Tony Chater (1930-2016)
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Tony Chater editor or Morning Star from 1974-1995, and one of the founders of the Communist Party of Britain in 1988 has died on 2 August 2016 four months after former editor Bill Benfield.
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-4365-Morning-Star-editor-from-1974-95-dies#.V6eQDpp-zCR
It beats me why socialists need to know about the demise of yet another class-collaborationist. Apart from its comprehensive and wholly predictable programme of reforms of capitalism the CPB's stance on Russia is particularly confused and confusing.
Socialism – the lessons so far wrote:Russia and the other countries of the Soviet Union were transformed from semi-feudal, semi-capitalist monarchist dictatorships into modern societies with near-full employment, universally free education and healthcare, affordable housing for all, extensive and cheap public transport, impressive scientific and cultural facilities, rights for women and degrees of self-government for formerly oppressed nationalities. This was achieved through a world historic break with capitalist ownership and social relations, on the basis of social ownership of industry and centralised economic planning.But the struggle to survive and to build socialism in the face of powerful external as well as internal enemies also led to distortions in society that might otherwise have been avoided. In particular, a bureaucratic-command system of economic and political rule became entrenched. The Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the trade unions became integrated into the apparatus of the state, eroding working class and popular democracy. Marxism-Leninism was used dogmatically to justify the status quo rather than make objective assessments of it.At times, and in the late 1930s in particular, severe violations of socialist democracy and law occurred. Large numbers of people innocent of subversion or sabotage were persecuted, imprisoned and executed. This aided the world-wide campaign of lies and distortions aimed at the Soviet Union, the international communist movement and the concept of socialism.The fewer of these old guard hacks and romanticists who survive the better and the nearer the working class might be to understanding and establishing genuine socialism.
Yes, I was wondering too what interest the death of an old Stalinist hack could have for Socialists.
For someone misrepresenting 'communism' in a high profile way for over two decades as editor and more as a CPGB member, I would think it would be of some interest. Can't find the Morning Star obituary but here is the Telegraphhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/08/14/tony-chater-editor-of-the-morning-star–obituary/
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