From: Nils Christie
Date: Sun, Dec 29, 2013 at 1:50 PM
Subject: Friends of Ivan
Dear friends of Ivan, and of Hedda and me.
I have been working with questions of development recently, its dubious benefits. And then of course, Ivan appears in my thoughts. And with him you all; Barbara, Silja and Matthias, and further off to Feodor in East and Jutta and David in the West. I have so many good memories from rich encounters we have had.
But why work on development?
Because of overdevelopment. This little society has been severely hit by affluence. It has not been good for us that we found oil. We are tempted to believe we can manage our lives independent of other human beings. We have a political party here named “Fremskrittspartiet”, – the Progress Party. I argue for an alternative party. I call my party “Tilbakeskrittspartiet.” The party for stepping backwards.
I fear we are losing one of our most important fortunes; the trust in other people. On international studies, we are generally rated as being at the top in trusting others (naiveté it is also called). But independence creates distance to others. Distance is an enemy of trust. We will need “experts” to compensate. When neighbourhoods, kept together by close associations between those that live there, become anomic, experts on social control take over.
But we are of course envied by most of the world. One consequence of our wealth is an extreme influx of foreigners. Immigrants are a blessing, – but as a river, not a flood. Is it in this situation possible to preserve a national identity? I happen to like that identity, – it was this one that made our welfare state possible. I do also think it is easier to raise defences against the wild forms of capitalism from small, easily over-viewed systems than from the large systems so difficult to see and understand.
* * *
As to other aspects of life: Hedda is in full job as a professor of Criminology. I have of course been pensioned since long. I hate the title of “emeritus”, who knows if I am, but enjoy not being responsible for teaching, and especially not to examine students, and instead having time for writing and participating in the public debate.
Some health problems are inevitable at my age. A leg would not follow my commands some months ago, and forced me on crutches. But two or three weeks ago I could tear them away, and now I am back on the bike! And what a bike! An electric one! The pedals are there for use, but if needed, a little engine to one of the wheels give me the extra push I need. Other bikers will often not observe the little engine, and I have to tell them that I cheat, this to prevent their depression when the old man passes them uphill.
And I can continue on my bike also these days. The catastrophic development of the heating of the globe has kept snow completely away from Oslo. It is as in Italy. We were there some weeks ago, invited by Beppe Grillo, the “clown” (they call him so) who attempts to change Italy. He got 25 % of all votes at last election. He had read one of my books, just translated to Italian (A suitable amount of crime) and wanted me to participate. I could not resist. The greatest audience I have ever had, 100 000 at the place of victory, build by Mussolini. He was to receive the applause from here, if he had not been hanged. But now it was Beppe and Dario Fo and me and some I have forgotten. We all talked from a huge platform. It was a great experience. I attach what I said, and some other speeches, if I find them.
Then one more thing: Thanks for all good encounters I have had with and from you all,
Jan 13, 2014, 6:30 PM
to Nils
Dear Nils,
How good to receive the letter you sent just after Christmas. I enjoyed both papers you attached, especially the longer one, Beyond the Obvious, where you had a little more chance to develop your argument. The Beppe Grillo event sounds quite remarkable. I had only a superficial Canadian newspaper level knowledge of his movement, when we got your letter, so we looked him up, but even from more extensive sources on-line, I'm still not sure I've completely grasped its nature. Perhaps it's somewhat ambiguous, as so many populist phenomena are. I'm sure, at least, that his followers can only have benefited from your counsel.
I don't know if it will reassure you at all, but winter has been pretty old-fashioned in Toronto this year: snow, a fairly damaging ice-storm around Christmas time which left many people without electricity, as falling branches knocked out power lines, and extreme cold in early January. Now a thaw has hit, but the city still somewhat resembles a skating rink.
Silya Samerski wrote just the other day and suggested that she, or I should be interviewing what she called witnesses to Ivan's life and time - she mentioned particularly you, Theodor and Majid. I think this is a good idea, and, with the approval of the witnesses, I may try to do it - with Silya or by myself - when I'm next in Europe. Sajay and Samar, when I last spoke to them, were planning to convene a gathering of friends in northern Italy in late June. Perhaps we could entice you and the other elders there.
My hopes for the year just beginning involve my getting to grips with this book about Ivan's life and thought that I have been talking about, working up to, and walking around. The first year of retirement allowed me a wonderful freedom to explore many of the paths that CBC-work had been kept me from following. Now it's time to begin stalking Ivan in a much more focused way.
Fri, Apr 18, 2014, 3:34 PM
to me
Dear David,
Fine that you phoned. I had not opened the mail for some days, struggling with a resistant article. I think the system for what in English literature is called "restorative justice" is endangered by its success. Many want to use these boards in the service of the penal system. It will kill the system. I attach the manuscript, finished yesterday. Now I am back to life and repeat what Hedda certainly said; some changes in the dates for your arrival does not matter at all! But tell us, when you know, so that the table will be set, for talks and other pleasures!