Socialist Register 1988 Preface

Abstract

This is the twenty fourth issue of The Socialist Register and, like the last three volumes, it is mainly concerned with a single theme, namely problems of socialist renewal East and West. We know well enough that the notion of socialist renewal strikes many people these days, not least on the Left, as rather odd. But, as is explained in the article which intro- , duces the volume, we do believe that, together with the problems that socialists confront everywhere, there is also the promise of renewal; and that this promise is all the more, likely to be fulfilled if the problems themselves are accurately perceived and diagnosed. This is what the volume seeks to do. We are very grateful to our contributors for their help; to David Macey and Mike Gonzalez for their translations; and to Martin Eve for his help with the production of this issue. As usual, we must point out that neither the Editors nor the contributors necessarily agree wirh everything that appears in the following pages. This year's Register includes a number of articles on the changes which have been occurring in the Soviet Union; and we wish to say how conscious we have been in preparing this volume of the loss that the Left sustained with the tragically premature death of Isaac Deutscher in August 1967. Much that is happening in the Soviet Union constitutes a remarkable vindication of his confidence that powerful forces for progressive change - would eventually break through seemingly inpenetrable barriers. Isaac Deutscher was an early writer for the Socialist Register, and we take this opportunity to recall with gratitude and regret how great was his contribution to the understanding of the Soviet experience.