Saturday, September 12, 2009

Stafford Beer


Stafford Beer is largely responsible for what is known as Systems Theory.

This conversation quoted verbatim from Stafford's letter took place in the summer of 1977 about two months before the murdered woman, Holly Maddux disappeared:

[Stafford Beer]:
"One day I looked up from my desk and saw that someone was approaching down the path. This was most unusual, because hardly anyone knew yet of my whereabouts, which I was keeping virtually secret, and the place is eight miles from the nearest village. I could hardly believe my eyes: it was Ira. But yes - he would have been one of the very few who would know my new address, because I wanted to keep up the flow of packages from Bell."

"Ira and I became locked in a fascinating discussion of very sensitive matters. They concerned monumentally important scientific discoveries, and their possible impact on human life and society. I have not to this day disclosed what Ira told me, and I do not know whether what he told me can be substantiated. I am sure that Ira believed what he said, and I could without difficulty accept that it might be the case (that is, 'no alien life forms'). What followed is indelibly fixed in my mind, and I shall get as near as I can to the ipsissima verba:

"Ira: 'I am making a special visit to you, and to a few other friends who have the knowledge to understand what I have found out, because my situation is dangerous.'

"Stafford: 'I can believe it. Are you worried about your own government or 'the competition?'

"Ira: 'Your call.'

"Stafford: 'Well, are you saying that you think you might be bumped off?'

"Ira : 'The trouble is, that wouldn't do. It would provoke a whole lot of investigation, and the truth might get out. No, I think that I have to be in some way discredited.'

"Stafford: 'Aren't you in some way discredited already? Plenty of people think you are a nut case. And plenty think you are immoral - a bad influence. That lot got Socrates after all.'

"Ira: 'And the ideas survived. Just my point. No, it has to be a lot stronger to count.'

"Stafford: 'Any Ideas?'

"Ira: 'None. I don't know what I need to protect myself against.'

"I can swear to this testimony. That's exactly what happened. It made me apprehensive for my friend."

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