What Did The Psychotechnic Institute Do Wrong?

"The Snows Of Ganymede," V.

The Institute:

put a chemical contraceptive into synthetic food supplements;

lied about the reason for the falling birth rate;

subverted archaist organizations;

used other unlawful methods which were then damagingly exposed.

The Institute is described as trying to stop an avalanche. The inability of an engineer to prevent an avalanche that was already falling on him was an example used in an earlier story.

The text of the story reminds us that certain events:

a naval mutiny;
the Humanist Revolution;
the Humanist seizure of power;
Terrestrial secession from the Solar Union -

- "...are matters of record." (p. 178)

They are indeed. We read about them in "Cold Victory."

When the equations no longer indicated solutions, the Institute should have said this and called for an emergency conference, election or other procedure. It is the duty of public servants to tell the truth.