The death of Harald Beyer-Arnesen

by Andrew - Anarkismo Wed May 18, 2005 20:54

I'm was sad to hear of Haralds death not least because I have been meaning to send a personal email to Harald for the previous couple of weeks (in connection with writing for Anarkismo) and simply didn't find time to do so. Harald contributed to the two post S11 pamphlets I edited and published under the title 'Against War and Terror'.

Harald stayed with me twice on visits he made to Ireland and both online and in the flesh he had a real unique contribution to make to any discussion. It is a pity so much of it was in emails - at least in English I'm not aware of that many articles that he wrote - below are some I have found online. There are more (but not online) in back issues of Libertarian Labour Review

Interview: Syndicalism in Norway (1993)
http://www.syndicalist.org/archives/llr14-24/14e.shtml

The BALKAN WAR and leftist apologetics for the Milosovic regime
http://www.ainfos.ca/99/may/ainfos00083.html

Direct Action: Towards an Understanding of a Concept
http://www.zabalaza.net/pdfs/varpams/direct_action_hba.pdf

Capitalist Terror and Madness; George bin Laden & Osama son of Bush incorporated

The modern schizophrenia of Islamic integralism - an anarchist view
http://struggle.ws/issues/war/afghan/pamwt/wt2/islamintro.html

If people come across any more please add them here

Harald was one of the early members of the Organise list. The last mail he sent to this list was on April 27, I reproduce it below.

I think the obvious answer to that is, yes. If we are to keep some distance from the world of religious dogma, most points to that the late Karl Marx was was ambigious, and non-consistent on the subject-matter, ... being neither God nor Satan. I also find it far more historical accurate, however anachronistic, to say that the authoritarian traits of the man were, primarily of a social-democratic, and not of a Leninist kind. That is also the de facto historical record of the parties which Karl Marx, as well as Frederick Engels gave their more or less qualified political support, as for instance the PSOE, Partido (Democrático) Socialista Obrero Espanol. The question has nothing to do with being anti-Marxist, pro-Marxist or just simply, as I prefer, non-marxist.

The easiest thing in the world is to find both authoritarian and libertarian aspects in the writings of the above mentioned 19th century theorist. In my opinion, not at all being able to see also the later, is a form of self-deception - paradoxically shared by Leninism -- not at all helpful for the advance of libertarian thought. In fact, far more likely to serve various forms of authorianism, however unintended.

Harald

by Lars - ? Wed May 18, 2005 22:19

Harald Beyer-Arnesen was one of the prominent members of the now defunct, or at least invisible, "Folkemakt" (people's power) that still is mentioned in Nico's Norway page. I think the group grew out of the late 80s politicizing of the Norwegian squatters' (danish comrades will know the term bz'ere) movement. At that time the movement shifted into a sharp antifascist platform, with mobilizing against neo-nazis, apartheid and police brutality.

Some of those aligned with Folkemakt was and are still among the sharpest intellectuals of this movement, and at the same time street militants. Although I mostly saw Beyer-Arntsen as a theorist more than activist, I know that for many of these young activists he was very important.

Maybe needless to say, I have many disagreements towards the tendency that Beyer-Arntsen represented. However, I believe the description given below gives him justice.

Best regards
Lars Akerhaug, Oslo

by Mitch Fri May 20, 2005 09:55 wsany at hotmail dot com

Comrades,
By way of personal comment, I first started communicating with Harald in the early 1990s when he first started to come on to the scene (through his publication "The Wage Slave"). I remember how some anarcho-syndicalists in Norway were pissed off at the WSA for having any communication with him. He wasn't "cleared" through them. I found this to be a bit harsh as Harald was about as gentle a person as one could meet. He also never had a bad word to say about people, including those in Norway who criticsed him.

Over the years Harald was always a welcomed guest at our home and in the WSA office. As a houseguest Mary Ann and I were appreciative of his thoughtfulness and his consideration of his surrondings.

While I surely did not always agree with everything Harald wrote or said, I admired his capacity to absorb a wide variey of ideas and write about them. As one who is extrmely interested in workers history, I must credit Harald for his desire to look at elements of anarcho-syndicalist history in and write about them. In particular his ability to write about the Scandanavian and German movements as his knowledge of the languages were crtical.

As far as I can tell, Harald always tried to find a balance in how he approached issues. He always tried to find the best in all, even when he was critical of certain aspects of that person's or organization's behavor.Ok, sometimes he got a bit into trying to micromanage a situation, but he always had the best of intentions.

I would say that the best rememberance we can have of Harald is a willingness to seek out the best in comrades. In a day and age when when a certain "road rage" exists between some comrades and certain organizations seem to be imbloding, perhaps a bit of Harald's spirit of finding a right balance would do.

With fond rememberance and comradeship.

by Jonas Bals - frihetlig.org Mon May 30, 2005 19:31 jonasbals at gmail dot com

Harald Beyer-Arnesen is dead, at the age of 52. Shortly after this year’s 1st of May-celebrations, Harald’s heart suddenly gave up, in what we later learned was a heart attack. What would he have said, had he known that his friends and comrades now sat in grief, trying to write down some words of remembrance? We suspect he would have replied in line with what Joe Hill once said to his Swedish friend, when asked of biographical information as the firing squad lined up outside his prison cell: ´We shall not ruin the fine letter paper in writing such trash. The only time for me is the present. I am a citizen of the world and I was born on a planet called the Earth. … I do not have much to say about my own person. I shall only say that I have always tried to do the little that I could to advance Freedom’s Banner a little closer to its goal.ª

But we didn’t always agree with Harald, and we want to spend both paper, ink and tears for a moment of remembrance. Not only because we lost such a good friend and fellow worker, but also because there is so much inspiration to pass on from Harald’s long — but far too short — involvement in the libertarian socialist movement of Oslo, Norway, Europe and beyond.

Through the medium of the internet, as a traveller, as writer, translator and activist, Harald has contributed to several projects since he first became active as an anarchist in the early 1980s. The messages, condolances and expressions of sorrow we have received from all over the world, is a sign as clear as any of the empty space Harald will leave behind, and that he will be missed even by those who were never fortunate enough to have known him in flesh and blood. His participation was usually appreciated even by those who disagreed heavily with him, a result not only of the scope of his knowledge, but also due to the fact that he always treated his adversaries with respect and interest.

Most people got to know Harald through the projects he was involved in: From the struggle against the dam projects in the Sami territories of northern Norway in the early 80s, via his activities as a shop floor militant at the Freia factory in Oslo and at different nursing homes later that decade, to projects like the magazine Loennsslaven (the Wage Slave), the organisation Folkemakt, and until his death, as co-editor of Anarcho-Syndicalist Review and in the forthnightly discussion forum Frihetlig Forum. For many of us, places and projects like this marked the beginning of a warm friendship. That said, Harald managed to make enemies as well, both as a writer and as a wage slave — all the more a reson why we were so many fellow workers and anarchist comrades present at his funeral.

The closest Harald ever came to a motto in his life, was the old wobbly slogan of the Industrial Workers of the World, ´An injury to one is an injury to all.ª It expressed his deeply felt conviction that freedom — the full development of all material, intellectual and moral forces latent in each of us — evolves from human community, not isolation; and that solidarity is the foundation of freedom. That the freedom of our neighbours is the precondition and the confirmation of our own freedom, was for Harald not only the expression of a rational vision, but a moral one as well. It was what drove him, in that double natured task of anarchism, simultanously fanning the flames of discontent and laying the foundations for a more rational, peaceful and good-humoured world.

Mayday 2005 was to become Harald Beyer-Arnesen’s last. It was also the last anyone of us saw of him. After half heartedly, laughing and headshaking, participating in this year’s labour circus in Oslo — 2005 is election year in Norway — we went together to the centrally located prison in the East End of the city, where the young squatters had arranged a puppet theater for the prisoners above the prison walls. Thereafter we sat in the sun, drinking beer and talking, happy to still be amongst those on the outside of those very same walls. In the late afternoon, Harald left for what was to be his last political meeting. The theme for that meeting was our possibilities of creating new kinds of worker organisations, and bringing about a labour movement worthy of the name. Had Harald lived for just one day, my guess is it would have been like that.

Jonas Bals

by jindrich lukas - -1155;collectively against capital (former ora.solidarity) Wed Jun 01, 2005 05:27 intersec at solidarita dot org http://alarm.solidarita.org

... can be found here:

http://alarm.solidarita.org/index.php?id=493

by Andrew - Anarkismo Mon Jun 13, 2005 19:43

We have now added Haralds essay 'Direct action the meaning of the term' to Anarkismo.net