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.cb PROSPECTUS FOR A PRO-TECHNOLOGY POLITICS CLUB


	Anti-scientific, anti-technology and anti-rational ideologies
are very strong in this area and have many political manifestations -
e.g. the Creative Initiative campaign against nuclear energy.
The environmental movement shares many of these tendencies
and has also been an irrational force.

	On the other hand, this area is one of the most important
technological centers in the world - in electronics, in integrated
circuits, and in nuclear energy.  Unfortunately, this fact has had
almost no effect on its politics other than that promoters of
development recognize that certain technologies constitute the
main opportunity for development here.

	A symptom of the fact that technology lacks political
influence is that the campaign to save the Sundesert nuclear
plant must start from scratch.  There is not one organization
that can lead in the matter.  The purpose of this prospectus
is to discuss the form such an organization might take.
Here are some considerations:

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	#. Suppose we give it a tentative title "Committee to get
more political clout for technology".  That is too long and
more frank than is customary in politics.  Another possibility
is "Technology Information Committee", Peninsula technology club,
"Committee on Technology and the Public Interest".

	#. There are two possibilities - a committee of people
selected for their ability to contribute time, skills and money,
and a large membership organization.  It seems to me that the
second is ultimately wanted, but the first is more likely to
be within our capabilities until some leadership develops.

	#. A big problem is that technologists and scientists
are very busy people, and few can put in the kind of time that
the anti-technological people have.  Therefore, I think the
organization should attempt to raise enough money to set up
a professionally run office that will amplify the efforts
of the scientists and engineers who constitute the main body
of the organization.

	#. An adequate initial organization might include
a full time director, a secretary - perhaps part time, some
part time researchers and assistants, a small office, and some
money for publications and mailings.

	#. One objective is to get candidates with a technological
background to run for public office.  Another Mike McCormack
or Harrison Schmidt would
make a large difference in Congress, and if any area should be
represented by a technologist, it is this one.  The same is true
of local and state offices.

Issues: I will mention issues that interest me.  However, there
is some question of whether enough consensus can be found in
the technological community on some of them.

Energy, the automobile, material prosperity in general,
expensive demonstrations of the obvious like Dial-a-bus.
the space program, barriers to innovation in medicine,
rationality about DNA, rationality about the use of computers,
the SST.