Even though…

Even though I didn’t attend the protests downtown yesterday, it doesn’t mean that I don’t want the government to resign.

Even though I attended the protest a couple of weeks ago it doesn’t mean that I am a left-wing radical.

Even though I haven’t called Geir Haarde personally to tell him I am not happy with his job-performance doesn’t mean that I am not.

Even though I wrote Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir an email in August telling her that there was a recession looming, it doesn’t mean that she has answered the email.

On August 29 I wrote to her a letter in response to her comments in Vidskiptabladid that people shouldn’t talk irresponsibly about a recession looming. I first explained to her how I lost two jobs this year and the reasons businesses were laying off in hordes. Then I wrote this(note that this was just after the government crowded the stage where the national handball-team was beeing greeted back from winning silver in the Olympics and just after it was revealed that the Minister of Health was fishing with one of Baugur’s heads before the REI fiasco last year):

My girlfriend and I bought an apartment two years ago. It was not an expensive apartment, and we are fiscally responsible people. We have not afforded stocks or fancy world-travel although we have managed to buy ourselves a couple of cups of coffee every week. Our home payments have risen 20 thousand in one year and the capital is rising fast. If that wasn’t enough, all necessities cost a lot more than a year ago.

The reality my friends and I, college-educated men and women around thirty are facing is that it is almost unbearable to live in Iceland. Prices and inflation prevent us from ever being able to own anything. My younger siblings, college educated work from dusk to dawn but are a long way away from being able to afford an apartment. Those who were lucky and were able to buy a couple of years ago are fleeing their homes back to their parents so they can rent theirs out.

My girlfriend has left for the UK to study and I am inclined to follow suit. My brother is considering moving to Italy and my sister is looking towards S-Africa. Our friends have moved to Ireland, others to Denmark and even a couple to China. It is hard to imagine any of those people thinking it viable to come back in the foreseeable future to this economy that I would liken to a rollercoaster with the wheels loose.

I think many around me feel that politicians are not in touch with reality today. Neither those who are middle aged and own their homes and price-indexed savings in the bank, nor young politicians who can count on their parties getting them jobs on the behalf of taxpayers.

I ask as a voter after reading your comment in Vidskiptabladid, what is the government’s plan, apart from crowding in front of our handball-team and going fishing with Baugur?

Sincerely

Dadi Rafnsson