John McDermott wrote the essay Technology: The Opiate of the Intellectuals as “a sharply critical review-essay” of Emmanuel Mesthene's article that was “published by Harvard” (McDermott 77).  This essay does not argue every statement made by Mesthene, but “is McDermott’s attempt to critique the entire point of view that he sees as epitomized by Mesthene” (77).  In Mesthene’s essay, he describes technology as being a “self-correcting system”, which is called laissez innover (77).  McDermott dismisses this point because he says that there are “specific characteristics in contemporary technology that contradict the abstraction” (77).

    McDermott uses the Vietnam War as an example where he examines technology “and concludes that ‘technology, in its concrete, empirical meaning, refers fundamentally to systems of rationalized control over large groups of men, events, and machines by small groups of technically skilled men operating through organized hierarchy’” (77).  What he means by this is that the technology and laissez innover only benefits the people that are already in management because they are the only people that are in a position to “reap technology’s benefits while avoiding its costs” (77).

McDermott, John.  "Technology:  The Opiate of the Intellectuals."  Ed.  Albert H.  Teich.           New York: St.             Martin’s Press, 1997.