From: Tony Tinker (TonyTinker@MSN.COM)
Date: Mon Sep 08 2003 - 20:48:26 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. Stafford served as an advisor to the Economics Minister (and was not simply an 'eccentric from Surrey', but held many distinquished academic and consulting posts in the U.S, UK, Canada, and elsewhere). Stafford developed a socialist cybernet model for popular participation in > the management of the Chilean 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 thinkers his era (and I recall, in the 1970's, an attempt in the 'systems community', to discredit his work but smears about "Big Brother". (This was most effectively conducted by those who clearly hadn't read the stuff). While we should honor Marcuse's caution that, 'the Left doesn't need heroes, only ideas', I always made Stafford my exception to this rule. I 'fired' two supervisors before I earned a 'critical' doctorate a Manchester; Stafford 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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