Every nation has its nationalistic pride. Iceland’s has been badly hit.
We have been badly exposed. The country took pride in its businessmen roaming the earth, buying toy-stores, Bugatti Veyrons and especially everything they could get their hands on in Denmark. But they weren’t smarter or more hard-working than other nations’ businessmen. They were just a little bit dirtier and had a naive system in a naive country they could manipulate.
The hope and joy that we were given has been crushed. They trashed the place and now we have to clean up.
Lessons should be learned. If things smell like a rat, then it probably is. If proven democracies and fair journalists criticise us, we should listen. When two economists argue, ask yourself who you would trust your children with.
We are not smarter and better and more hardworking than other nations. We are stupid enough to accept that the national university allows professors and students to plagarise and cheat if they are members of the right party. We are so incredibly stupid that we work 20-30% more than most of our neighbors with less to show for it because we are the only country in the world that thinks price-indexation is a brilliant thing.
Why haven’t any other countries taken up the price-indexation? Boy, are they missing out on some fun stuff!
Everywhere you go, people are crushed, tired and angry. Except around members of the government. They would have us believe that everything is under control and there is no need to panic. But panic is not nearly here. It will manifest itself in people fleeing the country, people ceasing paying their bills, people not being able to take care of their families, and God forbid, some people taking their lives.
If that is not a realistic scenario then you are not paying attention. Things can, and likely will if nothing drastic happens, get worse. And then it will not matter whether you hail from a special place on Earth, speak a unique languague or have an unpronouncable last name. You will seek a new and different home where you have a chance of a future.
And your children will be filled with some other nation’s stupid pride.
But we are the best country in the world with the strongest men, most beautiful women, cleanest water etc and so on ad nausea.
We will know the names of the folks that take their lives and we will also never forget the names of the assholes responsible for same.