I have been reading one of the themed Science Fiction Megapack anthologies, this one "Crime". This 1969 story features a USA that has a "meritocracy" government. Supposedly all jobs go to the most qualified. Elections are one vote per dollar of pay (but not other forms of income). Those who don't make enough money benefit from the Negative Income Tax to have a decent but not luxurious lifestyle.

Protagonist Rex Bader is a hard-luck guy. He trained as a pilot, just as automation eliminated entry-level jobs. Other efforts have suffered similar results, including his latest - private detective. Unfortunately, the government's ability to track citizens has eliminated many of the traditional cases, so he mostly lives on the NIT.

Then he is offered a highly-paid job. A group high up in the Meritocracy has decided that governments and their petty squabbles get in the way of business. They want to form a true world government. To that end, they want him to travel to the Soviet bloc and meet with like-minded individuals there.

He initially refuses, as he figures it to be a likely detriment to his health. But it seems this was the worst-kept secret job offer ever. In short order, he is contacted by:

- Sophia Anastasis: the head of a large entertainment company that is the legitimate descendent of the Mafia, controlling gambling, prostitution, etc. where legal, and buy off governments where possible. Efficient central government is not of their interest.

- The head of the Inter-American Bureau of Investigation, the modern version of the FBI AND the local Soviet spy that the organization is fully aware of. They naturally aren't in favor of ending the Cold War that keeps them employed.

- A group that feels that Meritocracy is hopelessly corrupt and control of companies needs to be with the workers electing management rather than top-down appointments, with world government based on that.

All of these want him to report on his contacts and/or make other contacts for them so that they can scuttle the Meritocracy's plans in one way or another. Most are willing to pay him.

Rex has to figure out how to juggle all these "employers" while on the other side of the Iron Curtain. That includes figuring out who's really with whom and where all the leaks are coming from.

The story is moderately interesting. There is a lot of discussion about economic theory. Rex is the son of a renowned economist, so while is knowledgeable about the topic, he isn't particularly interested.

The main reason for posting this had to do with the technology. For a 1969 book, it had some definite hits. In the US, everyone not only has but is required to have a "TV phone". That serves as a combination phone, information device (although through the government National Database), payment device, and identification. Not exactly a modern smart-phone, but in the ballpark.

The government can also track people and use it as a listening device as needed. While there aren't home computers as we know it, the larger TV in the home came be used to access data and make orders for delivery etc. And of course the government can spy through it. Those in the know have shielded rooms with no TVs.

Brian

On Wed, 18 May 2022 01:01:36 -0700, Default User wrote:

> I have been reading one of the themed Science Fiction Megapack
> anthologies, this one "Crime". This 1969 story features a USA that has a
> "meritocracy" government. Supposedly all jobs go to the most qualified.
> Elections are one vote per dollar of pay (but not other forms of
> income). Those who don't make enough money benefit from the Negative
> Income Tax to have a decent but not luxurious lifestyle.
>
> Protagonist Rex Bader is a hard-luck guy. He trained as a pilot, just as
> automation eliminated entry-level jobs. Other efforts have suffered
> similar results, including his latest - private detective.
> Unfortunately, the government's ability to track citizens has eliminated
> many of the traditional cases, so he mostly lives on the NIT.
>
> Then he is offered a highly-paid job. A group high up in the Meritocracy
> has decided that governments and their petty squabbles get in the way of
> business. They want to form a true world government. To that end, they
> want him to travel to the Soviet bloc and meet with like-minded
> individuals there.
>
> He initially refuses, as he figures it to be a likely detriment to his
> health. But it seems this was the worst-kept secret job offer ever. In
> short order, he is contacted by:

What interested me about your review was the notion of private
interests going around governments to save the world. This is
basically what is proposed in "The Open Conspiracy" by H.G. Wells,
a non-fiction book he published in 1930. The question that has
intrigued me is, was Wells talking about something that might
already have been under way, possibly for decades -- and that he
already knew about?

Charles Packer wrote:
>Default User wrote:
>> I have been reading one of the themed Science Fiction Megapack
>> anthologies, this one "Crime". This 1969 story features a USA that has a
>> "meritocracy" government. Supposedly all jobs go to the most qualified.
>> Elections are one vote per dollar of pay (but not other forms of
>> income). Those who don't make enough money benefit from the Negative
>> Income Tax to have a decent but not luxurious lifestyle.
>>
>> Protagonist Rex Bader is a hard-luck guy. He trained as a pilot, just as
>> automation eliminated entry-level jobs. Other efforts have suffered
>> similar results, including his latest - private detective.
>> Unfortunately, the government's ability to track citizens has eliminated
>> many of the traditional cases, so he mostly lives on the NIT.
>>
>> Then he is offered a highly-paid job. A group high up in the Meritocracy
>> has decided that governments and their petty squabbles get in the way of
>> business. They want to form a true world government. To that end, they
>> want him to travel to the Soviet bloc and meet with like-minded
>> individuals there.
>>
>> He initially refuses, as he figures it to be a likely detriment to his
>> health. But it seems this was the worst-kept secret job offer ever. In
>> short order, he is contacted by:
>>
>> - Sophia Anastasis: the head of a large entertainment company that is
>> the legitimate descendent of the Mafia, controlling gambling, prostitution,
>> etc. where legal, and buy off governments where possible. Efficient central
>> government is not of their interest.
>>
>> - The head of the Inter-American Bureau of Investigation, the modern
>> version of the FBI AND the local Soviet spy that the organization is
>> fully aware of. They naturally aren't in favor of ending the Cold War
>> that keeps them employed.
>>
>> - A group that feels that Meritocracy is hopelessly corrupt and control
>> of companies needs to be with the workers electing management rather than
>> top-down appointments, with world government based on that.
>>
>> All of these want him to report on his contacts and/or make other contacts
>> for them so that they can scuttle the Meritocracy's plans in one way or
>> er. Most are willing to pay him.
>>
>> Rex has to figure out how to juggle all these "employers" while on the
>> other side of the Iron Curtain. That includes figuring out who's really
>> with whom and where all the leaks are coming from.
>>
>> The story is moderately interesting. There is a lot of discussion about
>> economic theory. Rex is the son of a renowned economist, so while is
>> knowledgeable about the topic, he isn't particularly interested.
>>
>> The main reason for posting this had to do with the technology. For a 1969
>> book, it had some definite hits. In the US, everyone not only has but is
>> required to have a "TV phone". That serves as a combination phone, information
>> device (although through the government National Database), payment device,
>> and identification. Not exactly a modern smart-phone, but in the ballpark.
>>
>> The government can also track people and use it as a listening device as
>> needed. While there aren't home computers as we know it, the larger TV in the
>> home came be used to access data and make orders for delivery etc. And of
>> course the government can spy through it. Those in the know have shielded
>> rooms with no TVs.
>
> What interested me about your review was the notion of private
> interests going around governments to save the world. This is
> basically what is proposed in "The Open Conspiracy" by H.G. Wells,
> a non-fiction book he published in 1930. The question that has
> intrigued me is, was Wells talking about something that might
> already have been under way, possibly for decades -- and that he
> already knew about?

Let's see. By 1905 Wells soured on the Fabian Society enough for him to
disparage it as a middle class talking shop.
Is the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) the only other
viable contender? The BIS was originally established in 1930 to collect
WWI reparations from Germany. Wells plausibly heard Fleet Street gossip
about an imminent BIS months or even years before its formal debut in
western corporate media.

This story's protagonist, Rex Bader, is purportedly a five way agent, at
least in the titular sense. But, does it add it?
First, Bader struggles to earn his daily bread as a PI, Private
Investigator. Bader's own self-interest rules supreme at his day job.
Bader eventually also acts as an agent for Swiss based International
Communications, colloquially called cosmoscorps. Imagine the fictional
cosmoscorps as an analog of the BIS.
The mafia also uses Bader. The story was originally serialized in the
April-May 1969 _analog_ editions. The first cover of the series shows a
pair of mafia goons named Luis and Harry pummel Bader:

http://www.philsp.com/visco/Magazines/ASF/ASF_0461.jpg

A creepy chimera critter created from the Inter-American Bureau of
Investigation and the Soviet Complex espionage-counter-espionage (FBI
and KGB analogs) bullies Bader to spy for it. The chimera can cling to
power if a global military industrial complex continues to dominate.
And finally, fifthly, a modern version of so called syndicalists,
self styled socialists, try to recruit Bader.

The story showcases Reynolds' own intelligence in a couple of ways.
He accurately portrays the essence of then-futuristic technology. His
ployglot streak also helps him fictionally exposit Soviet Complex, in
country, culture.
On the downside, Reynolds' economic data dumps bore me. And his
cutesy idioms, "that's the way the Yo-Yo spins" for example, make me
cringe.

Danke,

--
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telltale tall tail /, _.. \ _\ (`._ ,.
tells tall tales.. `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.'

Don wrote:

>This story's protagonist, Rex Bader, is purportedly a five way agent,
>at least in the titular sense. But, does it add it?
> First, Bader struggles to earn his daily bread as a PI, Private
>Investigator. Bader's own self-interest rules supreme at his day job.

On the whole, the US of this story isn't that bad. It seems like the
"NIT" provides at least a comfortable if not luxurious existence. The
city core seems to be fairly pleasant and clean.

One of the things I found a bit improbable was that they had this
"Meritocracy" in place, but are still using the old education system of
going to college then trying to find a job. That ends up with a person
like Rex who is intelligent, educable, and willing to work living on
the equivalent of the dole because of incorrect choices.

I would have expected a system of aptitude testing that directed people
into training/education for occupations that benefit both the
Meritocracy and citizens. But then there wouldn't be a story I suppose.

Brian

In article <t78vvv$7nc$1@dont-email.me>,
Default User <defaultuserbr@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Don wrote:
>
>>This story's protagonist, Rex Bader, is purportedly a five way agent,
>>at least in the titular sense. But, does it add it?
>> First, Bader struggles to earn his daily bread as a PI, Private
>>Investigator. Bader's own self-interest rules supreme at his day job.
>
>On the whole, the US of this story isn't that bad. It seems like the
>"NIT" provides at least a comfortable if not luxurious existence. The
>city core seems to be fairly pleasant and clean.
>
>One of the things I found a bit improbable was that they had this
>"Meritocracy" in place, but are still using the old education system of
>going to college then trying to find a job. That ends up with a person
>like Rex who is intelligent, educable, and willing to work living on
>the equivalent of the dole because of incorrect choices.
>
>I would have expected a system of aptitude testing that directed people
>into training/education for occupations that benefit both the
>Meritocracy and citizens. But then there wouldn't be a story I suppose.
>

Maybe they could have some sort of, I don't know, Placement Test..
--
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