Kristjana Björg Sveinsdóttir, a teacher in Iceland, recently wrote an op-ed in an Icelandic news publication. I discovered the article when many of my countrymen shared the link on facebook and expressed, with great enthusiasm, how much they agreed with her point of view. The title of the piece of writing is 'Iceland! Only for the rich'. This is a clever, controversial and thought provoking title; the article itself is ten fold that. It is a good summary of what the majority of Icelanders are talking about at their kitchen tables every night with their spouses, in the canteen with their colleagues and at the pubs with their friends.The article, I believe, was written as a response to the numerous articles in Icelandic media about nurses, doctors, lawyers, teachers and builders emigrating to Scandinavia. According to reports, 380 Icelanders have moved to Norway in the second quarter of 2011. This is a hefty number, for such a small nation. Sveinsdóttir captures the nations sentiment when she opens the article by asking the rhetorical question of weather Icelandic people can continue to afford residing in their own country. She then brings up the question that rides upon every politically conscious person, and that is the battle between the ruling (rich) elite and the struggle for power, and survival, of the ordinary working citizen. Classic, 101 Marxist theory, of course, but never to be underestimated. Hurrah to Sveinsdóttir, and here is to the solidarity and continued fight (revolution?) of the people of Iceland to make a better nation for themselves and for the future.
The original article can be found here: http://www.visir.is/island,-einungis-fyrir-audmenn!/article/2011708049995?fb_ref=under%3Bunder%3Bunder%3Btop&fb_source=home_oneline . However, I (lazily) ran i through Google translate and will reproduce it in English here:
Have we afford to live longer in Iceland? This question must be burned in many of their citizens. The development of the economy in this country is of great concern for families and come out of proportion to the cost of living in Iceland today. It does not need experts to come to this conclusion, this is what we see everywhere you look. The average working person does no longer make ends meet and the loss of Icelandic families seems no end will be.
It is sad that it appears to be no satisfactory vision in the formulation of government services for workers in the country, and though it is available to the public debt was and is still around because of the crash are himinháar are real consequences of the collapse of the people in the country still In many respects, very vague. The layout is black to say the least and unfortunately it is a fact that the exodus from the country is still increasing dramatically.
The group of people most likely to end the run is well-educated people who do not receive wages in accordance with the work that it has made up with many years of college and struggle to achieve their goals in life. For these people, the costs become too great to live in Iceland. With these people go and entire families left behind families who often are in the older wing and would have liked to have his descendants near it. Not all chipper and come to the grave consequences of the collapse remains to be seen. Can such anyone imagine how the Icelandic society will look like in 10 years?
Have we afford to continue living here? Many now come to the conclusion that it's not. People who were "honest way" to see their families support themselves and have a payout in apartments, is now left with huge losses and has to accept that everything streðið to come under his feet was meaningless in economic terms. The result of all It is more difficult, and no mutant loans, student loans and unfavorable external conditions are a heavy burden on families, where the salary normally teldust acceptable, no longer suffice to discharge the pack comfortable. struggle has become a big question mark and it is very discouraging for the individual to put themselves under these circumstances. The vision is limited, and in the community, there is increasingly at war and disruption. People do not just have to accept that in many cases have lost their savings as it worked to hard, but occurs extraordinary injustice where some get write-offs and others do not and the choice of the government on who can get write-offs seem a coincidence and luck are the decision makers. The situation, already bizarre, deteriorates steadily and reward middle-class people do not work anymore for minimum expenditure. It is Unfortunately, the fact that this class is to fall into a group of poor people in the community. The purpose of Harkin's seen the problems, whether looking back or forward and easy to understand why middle class exodus grows continually.
The loss after the crash was enormous, but it has drawn from her óhug is that apparently no limits. Loss of the population is, among other things increasingly unfavorable living conditions, continued corruption and lack of vision. Government has failed the very important role in giving people hope for a fair progress, harmony and development of welfare in this country and the only thing obvious is the continuing loss of people in the country.
Is not a long time for a new revolution?
It is sad that it appears to be no satisfactory vision in the formulation of government services for workers in the country, and though it is available to the public debt was and is still around because of the crash are himinháar are real consequences of the collapse of the people in the country still In many respects, very vague. The layout is black to say the least and unfortunately it is a fact that the exodus from the country is still increasing dramatically.
The group of people most likely to end the run is well-educated people who do not receive wages in accordance with the work that it has made up with many years of college and struggle to achieve their goals in life. For these people, the costs become too great to live in Iceland. With these people go and entire families left behind families who often are in the older wing and would have liked to have his descendants near it. Not all chipper and come to the grave consequences of the collapse remains to be seen. Can such anyone imagine how the Icelandic society will look like in 10 years?
Have we afford to continue living here? Many now come to the conclusion that it's not. People who were "honest way" to see their families support themselves and have a payout in apartments, is now left with huge losses and has to accept that everything streðið to come under his feet was meaningless in economic terms. The result of all It is more difficult, and no mutant loans, student loans and unfavorable external conditions are a heavy burden on families, where the salary normally teldust acceptable, no longer suffice to discharge the pack comfortable. struggle has become a big question mark and it is very discouraging for the individual to put themselves under these circumstances. The vision is limited, and in the community, there is increasingly at war and disruption. People do not just have to accept that in many cases have lost their savings as it worked to hard, but occurs extraordinary injustice where some get write-offs and others do not and the choice of the government on who can get write-offs seem a coincidence and luck are the decision makers. The situation, already bizarre, deteriorates steadily and reward middle-class people do not work anymore for minimum expenditure. It is Unfortunately, the fact that this class is to fall into a group of poor people in the community. The purpose of Harkin's seen the problems, whether looking back or forward and easy to understand why middle class exodus grows continually.
The loss after the crash was enormous, but it has drawn from her óhug is that apparently no limits. Loss of the population is, among other things increasingly unfavorable living conditions, continued corruption and lack of vision. Government has failed the very important role in giving people hope for a fair progress, harmony and development of welfare in this country and the only thing obvious is the continuing loss of people in the country.
Is not a long time for a new revolution?
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