Measures. Two new patterns are emerging in the new blue-blue government's policy towards oppositional and power-critical voices in society:
One is that "they can manage themselves" – some assistance from the blue-blue should at least be made possible. The second pattern lies in the "grandiose thinking": The big ones can just as easily do the same as the small ones, picking up work tasks.
(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
We find these features in the proposals of the Right and Frp government for agricultural settlement (it is not so important if small sheep farms with hundreds of years of tradition are closed down, because it is cheaper with industrial agriculture and more compliant farmers).
We see this in the strategic plans for reorganizing press support, as daily and weekly newspapers (the large newspapers can "absorb" the perspectives of the smaller newspapers – which can then be closed down – then there will also be economies of scale in the press within statements and opinions).
We see it in cultural life (high-quality crime books should no longer be supported because they have "wrong" genres, it is said from the supreme pinnacle of power).
And we see it in the plans to eradicate civil society and the NGOs – as by cutting the annual information support, as Norway's new rulers have now announced they will do (instead of Attac, Changemaker and the Peace Council, the various state organizations will now instead inform and present themselves even better).
50 century. In sum, we are now steering towards a more compliant, single-track, market-driven and economically advantageous society. It is as if we are on our way back to the 1950s again. Once there was one meaning and it was best formulated by Haakon Lie. Instead of the diversity culture practiced by the red-green and the former Bondevik governments, there is now more simplicity. Not only is ethnic diversity affected, but also some of the cornerstones of modern Norwegian society: "Norwegian values" are now under attack.
When such a sometimes fanatical 80's ideology is connected with a problematic relationship to freedom of expression (we have a Minister of Justice who this autumn encouraged people to burn his local newspaper Tønsberg Blad – he disagreed with something there). And when the most honest politicians in the government parties say what they think about the Church of Norway having humane perspectives (FRP has called the church's humanism for asylum seekers "left-wing" and signaled that it should stop – a bit like China has signaled what they think the government should say about imprisoned dissidents).
And when the FRP deputy leader also puts pressure on the Royal House, with criticism of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess that they are too preoccupied with climate measures, talk and humanity – implying that they are too much SV- and too little FRP-like), the pattern becomes a larger, cohesive patchwork quilt – which is not a particularly beautiful sight.
It is as if the current government does not like criticism – that is probably why it is so difficult to get an answer from the state apparatus at the moment – as when it comes to the tax increase of 40 percent to organic farmers. It is the FRP that stands for, the party that gets over 90 percent of its income from taxpayers' money – most of all. But the money for themselves they will not do anything with – while the young people in Spire are given priority to suffocate before they reach the sprout stage.
In the Aftenposten on Wednesday it was stated how the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should cut the support to the aforementioned civil society organizations. Attac is set to cut 2 of 3 posts from the New Year. In practice, the watchdog role and these NGOs' ability to continue their important social missions becomes impossible. What's next: Should the NGOs have to apply for money from Sweden and the US instead. And then get the message from the Right / Frp that they have to present themselves as "foreign agents" every time they say something, since they do not get any of the authorities in their home country?
Voters should know what they did when voting these illiberal powers into government offices. The campaign against the information support started Right last summer. Then Peter Skovholt Gitmark (H) said: “Look at an organization like Attac, whose main purpose is to be critical of globalization. It's like working against gravity. ”
Is there anything we need, then can anyone just challenge gravity. An Einstein who could count on finding weightless places in the universe as well. That's how the United States got to the moon, Gitmark.
In Attac's case, they have been fighting for Tobin tax since the late 90s. After the financial crisis in 2008-09, taxation on financial transactions has become somewhat welcomed by a number of conservative finance ministers with respect for themselves. In the case of Attac, the challenge is not that they were wrong, but that they were too right.
However, this should not be an argument for putting down or sacking frivolous and clear-sighted people. We need more people who want to work against gravity, against power and against a systematic pursuit of other thinking. Long live info support.