and the proper rate of increase differ for each commodity, but the optimal level exists for all and should be determined and then on a global basis maintained by all participants in the world system – if recurrence of the world economic crises due to resource-constraints is to be prevented.” [emphasis mine] – 100

“Indeed, nothing short of a complete integration of all strata, from individual values to ecology and mineral resources – and on a global scale – will suffice for the solution of the world food crises…” [emphasis mine] – 87

Redistribution of Industry

Not satisfied with the control of resource prices the report also stresses the need for a planned redistribution of industry throughout the world, especially to South Asia.

“Scenario five – the only way to avert unprecedented disaster in South Asia – requires the emergence of a new global economic order. Industrial diversification will have to be worldwide and carefully planned with special regard for regional specificity. The most effective use of labour and capital, and the availability of resources, will have to be assessed on a global, long-term basis. Such a system cannot be left to the mercy of narrow national interests, but must rely on long-range world economic arrangements… But the strain on the global food production capacity would be lessened if the eating habits in the affluent part of the world would change, becoming less wasteful.” [emphasis mine] – 127

Global Resource Allocation System

A planned economy would entail a powerful central government with the authority to allocate resources to areas it decrees most deserving.

“Now is the time to draw up a master plan for organic sustainable growth and world development based on global allocation of all finite resources and a new global economic system. Ten or twenty years form today it will probably be too late…” [emphasis mine] – 69

“The solution of these crises can be developed only in a global context with full and explicit recognition of the emerging world system and on a long-term basis. This would necessitate, among other changes, a new world economic order and a global resources allocation system.” [emphasis mine] – 143

The horrors of this proposed system should be obvious to anyone, but for those without any imagination I will provide a quote from The Impact of Science on Society [2] by Bertrand Russell who was also a proponent of world government. The quote below highlights one of the benefits – in Russell’s view – of such a world allocation system.

“To deal with this problem [increasing population and decreasing food supplies] it will be necessary to find ways of preventing an increase in world population. If this is to be done otherwise than by wars, pestilence, and famines, it will demand a powerful international authority. This authority should deal out the world’s food to the various nations in proportion to their population at the time of the establishment of the authority. If any nation subsequently increased its population it should not on that account receive any more food. The motive for not increasing population would therefore be very compelling. What method of preventing an increase might be preferred should be left to each state to decide.” – 124

NOTES

[1] Quotes from Mihajlo Mesarovic and Eduard Pestel, Mankind at the Turning Point: The Second Report to The Club of Rome (1974). ISBN 0-525-03945-7

[2] Quotes from Bertrand Russell, The Impact of Science on Society (1952). ISBN 0-415-10906-X