From: Tony Tinker (TonyTinker@MSN.COM)
Date: Mon Sep 08 2003 - 20:46:01 EDT
I was co-teaching with Stafford at the Manchester Business School on the day they assassinated Allende and deposed the democratically elected government (courtesy of the CIA). He was in constant telephone contact with friends in Chile throughout the coup. Stafford was not simply an 'eccentric from Surrey'. He served as an advisor to the Economics Ministry in Chile, various other Governments (e.g, Canada) and held many distinquished academic and consulting posts in the U.S, UK, Canada, and elsewhere. (e.g, President of the OR Society of America, Great Britain, etc). Stafford developed a socialist cybernet model for popular participation in the management of theChilean economy. His book, PLATERFORM FOR CHANGE, Wiley, (1966?). contains, on the inside cover, photographs of the Operations Room in Chile that was the control room for the work. He was one of the most creative and provocative management thinkers during an era in which the content of management studies and research was in a considerable state of flux/ contestation. Later, in the 1990s, there an attempt in the mainstream 'systems community', to discredit his work with smears about "Big Brother". This was most conducted by those who clearly hadn't read the stuff. We should honor Marcuse's caution that, 'the Left doesn't need heroes, only ideas', I'm always tempted to make Stafford Beer my exception to this rule. I 'fired' two supervisors in earning my 'critical' doctorate a Manchester. Stafford Beer was the one supervisor I retained. > > Fraternally, > > > > Tony Tinker > Co-Editor: Critical Perspectives on Accounting > Co-Editor: The Accounting Form > Baruch College at the City University of New York > One Baruch Way > New York, NY 10010-5585 > USA > Email: Tony_Tinker@baruch.cuny.edu > Tel: 646 312 3175 > Fax: 646 312 3161 > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Ian Wright" <ian_paul_wright@HOTMAIL.COM> > To: <OPE-L@SUS.CSUCHICO.EDU> > Sent: Monday, September 08, 2003 12:09 PM > Subject: [OPE-L] Stafford Beer > > > > Thought this story might interest listmembers. > > -Ian. > > > > > > > > Santiago dreaming > > > > When Pinochet's military overthrew the Chilean government 30 years ago, > they > > discovered a revolutionary communication system, a 'socialist internet' > > connecting the whole country. Its creator? An eccentric scientist from > > Surrey. Andy Beckett on the forgotten story of Stafford Beer > > > > > > http://www.guardian.co.uk/chile/story/0,13755,1037547,00.html > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > Help STOP SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* > > http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail > > > > > > >
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