IJ@
International Journal of Anarchism
ifa-Solidaritet - folkebladet - © ISSN 0800-0220 no 3 (31) editor H. Fagerhus
Bulletin of the Anarchist International
AFTER THE STORTINGS ELECTION IN NORWAY 2001:
NACO FIGHTS THE CO-OPERATE COMRADES
Point no. 1 on the agenda is to do away with the poverty problem in Norway. Furthermore, the Petroleum-fund is common savings of the people, not the bureaucracy. Thus, NACO denounces use of the Petroleum fund surplus to finance tax cuts and fringe benefits to the plutarchists, i.e. the relatively rich, in private and public sector. "Doing away with" the powerty problem a) by redefining the concept of powerty in a narrower sense, departing from the usual international definitions used by OECD and EU, and b) to use special measures on individual level, must be rejected! If the necessary welfare and pensions increase become close to the minimal wages, the minimal wages should also be increased. More anarchy, less rank- and income differences, more efficiency and fairness, etc. is the road ahead! More anarchy means more democracy, economical and political/administrative, in private and public sector, see VG 06.11.2001 p. 39: "Anarki er DEMOKRATI"(also available at the AIIS link-site).
In June 2002 the co-operate comrades have to gobble up their first major camel, according to anarchist policy about day care. The plutarch Fred Olsen must pay more taxes. The rest of the plutarchs should also pay more, says NACO. Oslo cops become internationally famous after barking bust! The co-operate comrades have to gobble up more camels, this time they are stopped from selling major confederal, common possession, also called state owned shares and stakes, to the private plutarchs. 24-26.06.2002 an ABCDE-World Bank Conference with anarchist direct action and order took place in Oslo, see http://www.anarchy.no/abcde.html . 24.07.2002 Norway is still the best place to live - as last year, according to a UN investigation based on the Human Development Index (HDI). 31.10.2002 The PM Kjell Magne Bondevik, a priest, acted like the Pope and virtually excommunicated an ironical well known comedian, that afterwards got a threat about being killed. 04.11.2003 Public servant lives well on public funds. 15.11.2003 The public budget for 2004. Norman quits as councillor of the council of state 08.03.2004. The Stortings election in 2005 gave 87 mandates to the red and green alliance and 82 mandates to the other parties. The red and green alliance formed a new center-left council of state in October backed by the majority of the mandates.
In September 2001 the Anarchy of Norway was again in the newsmedia. The Stortings election Monday 12th of September had a moderate interest in the northern and international media. The situation before the election was discussed in IJA no 2(31). The situation after, was the following:
The election was a political earthquake. The big looser was AP. It had not done such a bad election since 1924. This only confirmed that the days of the marxist social democratic system definitively were over, and that the social individualist anarchist system was still going strong. The Labor Party has lost the grip on the concept of social equalization including freedom, i.e. less rank and income differences broadly defined. AP lacks a vision of the anarchist ideal, and the road ahead; i.e. although moved a little to the right, still advocating marxist social democracy, statism and even tendencies of state capitalism.
The "center" - SP, Venstre and Kristelig Folkeparti (Kr.F) , all "No to EU", lost a little in votes. Venstre lost relatively many mandates because it got less than 4% of the votes totally, the limit for utjevningsmandater. The big winner was Høyre, the Right (liberal) party. Relatively the marxist left, Sosialistisk Venstreparti, was also a winner. The brown & blue Fr.p and brown & red RV, the parties lowest on the economical-political map, were not among the winners. Fr.p got fewer votes than last time, but despite of this +1 mandate, and RV got no mandates at all. (Fr.p soon after lost one mandate, Simonsen, because one of the usual authoritarian style Fr.p expulsions.) The whalehunter Bastesen - in a way green, but an enemy of Greenpeace - saved one mandate for his Kystpartiet (KP). Thus, there were no big parties anymore, just small and medium.
So the state (confederal) council situation, was not clear. The AP-council continued for a while.
The participation in the election was about 72%, i.e. 5% less than in 1997. This indicates an increasingly dissatisfaction with the present system, and the need for even more anarchistically management of the society.
The mandates were:
Left - Venstre...............................................
(2,-4),
Center - Senterpartiet.................................(10,-1),
Coast - Kystpartiet.......................................(1,+0),
Socialist Left - Sosialistisk Venstreparti (23,+14),
Christian people - Kristelig Folkeparti ......(22,-3),
Right - Høyre............................................(38,+15),
Labor - Arbeiderpartiet.............................(43,-22),
RV - Rød Valgallianse
..................................(0.-0),
Fr.P - Fremskrittspartiet ............................(26,+1),
for the parties placed on the progressive vs reactionary axis, from the top to the bottom of the economical-political map, also accounting for environmental policy and no vs yes to EU, i.e. measuring averagely tendencies towards both socialism and autonomy vs capitalism and statism. The rankings are approximations, and express typical probable tendencies. The +,- figures are changes of mandates since the previous election in 1997. Except for the most authoritarian parties, RV and Fr.p, all the parties are in reality close to the middle of the economical political map, although ideologically and verbally very different. The parties, especially the relatively largest, are very inhomogenous, and have different tendencies within the organizations. The no to EU mandates were increased, and is by now 95 no vs 60 yes and 10 uncertain. 60 of the 165 mandates were women.
The situation with no dominating big party at the Storting was something new, and the Norwegian Anarchist Council expressed: This is a case of more practical horizontal organization at the Storting, and it calls for even more co-operation without coercion. Authoritarian tendencies towards chaos, ochlarchy (mob rule) and the right to the strongest, economically and/or political/administrative, must be rejected. The fight for even more socialism and autonomy, social equalization including freedom, i.e. less income and rank differences, must continue.
The spokesman Lars Sponheim of Venstre, the Left party, confirmed the anarchist analysis of the rankings among the parties along the progressive vs reactionary axis on the economical-political map, by declaring Venstre er det mest radikale partiet i norsk politikk, i.e. the Left is the most radical party in Norwegian politics; see Dagbladet Tuesday 25.09.2001. The most progressive parties, i.e. the three parties in the "center", plus the socialist left and the Coastparty, got more mandates than in the previous election. However a relatively large difference in the left vs right coordinates was an obstacle for this solution. It is probably no situation for a majority based state council, so the power tendency is at the Storting.
After a temporary brake in the negotiations, Venstre, Kr.F. and Høyre decided to form a samarbeidsstatsråd, co-operate state council, with Kjell Magne Bondevik as PM, i.e. a progressive-right council at the central administration. The council is called Bondevik II and the co-operate comrades. According to some of the press, the aim of the council is the co-operate society. While Venstre is the most progressive party in Norway, Kr.F. has "one foot in the left side and one foot in the right side" (VG Wednesday 03.10.2001), and both are No to EU, the less progressive Høyre is typically to the right and Yes to EU. Thus, they will have to co-operate quite well if they want to stay in office, and it is difficult to see exactly what the policy will be. The co-operation has two dimensions, internally and externally with the Storting, both filled with problems. They may achive a majority in the Storting by co-operating with the Socialist Left, with Labor or the populist Fr.p. Co-operation with the other progressive parties, the SP, KP and SV may of course also give a majority. Perhaps it would be better sometimes to co-operate with them, instead of always discussing with the chaotic populist Fr.p. 15.10.2001 the co-operate comrades are discussing support from the Fr.p, to establish the new state concil.
17.10.2001 the Labor council resigned and 19.10.2001 the co-operate comrades took over. Of the 19 councillors, 3 were from the Left (Venstre), 6 from Christian People's Party (Kr.F) and the rest from the Right (Høyre). A surprise was professor Victor Norman (Right), the arch-priest of market liberalism at NHH, the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration in Bergen. He is also known to be quite Machiavellian. The history of the Anarchist Federation of Norway tells that "Norman stabbed his colleague, the anarchist Leif Holbæk-Hanssen, with a dagger in his back, connected to the appointment of president at the NHH." This was however many years ago, perhaps Norman is more set on co-operation without coercion now. Anyway he has ideas on how to cut the bureaucracy in public sector, and make it more efficient, and he is also clearly against monopoly, oligopoly and state-capitalism in the private sector, so perhaps he can do a progressive job in the Department of Work and Administration.
Liv Valla, the leader of the National Confederation of Workers, LO, said to NTB she was pleased with the appointment of Norman and that he will be a good man for the labor movement. NACO said: "Time will show!". NTB, Norsk Telegrambyrå, is the main Norwegian newsagency. The first Norman did as councillor was to attack SAS - the Scandinavian Airlines System - for trying to buy Braathens, the second largest airline company in Norway, calling SAS a beast of pray, because he was worried about monopolistic pricing and ineffiency. On the other hand the new state councillor of the agricultural department, Lars Sponheim from Venstre, said he did not care to much about the food prices because he earned enough, and that he was more intersted in quality. NACO said: "The people want maximal quality and minimal price, i.e. a variety of good and safe qualities to non-monopolistic, competitive prices, - just prices covering costs, with no plutarchist profit and salaries, golden parachutes included". The contrasts between the co-operate comrads already are noticeable. Both Norman and Sponheim were criticized by the press and other spokesmen of the departments. It is still difficult to say if the co-operate comrads will contribute only to a further movement to the right, or be progressive. Anyway, this is a minority state council, the Storting decides. 02.01.2001 Aftenposten reports that 7 of 10 mean Sponheim is wrong about the food prices. Later on the Braathens was bought by SAS anyway despite Victor Normans worries, and thus we have monopoly in the domestic airline industry for the time being. However international competition is possible, so the market power is not equally high as in a closed domestic market. However 18.06.2002 Aftenposten reports that the Norwegian competition regulators, "Konkurransetilsynet, probe SAS for shutting out competition. "Konkurransetilsynet" is investigating whether Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has used illegal means of keeping new competitors out of the Norwegian air traffic market. SAS denies the allegation. 17.06.2002 Flying start for NAS: Norwegian Air Shuttle (NAS) took a firm step towards becoming a new player in Norway's air traffic market by landing a state contract for 170,000 single domestic flight tickets. Thus SAS has got some more competition.
The co-operate council's Sem-manifesto, rooted back to the conference at Sem outside Oslo, indicated a moderate change of political course, but as mentioned, it is too early to say if the change will be progressive or just a movement to the right. The NACO expressed: "Point no. 1 on the economical-political agenda is to do away with the poverty problem in Norway. Furthermore, the Petroleum fund is the legitimate possession of the people, not the bureaucracy broadly defined. Thus, NACO denounces use of the Petroleum fund surplus to finance tax cuts and fringe benefits to the plutarchists, i.e. the relatively rich, in private and public sector. In case this happens, the people may very well think it is theft, and even bank robbery. The Petroleum-fund is common savings of the people, not the bureaucracy. Co-operation may be reasonable, but it must be without coercion, here in the meaning of economical repression! Thus, there are no peace between the people and the upper classes, the bureaucracy broadly defined, political/administrative and/or economically in private and public sector."
01.11.2001 the NACO added: "The proposals from spokesman Osmund "Coldheart" Kaldheim of Sosialdepartemenet, the Welfare Department, about "doing away with" the powerty problem a) by redefining the concept of powerty in a narrower sense, departing from the usual international definitions used by OECD and EU, and b) to use special measures on individual level, must be rejected by the media, the labor movement, the Storting and other organizations. The international definitions must still be used, and a general increase in all pensions and welfare must be done. The public budgets must not be used for tax reductions, more fringe benefits and golden parachutes, to the relatively rich and powerful in private and public sector.
The large increase in salaries to the mandates of the Storting, is a provocation vis-à-vis the poor, and the people in general. The individual measures suggested, based on a reactionary and obsolete division in the "worthy of" and "not worthy of" welfare and support, will not only reduce the poor peoples' dignity, it will increase the public bureaucracy as well. This is not the way to do it. The International Anarchist Tribunal gives a Brown Card warning to the "co-operate comrades": My, my, what co-operation!!!
If the welfare support, after a necessary increase, becomes close to the minimal wages, the minimal wages should also be increased. More anarchy, less rank- and wage differences, more efficiency and fairness, etc., is the road ahead!" 07.11.2001. Aftenposten confirms that the co-operate comrades, via the state councillor of the Welfare Department, have put the powerty problem as the first challenge, i.e. as no 1 of the agenda, the NACO point of view. 09.11.2001 NACO added: "The proposal about citizen-wage by Venstre, the Left, about 100 000 NOK as a minimum income, related to the country's total income this year, is interesting. Also a minimum worker wage, say, at about 150 000 NOK should perhaps be introduced. It must pay to work, the approximately slave-contracts in some industrial branches must be abolished. In general, the fight against powerty in Norway is no. 1 on the agenda, the fight against the bureaucracy, broadly defined, economical and political/administrative, in private and public sector, is no 2, and the fight against terrorism is no 3!"
22.11.2001 Victor Norman has problems with the taxman, as reported in Dagbladet, and he has also proposed a cut back in the pensionrights, and thus got trouble with Liv Valla and LO. He is also thinking about leaving office, and be a professor again - but just thinking. NACO has followed up case no 1 on the agenda, with among other things a series of open letters about the statebudget to the Storting, and Dagbladet has made a large campaign about the poverty problems. Høyre, the Right party has used their majority at the State council to make a bit too much authoritarian right policy. This is not democratic. Most of the people that did not vote at the election are against this policy, and a lot of the mandates at the Storting as well. It looks like Bondevik II has to "gobble up camels" as expressed in Norwegian. 28.11.2001 Bondevik forced through the total framework for the statebudget at the Storting. But on different items the co-operate comrades will probably have to "gobble up camels". 30.11.2001 The Norwegian Central Bureau of Statistics, CBS-SSB, means that so far this year not a single "krone" of the Petroleum fund is spent, because the income from taxes to the central administration has increased more than expected. Thus the savings of the people are still intact. 03.12.2001: During the Bondevik I statecouncil, the ratings of the PM at the polls were as high as 60% satisfied. Now the popularity polls show about 30%. 19.12.2001: A yearly report about the development of powerty in Norway may soon be a reality. The proposal is supported by most parties, institutes and organizations in this field of research, however the first report mentioned is estimated to be ready in 2003. NACO says: "Very well, but words will not solve the powerty problem. Deed is necessary, and fast!" 20.12.2001: Bondevik says he has been tired, but he means things are getting a bit better now. NACO says: time will show! 31.12.2001: The symbolic king says in a new year speech that the fight against powerty and for equalization have great priority.
PRESS RELEASE ABOUT THE DAY CARE CASE
A MORE ANARCHIST ECONOMICAL POLICY IS NECESSARY IN THE DAY CARE CASE - OR ELSE IT WILL JUST BE DISECONOMICAL CROSS-SUBVENTION BUREAUCRACY ECONOMICS AND THUS BE HARMFUL TO THE ECONOMY SEEN ALL IN ALL, -- says NACO's spokesman S. Olsen.
11.06.2002: Bondevik and the co-operate comrades have to gobble up their first major camel since the Stortings-election in 2001, because a majority of the Storting's mandates over-rides the state council's program. "Politicians hammer out day care terms", Aftenposten declares. Norwegian townships will be obligated to provide day care center services to all children needing them, and parents won't have to pay more than NOK 1,500 (about USD 180) a month, starting in 2004. That was the result of political deal-making hammered out by the Labor Party, AP, the Socialist Left, SV, the populist Progress Party, Fr.P, and the Center Party, SP. The agreement thus is assured majority support in Parliament. Day care centers, both public and private, won't be able to charge more than NOK 2,500 a month per child from August 1, 2003. The maximum price will drop to NOK 1,500 a month the year after. Private day care centers that now charge much more than that will likely be granted state funding to make up the difference. In addition, local townships must, under law, provide day care to anyone requesting it. There's been a shortage of day care spaces in many cities, but politicians now promise more day care centers will be built.
This may be consistent with the anarchists' fight against powerty as well as the IIFOR's economical advice to make more use of the large scale benefits in day care centers, with a price equal to marginal costs in optimum, implicating some transfers. However 1. the extra public costs must be financed by increased taxes of the relative plutarchs; 2. the increase in the labor force due to less family nursing must be put at work through increased total demand, via optimal demand policy for full employment; and 3. the number of day care centers must be increased to the optimal level, or else 4. this will just be diseconomical cross-subvention policy and overbid politics. Siv Jensen, financial spokesman of the populist Fr.p suggests the costs will be covered by "more efficiency", but this will neither happen by Adam Smith's "invisible hand", nor by public bureaucratic rules. The mentioned aims can only be achieved by more anarchist economics. Furthermore, the export-industry is suffering because of a too strong NOK exchange rate, and the unemployment is too high already, says P. Johansen, researcher and spokesman of IIFOR. The interest-rate policy of the Norwegian federal reserve "Norges Bank" is too bureaucratic, and must be changed a bit according to anarchist economics. The basic anarchist economical policy is discussed at http://www.anarchy.no/aneco1.html from a theoretical point of view, and praxeological at http://www.anarchy.no/folkebladet.html .
12.06.2002. More taxes on the plutarchs. One of Norway's wealthiest and most powerful families is caught up in messy court battles that continue to air dirty family laundry and unravel family secrets. Now the family also faces a hefty tax bill on overseas holdings. The plutarch Fred Olsen had a miserable day in court on Monday 10.06.2002. In an historic decision handed down Monday, Norway's highest court ruled that Olsen family members should be taxed on assets held through a trust in Liechtenstein. The family's fortune stems from shipowning, shipyards and a wide range of businesses including the Timex watch maker in the US. The family has been assembling assets in the trust, called Ptarmigan, for 22 years in the low-tax country, with the value of the assets now believed to have reached as much as NOK 6 billion (USD 750 million). Norwegian taxmen have for years tried to tax the Ptarmigan assets, but the Olsens' defense lawyers have kept them at bay. They have argued that the trust is instead controlled by its managers, not the family. Now the high court (Høyesterett) has concluded, however, that 18 plutarchs of the Olsen family can be viewed as owners of the trust. Those members who are resident in Norway and liable to Norwegian taxation now must pay tax on the trust's profits, back to 1994.
One of the court's justices said he had no doubts that formation of the trust was motivated by the Olsen family's desire to cut its tax liability. The court's decision overturned an appeals court ruling that the Olsens had won. Hurdles remain for the taxmen, however, because they likely will have trouble winning access to Ptarmigan's books. It remained unclear how the tax collectors will use the high court's ruling. Meanwhile, in another courtroom, brothers Fred and Petter Olsen continued to quarrel over who has the rights ot a valuable collection of paintings by famous Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. The brothers' late mother wanted the paintings to go to Petter, and accused her older son Fred of trying to steal them. The two brothers, separated by a 19-year age difference, have feuded for years, and riveting courtroom drama has revealed heated family arguments and downright nasty exchanges. Fred Olsen's lawyers argue the collection should have been divided equally among the elder Olsens' heirs. "I am not a member of the plutarchist Olsen family"; says S.Olsen of NACO to IJ@," and the extra taxes from the 18 plutarchs of the Fred Olsen family may contribute a bit to finance the new day care centers, etc. The rest of the plutarchs in Norway should in general also pay more taxes."
By the way, the court also condemned the Ptarmigan trust as illegal, because it was a "fideikommiss", i.e. a nobelmans arrangement, that has been forbidden by the Constitution since 1814. Of course no nobelman or "sir" is allowed in the Anarchy of Norway. This is quite the opposite of say, Great Britain, where even several kings of rock'n roll are "sirs".
13.06.2002: Oslo cops internationally famous after barking bust: Oslo police entertained the world after the story of their arrest of a barking dad got picked up by international media. News agencies, the BBC and Internet discussion groups have chuckled over the odd incident. On Wednesday the BBC interviewed the barking father, who claims he only played dog to distract his arguing children. Police responded under the impression a real dog was attacking and then threw the yelping parent in a cell for public intoxication and suspicion of child abuse. None of the charges stuck and a lawsuit is now on the cards. The popular website www.Fark.com, which specializes in weird breaking news, spread the story further with its typical brand of sarcastic and uninhibited debate. "We'll just have to be able to handle people laughing at us," said police superintendent Frode Ruud of the Oslo police. "Well, well, - even the cops can't win'em all..." says S. Olsen of NACO laughing a bit. Get a good laughter? The Fark comments may be seen by clicking on the following link: http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=205324
13.06.2002: The co-operate comrades state council faces defeat on state ownership. The opposition parties in Norway's Storting (a kind of parliament or congress with a mixed senate and house of representatives, called Odelsting og Lagting) are expected to put a stop to the co-opertae comrades plans to sell off state (confederal) stakes in companies such as Norsk Hydro, Statoil and Telenor. The finance committee of the Storting, was in the concluding stages of its negotiations on the issue of state ownership and a majority emerged opposing a sell-off of state interests. "Now we will manage to protect industry in Norway, and so there is less danger of Norway becoming a branch office," said committee leader Olav Akselsen. The details of the committee's recommendation are not yet known, but there are indications that the Progress, Labor, Socialist Left and Center parties have co-operated to hand the State council coalition a bitter defeat on a key issue for the central administration. "If so Bondevik have to gobble up some more camels," S.Olsen of NACO, the Anarchist council, says. The State council does have support for selling off shares in a series of smaller companies such as Raufoss and Entra Eiendom. There will be no changes to existing holdings in NSB, Posten, SAS or BaneTele.Akselsen denied that the committee's conclusions were a victory for the Progress Party, i.e. the populist Fr.p. "I don't think we have given the Progress Party very much. The recommendations are largely in line with what we wanted. It is the Progress Party (the populist Fr.p) that has jumped over the fence and switched sides," Akselsen said.
15.06.2002 "This is consistent with the people's and the anarchists program, i.e. "Norwegian policy for the 21st century" collected at "the dugnad" on URL http://www.anarchy.no/dugnad.html etc.", says S. Olsen, spokesman of the Norwegian Anarchist Council, NACO - adding: "The people and the anarchists, through the media and the public opinion together with the opposition at the Storting sometimes manage to join forces and put the state council at place, so they have to "gobble up camels", i.e. "sluke en kamel", when Bondevik II is trying to rule in the interests of the plutarchs and authorities in general, and not the people. This a.o.t. confirms that the system all in all is working significant from, for and of the people, upwards (about 53%). But, sorry to say, there are also evidence proving that the system quite frequent works the other way around, from the top towards the grassroots, i.e. 100 - ca 53 = ca 47% authoritarian tendencies." "Especially the "Yes Minister's" including Yes to EU in UD, the department of foreign affairs is a dangerous authoritarian and chaotic "state within the state" and should be put at place. Search for 'UD' on www.anarchy.no to see a tip of the iceberg.... Several times the Anarchist International Embassy has to step in and do their job; my, my, my, what an UD we have got," says L. Blom of AFIN: "Someone should teach them a lesson soon!"
17.06.2002: The plutarchs and NHO are angry on the labor organizations after a proper hike in workers' remuneration in June. "I see that we have been given the blame for this year's generous wage rises. But the Norwegian economy has not been put in danger because our low paid members have finally been given a proper salary boost," said Gerd-Liv Valla, the red & brown matriarch and president of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO). "Together with the leaders of the unions which make up the LO, I am more than happy to take the credit for the fact that so many low paid employees have been given a salary that they might possibly be able to live on. I am proud of this year's wage settlement. The Bondevik government has contributed nothing positive, but has simply come up with measures which ruin our chances of cooperation." "This is consistent with the anarchists' program against poverty and relative slavecontracts," says L. Jakobsen, spokesman for the International Workers of the World.
20.06.2002: Politicians quarell over the day care case: The Co-operate comrades are not very co-operative with the Storting in this case, so this is beginning to be a hot potato, "varm potet". Labor's Bekkemellem Orheim is shocked by Christian Democrats (Dagbladet). Christian Democrat leader Valgerd Svarstad Haugland do not want a price cap on nursery fees. Opposition threatens to oust Government over the fees (Verdens Gang). A parliamentary majority is now threatening to bring down the Government if it goes ahead with plans to delay the implementation of the pre-school day care reform. The opposition parties are up in arms because the Christian Democrats have said they want to reopen the debate on the introduction of a price cap on nursery fees. "Ms Svarstad Haugland’s comments are as close to a letter of resignation as I have seen in a long time, and show an incredible arrogance with regard to the Storting," said Trond Giske, Labor spokesman on pre-school day care. "The Storting should read the NACO press release on day care above once more, and come up with some additional measures", NACO-spokesman S. Olsen says to IJ@. Victor Norman says the federal reserve, Norges Bank, is ready to cut the interest rate, if the unemployment increases more. This is according to anarchist economical advice," says S.Olsen:" However mr Norman is misusing the slogan of IWW/AI "it must pay to work" and similar today."
The state council is "to make it worthwhile to work" by introducing more slave-contracts for people with incapacity. The co-operate comrades will propose tomorrow that from next July incapacity benefit will be "awarded" only for a limited period at a time. The aim is to encourage more people on incapacity benefit to return to the workplace. All those which the state believes can manage some kind of work will be paid a sum that is less than today’s benefit levels. The 287,000 people currently receiving incapacity benefit cost the taxpayer NOK 33 billion per year. The proposed reform would give annual savings of NOK 3 billion. "It would be better to hike the minimal-wages and pay extra to people with incapacity to motivate them to do some work if they are capable to it. To cut welfare to people with incapacity is immoral and authoritarian plutarchist policy," says S. Olsen of NACO. "Victor Norman is pulling in the wrong direction, stealing from the ones with incapacity, and perhaps use the saved amount on the budget for tax cuts to the plutarchs." "The sick pay scheme stays as it is," said Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik (Chr.Dem) when he met employer and employee representatives on Wednesday evening. Recent figures showing an alarming rise in the numbers of people taking sick leave are worrying the PM as well as Gerd-Liv Valla, of LO, Finn Bergesen Jr, chief executive of the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO) and the Noregian Anarchist Council (NACO). "However more slave contracts are not the way to solve this problem. A main reason for incapacity is ochlarchy (mob rule) at the work places," says S. Olsen.
In July 2002 the fight against "the unenlightened plutarchy" in Norway was the main action by NACO. Nobel economical prize winner Ragnar Frisch's anarchist classic on this item from 1961 was also republished by IIFOR with updated comments. See http://www.anarchy.no/enronism.html and http://www.anarchy.no/frisch1.html respectively. A further investigation of ochlarchy at the work places is reported at the first mentioned of these files.
24.07.2002 Aftenposten reports: Norway tops UN list over best places to live - again. Oil revenues and a focus on social welfare politics have placed Norway at the top of the United Nations' so-called Human Development Index. It's the second year in a row that Norway ranks as the world's best country in which to live. The index builds on three main factors: life expectancy, education and per capita income in 173 countries. In Norway, the average person can expect to live 78.5 years and currently earns USD 29,918 a year. The head of the UN development program that put together this year's rankings said that "if you live in Norway, you have greater chances for a longer life and a higher standard of living." Sweden ranks a close number-two, followed by Canada, Belgium and Australia. The US is in sixth place, with Iceland next, followed by the Netherlands, Japan and Finland. The other Scandinavian country, Denmark, landed in 13th place.
31.10 - 01.11.2002: Comedian hit by death threats probably initiated by the PM of the Council of State: Comedian Otto Jespersen, whose ironical brand of humor has set off a national debate, was the target of death threats before his TV show Thursday evening. His boss has tied the threats to criticism of Jespersen by Norway's prime minister, who earlier was stung by Jespersen's jokes. TV2 boss Kaare Valebrokk told newspaper VG on Friday that he thinks it was "unwise" of Prime Minister of the Council of State, Kjell Magne Bondevik, to criticize Jespersen. Bondevik's criticism set off a debate that also has created enemies for Jespersen. Bondevik, a priest, publicly condemned, acted like the Pope and virtually excommunicated, the ironical well known comedian Jespersen and his biting, humor after last week's show, calling it mean and ill-natured, as well as suggesting that it promoted bullying. Valebrokk responded at the time by apologizing to Bondevik after Jespersen joked about Bondevik's mental health problems. Jespersen also had suggested that the only way to get rid of Bondevik was to invite to Norway the man tied to, but not convicted of, the assassination of Sweden's late prime minister Olof Palme.
Valebrokk conceded that Jespersen's monologue crossed the line a bit. Now, however, Valebrokk is defending Jespersen and taking seriously the death threats that have come in to TV2 and the comedian. "This is a boss' duty that I have to take seriously," Valebrokk said. One of the threats involved a bullet sent through the mail, while others came over the telephone. Both he and the producer of Jespersen's show, Knut Skodvin, think Bondevik's initial strong condemnation of Jespersen's monologue last week is what set off the controversy, and the subsequent death threats. Bondevik's comments carry a lot of weight, Skodvin told VG, which in turn sparked more reaction by the public. "It's amazing that Bondevik reduced himself to commenting on a humor program," Skodvin said. "That he even bothered." The controversy has only boosted the popularity of Jespersen's show. An estimated 1.3 million Norwegians watched Thursday night's program, roughly a quarter of the country's population.
04.11.2003: Public servant lives well on public funds - State councillor Victor Norman is being harshly criticized for defying his own department's rules. Just hours after apologizing for his lavish restaurant bills and other expensive percs, Norman faced new troubles. Now he's charged with a conflict of interest involving his former mistress, and for breaking Norway's tough anti-smoking law. Norman, who's in charge of the very department meant to enforce local labor laws and public administration, apologized to an assembled press corps for spending more than half-a-million Norwegian kroner at exclusive Oslo restaurants at taxpayer expense. The dinners, which he tried to justify as "representation" expenses, involved mostly his own staff, including the co-worker who was his mistress and now is his current girlfriend. Newspaper VG also had revealed that Norman demanded a piano and expensive stereo system for his public-funded flat in Oslo. Norman initially showed little regret for his expense account, telling VG that such percs were an important part of his lifestyle. After a meeting with Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, however, Norman changed his tune and turned repentant. Now he's turning his piano over to the department, giving up his Bang & Olufsen stereo system and reimbursing the public sector for the portion of his dinner bills that exceeded public sector limits.
Norman thus will hang on to his councillor post, at least for now. Opposition politicians, however, have voiced outrage over Norman's liberal use of taxpayer money at a time when budgets for public services are under constant attack. Revelations of Norman's disregard for moderation clearly have also embarrassed his fellow State councillors. Now he's also been rebuked by the president of the Storting because the woman with whom Norman has been romantically involved, Christine Meyer, was nominated for an important public sector research post. Neither Norman nor Meyer saw their relationship as posing a possible conflict of interest. "This was very unwise of both Norman and Meyer," the Storting's president, Joergen Kosmo, told newspaper VG. Norman also reportedly continued to ring up expensive restaurant bills even after public sector auditors told him he was breaking the rules last spring. He and two other public sector colleagues, Education councillor Kristin Clement and the councillor in charge of immigration and municipal sector, Erna Solberg, also have allegedly broken the public sector's ban against smoking in their offices. Cleaning personnel thus is threatening to boycott their quarters."I think it's a paradox that the head of the Labor and Administration Department violates his own department's rules," said employees ombudsman Rolf Einar Grette. NACO supports the ombudsman's point of view.
15.11.2003: The public budget for 2004. The co-operate council of state (cabinet), which relies on support from the opposition in parliament, made a major concession late this week when they withdraw a proposal to soften labor laws regulating part-time employment. The anarchosyndicalists and anarchists of the International Workers of the World in Norway (IWW/AI-N) had demanded the withdrawal of this new bad labor law. Pleased leaders of the Socialist Left (SV) and Labor (AP) parties called the withdrawal a "crushing defeat" for both the state council and labor councillor Victor Norman. The Anarchist Federation of Norway (AFIN) agreed. The withdrawal also eliminated the threat of a political strike next week.
It didn't stop the Labor Party, however, from continuing to play budget hardball. It called for a series of measures that the council of state swallowed 15.11.2003. The Anarchist Federation (AFIN) was pleased with this result that confirmed a) the anarchist, social-individualistical Norwegian system's place on the economical-political map at about 54% degrees of anarchy, and b) that the right-populist chaosmakers of Fremskrittspartiet (Progress Party - Fr.P) was put at place. This was stated in a press release from AFIN 15.11.2003. NACO of course agreed with both IWW/AI-N and AFIN in this matter.
Norman quits as councillor of the council of state. Victor D Norman, one of the state council coalition's most controversial councillors, stepped down on Monday 08.03.2004. He was replaced by Morten Andreas Meyer, a former vice-mayor of Hamar from the Conservative Party. Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik said he was grateful for Norman's contributions since the three-party coalition state council was formed in October 2001. Norman, Bondevik said, "came with a strong appeal" to resign, "and we decided we should honor it." Bondevik said he thought Norman's resignation was "sad," but Norman has sparked controversy during his tenure. He riled union leaders when he tried to liberalize various work rules in Norway and angered thousands of state workers when he decided to move entire public agencies out of the Oslo area. He landed in the hottest political water last fall, however, when it emerged that he'd used state funds to host dinners for colleagues at some of Oslo's most expensive restaurants. He also demanded questionably expensive trappings for his office and the state-paid flat he used in Oslo, and demanded that the state pay to move his piano from his home in Bergen. Last week he received a virtual slap on the wrist from politicians in parliament, and avoided more serious punishment for his use of public sector expense accounts. It's now expected he'll return to Bergen and the position he left as dean of the business school there. His successor, Meyer, currently is a 45-year-old consultant at accounting and consulting firm KPMG. He has been active in the Conservative Party in Hamar and was a high-ranking official in the state department for townships and regions from 2001 to 2003. Monday's state councillor change was the first since the current three-party coalition state council was formed after the last national elections in 2001. The resignation of Norman was especially recommended in the new year speach from NACO, and was very much welcomed by NACO and AFIN as well as IWW/AI-N.
The Stortings election in 2005 gave 87 mandates to the red and green alliance and 82 mandates to the other parties. The red and green alliance formed a new center-left council of state in October backed by the majority of the mandates. In 2007 this, a.o.t., had resulted in a slight left tendency on the economical-political map, however with no significant change in the degree of anarchy, (ca 54%, since 2002).
More news and information about the Anarchy of Norway, The International Anarchist Tribunal, etc. at the Anarchist International Information Service:
http://www.anarchy.no/anarchy/
Information about the Norwegian Anarchist Council (NACO) is found at:
http://www.anarchy.no/anarchy/naco.html
The Tampa case is discussed at:
http://www.anarchy.no/anarchy/ija131.html
The situations before and after the Stortings election in Norway 2001 are discussed in IJA 2(31) and IJA 3(31), available at:
http://www.anarchy.no/anarchy/ija231.html
http://www.anarchy.no/anarchy/ija331.html
The International Conference on Terrorism 2001, and related news are presented at:
http://www.anarchy.no/anarchy/ija431.html
The 30th Anniversary issue of International Journal of Anarchism is presented at:
http://www.anarchy.no/anarchy/ija531.html
The situation in Argentina is discussed in IJA 6(31):
http://www.anarchy.no/anarchy/ija631.html
The economical political map used for analysis is presented at:
http://www.anarchy.no/anarchy/a_e_p_m.html
General information about the International Journal of Anarchism, the mandate and history, at:
http://www.anarchy.no/anarchy/ija.html
More about anarchist policy for Norway (in Norwegian) is found at
http://www.anarchy.no/anarchy/dugnad.html
The full article "Anarki betyr demokrati", presented with a summary in VG 06.11.2001 is found at:
http://www.anarchy.no/anarchy/vg1html.html
The electronic issues of the International Journal of Anarchism are updated every time there are significant more informations about the different events and cases. But unless special cases, they are not redistributed by e-mail when they are updated. Also the IAT and other pages are updated almost every day. Thus, to be updated on the news and comments about anarchy, anarchist(s) and anarchism in different connections, it is necessary to visit the AIIS-web sites every day.
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