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Old 10-10-2008, 07:02 PM   #1
ATYT
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Default An apology from Icelanders

http://anapologyfromicelanders.blogspot.com/

Thursday, October 9, 2008

We are truly sorry

We, members of the Icelandic nation, are truly sorry for the problems we have caused, and plead guilty with an explanation.

Apart from a brief interlude during the era of the Vikings, we have pretty much kept to ourselves, sitting on a rock in the middle of the ocean.

During the last 3 decades of last century we managed to build up a fairly nice and open economy, where everyone had equal opportunity to succeed, get educated, get taken care of if they got sick, with politicians which were unable to do much damage as everyone pretty much agreed how things should be.

We were given access to the European Economic Area in the early 90's, which was generally regarded as the diet version of the European Union, where we would become members shortly.

This gave us access to the European markets, opened up the free flow of finance, gave our best and brightest the opportunity to go forth and seek their fortune in foreign lands, and for a while things worked fine.

Some of our eccentric quirks turned out to be good PR, and Björk and Sigur Rós suddenly became famous. Our smarter side was put to use in creating successful high technology products, where we enabled people that had lost legs to run in the Olympics, other people to play massively multiplayer online games and we suddenly found that we could create stuff that worked, was useful and people all over the world were willing to buy.

So we didn't pay as much attention to our politicians as we should have, who seemed mired in the politics of the last century, not of the century to come.

That turned out to be a big mistake, one which will cost us dearly.

In their squabbles for domestic power, blatant pandering to their own constituents, and general ineptness (in their defence, they're not well paid), they kept on with business as usual, while a handful of businessmen - and their cronies - started business unusual.

The privatisation of our banks was handled by the politicians in the usual manner, with one bank going to members in good standing of the long-ruling Independence Party, and the other to members in good standing of the equally long-ruling Progressive Party (which nagging tongues claim is neither).

Since we were used to lax regulation, so as not to hinder the political parties to give tidbits to their members, we didn't really put in place a pesky regulatory scheme to keep checks and balances on the entire system, and the schemes we put in place were ignored when needed.

The newly privatised banks were quickly turned into international powerhouses, fueled by cheap loans, mostly foreign. The third bank, which was private to begin with, also took advantage of cheap loans to grow.

Meanwhile, we used the Icelandic Central Bank as a retirement home for politicians we needed to get rid of from the political scene, as throughout the history of the Central Bank it had never really needed to do anything and therefore was considered to be a safe place to store them, maintaining their delusion of grandeur and allowing them to double dip into their pensions while still being on the government payroll.

Before we knew it the owners of the three banks had broken faith with the rest of us, refused to travel with us, pay taxes with us or live amongst us, preferring to live in London and fly up occasionally in their private jets, and while here drive around in Bentleys and Range Rovers, which they apparently impulse bought - all black, unless it was for the wife, then white.

They were careful to spread the wealth, hiring lots of people at 3 to 30 times normal wages, sponsored concerts of international stars and seemed to have unlimited opportunities. Before this, the only major concerts we'd seen were Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin in the early 70s, Smokie in the late 70's, one Clash concert in the early 80s and a tour of the Israeli guys from the Eurovision song contest who sang the Hubba Hulle Hulle Hulle song.

So we were dazzled.

Our prime minister got into occasional fights with the nouveau riche, who - after buying all the media companies (and adding some more) - explained that he was just jealous.

The prime minister got sick, nearly lost an election, and was put out to pasture as the Head Honcho of the Icelandic Central Bank, a process we had used before with little damage.

So when it turned out that the couple of handful of super-rich Londoners had in effect built a Ponzi scheme, we were ill equipped to deal with it.

The chief of the Central Bank was the politician that hadn't wanted to put in place all the pesky rules and regulations when he privatized the banking system. He had run a relaxed and lax oversight system.

Our new prime minister is the former second in command of the politician in the Central Bank, and it is not clear to us - or to him - or to the politician in the central bank whether the changing of the guard has really taken place.

Our finance minister is a veterinarian who lost internal elections in his party to a guy recently convicted of fraud involving public funds.

Our foreign minister, the only person in Icelandic politics strong enough to stand up to the old guard, was diagnoced with benign cancer in the brain and was rushed into surgery in New York and banned from travelling for a few weeks, so she is out of action.

So when the whole scheme imploded due to the international credit crunch, we didn't really know what hit us.

Suddenly all of our banks failed.

Suddenly we found out that we - as a nation - were responsible for sizable sums that the super rich had gotten people in other nations to deposit with them, without having asked us for permission.

We suddenly found that it was generally not a good idea to have on the front line people who had been selected to be there due to their quality of seeming harmless.

People who are so overwhelmed by the position they're in that they cannot even do the obvious and inevitable; say they're sorry and ask for help.

People who are willing to go to Putin's Russia to bail us out - that bastion of civilization, human rights and good will to all men.

So for that, the damage this has caused, the money lost, and the misery caused, we'd like to say:

We're sorry, please help.

P.S. The super rich have left in their private jets. You'll find them in London - with their, our and parts of your wealth.
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Old 10-10-2008, 07:13 PM   #2
Swanny
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Default Re: An apology from Icelanders

No worries mate it's not the people of Icelands fault
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Old 10-10-2008, 07:17 PM   #3
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Default Re: An apology from Icelanders

Hey there, no problem friends

***** happens

Peace and love

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Old 10-10-2008, 07:31 PM   #4
izz
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Default Re: An apology from Icelanders

hello ATYT
Thank you for that message, but it was not your fault.
It is a big concern though - particularly the private investors and the charities taht have lost millions .. the cats protection fund alone has lost 15 millions pounds and the government will not give them that money back.

The foolish idiots that invested well over a billion of tax payers money have obviously lost that - we the tax payers cannot afford to repay that amount ..


it is a big deal - but it is not your fault .. it is the fault of the idiots in britain who invested the money - the politicians who should have made sure they invested in low risk finds and yes of course the icelandic movers and opportunists who as you say probably live in London.

Peace
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Old 10-10-2008, 07:43 PM   #5
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Default Re: An apology from Icelanders

It wasn't your bank (I presume), but it is your economy, as it ours, globally speaking. We are all in the same ship........The dutchies weren't that ok also in the past. No hard feelings! Take good care of yourself en your fellow-icelanders.
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Old 10-10-2008, 07:52 PM   #6
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Default Re: An apology from Icelanders

Quote:
Originally Posted by Swamisalami View Post
It wasn't your bank (I presume), but it is your economy, as it ours, globally speaking. We are all in the same ship........The dutchies weren't that ok also in the past. No hard feelings! Take good care of yourself en your fellow-icelanders.
The fault lies with the American and European banks, lending money to people that couldn't possibly pay it back, Iceland is a victim of this, just like the rest of us.
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Old 10-10-2008, 07:54 PM   #7
ATYT
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Default Re: An apology from Icelanders

I found this and shared with all you, I am not the author, i found it to be the way that i feel, indeed it is not the fault of the Icelandic people, or the North American, or the European or the Asian, or the South Americans, or the Oceanic people... but the fault of the Global Elite. but i forgive even them.
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Old 10-10-2008, 08:06 PM   #8
Inkoze
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Default Re: An apology from Icelanders

ATYT

Your heart and eyes r full of love.
You see clearly.
And feel deeply.

Peace
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Old 10-10-2008, 08:16 PM   #9
peacelovinman
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Default Re: An apology from Icelanders

The blame lies with us all. We must face up to the personal responsibility and begin to put things right.
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Old 10-10-2008, 08:36 PM   #10
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Default Re: An apology from Icelanders

no appologie need mate
safe to say we are all enlightend people here

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Old 10-10-2008, 08:39 PM   #11
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Default Re: An apology from Icelanders

peacelovinman

i agree with you completely,sadly it seems people are all too willing to look past that fact
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Old 10-10-2008, 08:40 PM   #12
calico
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Default Re: An apology from Icelanders

I do hope that you unburdened. You are amongst friends. Don't stay in the position of Mea Culpa, but I do so honor your feelings! Do not take responsibility for something that you did not do. Figure it out, focus and do the right things!

Love!
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Old 10-10-2008, 09:15 PM   #13
Jeff
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Default Re: An apology from Icelanders

peacelovinman, I'm trying to say this respectfully; I have a hard time accepting personal responsibility for what is happening. I certainly did not profit from any of these global financial machinations. I would never have chosen for this to happen. It seems to me that taking responsibility for the crimes of others doesn't solve the problem and actually lets the guilty get away with what they have done.

I feel my personal responsibility lies in what I do with all of this. When I read about what was happening in Iceland, I felt sick inside for the people. I hate the fact that so many people in the country I live in, contributed to this collapse. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I feel a kinship and a brotherhood with those in Iceland. I may be in their position next week at this time.

I feel my personal responsibility is to become as selfless and loving as I can be and to find ways to be of service to those in need. I've been trying to come up with ways that I can help. I really believe we are all from the same source and that I may find meaning in expressing that in my life instead of living for my own separate desires.

Of course, I'm saying this before I actually start starving... I've bought supplies for my family, but I can't see me being able to watch my neighbors starve while I'm still eating. I already plan to make sure my son has food, even if I don't, but I don't know if I would ever be able to live with myself if I don't help others in this time of need.

I'm sorry I'm rambling... ATYT, I send you my deepest respect for your ability to forgive. You and your people are in my thoughts and prayers (as are the rest of this world).
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Old 10-11-2008, 12:01 AM   #14
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Default Re: An apology from Icelanders

Quote:
Originally Posted by peacelovinman View Post
The blame lies with us all. We must face up to the personal responsibility and begin to put things right.
the only response to this is.......... Since We All Were scamed, it is just now our personal responsibility to do what needs to be done. You might have a good job that pays good and you might live on an island where the economy cant reach you and you might be the queen bee and walk on water and you might get free gas and food. BUT this aint us...... Some of us cant find work that some people went to college for, some of us are TRYing to live paycheck to paycheck. Some of us eat Raman Noodles. Some of us are doing our best to survive. Some of us KNOW the system is a scam. Some of us want different things than them, or you.

And what I mean about what needs to be done is.. We need not play their game anymore. We need to self educate and live in peace without THEM. We can make our own chioces and decide what we want or want to do. I am human at the top of the food chain and there is NOTHING over me but my creator.

Your personal responsibility is to self educate. Later

Last edited by Truther21; 10-11-2008 at 12:06 AM.
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Old 10-11-2008, 12:56 AM   #15
meneliel
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Default Re: An apology from Icelanders

Hello friends,
I´m not an Icelander but consider myself as one: I live in Iceland, married with an Icelander and with an Icelandic daughter.
My home country is Venezuela, so being from there I can say I have experienced bad economic and political situations, so in a sense I could say I was used to very high inflation, unstable political situation etc etc.
Iceland was the absolute opposite of Venezuela. Just as an example, last year Iceland was ranked as one of the best countries in the world to live in...
Today there is a different story... and very different! I would have never expected to see the same problems I saw in my country (and even worse...)
It is very sad what is happening here. It is very unfair that a whole nation has to pay the mistakes (or the greediness) of few bankers and politicians. It is even more unfair that the people from England and other countries that were saving their money in Icelandic banks are being told that they won't get their money back... (an it is loooot of money).
The nation is in shock! And we are still realizing all the challenges we have to face... But on the positive side, Icelanders are amazing people and I'm sure they will find a way out of this mess...

I would like to end my post by pasting an anonymous comment from http://anapologyfromicelanders.blogspot.com/

"I'm an Icelander and I also humbly apologuise for the trouble icelandic banks have caused you all, and I truly feel sorry for all those people who are at risk of loosing their savings.

But I would also like to ask of you, to please help us find, convict and punish the people responsible and not blame the people who share your suffering. Because we had no idea that we as a nation where liable for those (excuse my language) greedy, no good, son of a bitch, asswipe, ****faced, dirty ******* wankers depts. They have robbed us of everything, our money, our jobs, our dignity, our sleep and our economy, and now they live a nice carefree life anywhere else but here in Iceland.

Icelanders have the longest working week in Europe, men about 48 hour work week and the women a little less. There are ruggid and hard working people who inhabit this island. And it has taken the better part of the last century to slowly and painfully build up our economy. All this and more was made from blood, sweat and tears of normal working people, mostly our farmers and fishermen, not rich people who have no sense for an honest days work and have no respect for it. You know, those people who don't realise that it's all thanks to the worker, the one that turns the resources into something useful. Not a banker who thinks that money grows on wall street, stock brokers don't realise that they are bying and selling someones blood, someones sweat and someones tears, peoples lives are being traded with like any other commodity. And greedy people are making money of this, not the workers them selfs but greedy people who do not contribute anything to society, but feed of it. And under the caring arm of gutless and corrupt politicians everywhere, they are allowed to **** us over and over, again and again.

And what it says in the apology is true and not joke. These super rich moraly bankrupt people left Iceland long ago in their private jets and took their money, that is our and your money with them.

Multi million dollar jets, helicopters and luxury cars, one owns a 23 million dollar penthouse apartment in Manhattan, and many of them live in prime locations in and around London. All in all there are around 30 people responsible for our shared dilemma, not counting our sad exuces for politicians (of all parties).

We are sorry, we are bleeding, please help us!

Our kindest regards to you all
Normal Icelanders"
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Old 10-11-2008, 01:10 AM   #16
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Default Re: An apology from Icelanders

Quote:
Originally Posted by peacelovinman View Post
The blame lies with us all. We must face up to the personal responsibility and begin to put things right.
True.

salute.
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