Prominent Norwegians such as Kristin Halvorsen, Mads Gilbert and Erik Fosse are not actually doing anything new. They are merely part of a political tradition of the Norwegian left-wing which stretches back to at least the 1930-ies. One of the authors to deal with this aspect of Norwegian political history is Øystein Sørensen, who in his 1983 book “From Marx to Quisling” tells the remarkable tale of how five prominent socialists defected to what until then had been the archenemy – the National Socialists (NS) of Vidkun Quisling. The five socialists were:
Eugene Olaussen, “Norway’s first real communist”, who introduced Norway to Marx only later to become “a glowing disciple of Vidkun Quisling”. Olaussen was the editor of Klassekampen for a decade and sat in Parliament first for Labor and then for Norway’s Communist Party (NKP).
Sverre Krogh, a prominent leader figure of Arbeiderpartiets Ungdomsforbund – the Labor Youth Council. Krogh was also the editor of the newspaper Arbeidet (The work/job) in Bergen. Like Olaussen, Krogh sat in Parliament first for Labor and then for Norway’s Communist Party (NKP).
Halvard Olsen, foreman for Norsk Jern-og metallarbeiderforbund – Norwegian Iron-and Steel workers Association for seven years, after which he led LO (TUC) for a decade.
Albin Eines, a newspaperman who served as editor for among other Ny Tid – New era and NKP’s main newspaper Norges Kommunistblad – Norway’s Communist Magazine.
Håkon Meyer, a theoretician on left-wing of Labor up to 1940. Meyer was the first forman of the Labor Youth Council after Labor broke of relations with Komintern in 1923.
As Sørensen writes, these five were not typical of the Norwegian left-wing. Nor were they the only ones to do what they did, left-wingers swarmed to the Swastika all over Europe. They were not evil incarnate, and some of them helped Norwegian Jews escape to Sweden, which remained neutral throughout the war. They were prominent, intelligent men who saw their beloved revolution in Quisling’s NS movement. How is this possible? Sørensen identifies six ideological aspects which are shared by the left-wing and right-wing socialists:
1. Anti-parliamentarianism: Both schools reject majority rule. Sørensen points out how Eugene Olaussen already in 1928 declared what government received legitimacy from being right, not from support from a majority of the population.
2. Anti-capitalism: Capitalism is an economic system which oppresses the people, or has the potential to oppress them if left unregulated. Sørensen writes: “Just in the same way as parliamentary democracy is a political disguise for capitalism, liberalism provides ideological legitimacy to capitalism.”
3. Social justice: Søresen writes “Against the social inequality and squalor, one desires to see a society where all are guaranteed a socially just division of society’s goods.
4. Collectivism: The interests of the people must be given priority. The rights of the individual are of secondary importance.
5. Revolution: In both strains of socialism the revolution is regarded as a necessity.
6. Socialism: Both strains of socialism regard the socialist society to be the most justifiable society.
Socialism and Islam
The screen-shot below is from the communist daily Klassekampen, which Eugene Olaussen edited in his day. The men we see are Erik Fosse and Trond Ali Lindstad. Both have, in word and in deed, demonstrated their commitment to some or all of the values Sørensen identifies above. Is Islam somehow similar to socialism? In some ways, it may be. But then again, so may Christianity.
The problem with muslim fundamentalists is of course not that they are muslim – it is that they are Quislings.
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