Beer’s multilevel design proved its mettle in October 1972, when the CIA organized a general strike of the bourgeoisie. Thousands of retailers, doctors, lawyers, engineers, factory owners, and private bus operators joined in, but most dangerous of all were the owners of freight companies and their 40,000 truckers. Cybersyn allowed the government to survive this reactionary onslaught. The telex office served as the administration’s war room, since it allowed key officials to communicate directly with workers (including the remaining 200 loyal truckers) and co-ordinate their activity. Industries could report shortages, and the command centre could locate a truck, identify an unblocked route, and deliver the necessary supplies. This was the viable system model in action: workers kept their factories running and even created new machine shops to repair the government’s improvised shipping fleet, while officials in the telex room directed resources and collected vital information. Some factories even distributed goods directly to workers, bypassing the private sector entirely. As Medina puts it, ‘the network offered a communications infrastructure to link the revolution from above, led by Allende, to the revolution from below, led by Chilean workers and members of grassroots organizations, and helped co-ordinate the activities of both in a time of crisis.’
Troy Vettese, Drew Pendergrass, Half-Earth Socialism: A Plan to Save the Future from Extinction, Climate Change and Pandemics
