Gylfi Zoega, professor of Economics at the University of Iceland, said in an exclusive interview for IceNews, that reopening the market is essential for the economic future of the northern island nation.
He pointed out that until money transfers to and from Iceland are normally re-started; no foreign investors will be able to start businesses in the country. “With that goes the necessity to adopt the euro; and that should be done within the second half of this year while Sweden holds the EU presidency.”
The professor said there are two future possibilities: “Either Icelandic trade reopens and banks regain their credibility and status, or this island closes into itself even more. The current situation cannot last long. I would, of course, prefer the first possibility.”
“The current government is too much domestically orientated, rather than internationally. If they do not offer the right conditions for foreign investors, they will lose the possibility to bring investments here and enhance the local economy.”
Mr Zoega stated that Iceland needs a leader able to handle this situation, but that it would be almost impossible to find such a person domestically. “I do see a possibility of some foreign politician coming in. The current Icelandic politicians behave as if someone put them in a freezer forty years ago. Besides that, they are not really educated to have the post they hold. There is no educated economist for instance.”
“One of the other issues is communication. The past and present governments completely lack internal and external communication. There are negotiations going on, but no outcome is known.”
“Iceland is a very stubborn and patriotic country – just remember how they are pictured in the book Independent People by Halldor Laxness. But people here must understand that it is important to mingle up and accept other nationalities and that having a non-Icelandic politician would not be a shame.”
When questioned whether Mr Zoega would be interested in joining the political scene, he answered “No, that is not my intention. I am more interested in the papers.”
Loestrin 24…
[…]here are some hyper-links to webpages that we link to for the fact we feel there’re truly worth checking out[…]…
Hi GUS/NEXT PRESIDENT:
Actually I agree with about half your posts. Iceland does need to change. SOME people’s attitudes need to change too. And I dislike racism and closed mindedness as much as you do.
But what I can’t stand even more is your obvious hate for the land you live in. You seem to take great pleasure in its current problems and love the fact that you can profit while other people live in misery. Iceland has got the worst of everything in Europe according to you. It is simply for these reasons that I advise you to leave.
Those of us lucky enough to be Westerners with the free ability to move around and live where we please should only live in a country we like. And if we end up somewhere we don’t like, we should simply save up enough cash to quickly get the hell out of there. Making snide comments about the place helps nobody.
BRAD (THE ALMIGHTY BRAD) SAID “Please leave Iceland now. You and your hateful rhetoric are no longer welcome.”
SO WHO SAYS THAT BRAD, YOU?? DO YOU NAME YOURSELF THE SPOKEMAN OF ICELAND?? SO YOU HAVE THE POWER TO DECIDE WHO SHOULD STAY AND LEAVE, AND WICH SPEECHES ARE WELCOMED OR NOT, BUT WELCOME WHERE? IN YOUR HEAD?
EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO SPEAK OUT THEIR OPINION, WHEREVER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. THAT IS WHAT FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS ABOUT. AND THAT IS WHY THIS PLACE IS CREATED. SO EVERYONE CAN EXPRESS THEMSELVE FREELY. IF YOU DON´T LIKE OR SHARE WHAT THEY THINK IT IS YOUR PROBLEM,
IT ALSO WOULD BE VERY BORING IF EVERYONE HERE WOULD AGREE IN EVERYTHING…
AND AGAIN, I DON´T SEE ANY HATE IN FIGHTING DISCRIMINATION AND RACISM AND ANY KIND OF SOCIAL INJUSTICE!!
BRAD, JUST KEEP THINGS AS THEY ARE RIGHT??
THE FACT THAT ICELANDIC SOCIETY HAS CHANGED NOT ONLY INTO A ECONOMICALLY POOR BUT ALSO INTO AN ETHICALLY AND MORALLY MISERABLE IS WHAT I DENOUNCE HERE.
IF YOU THINK THAT SENSE OF RACIAL SUPERIORITY IS OK, THEN YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT COUNTRY.
ICELANDIC SOCIETY NEEDS TO OPEN TO THE WORLD, LEARN TO BE TOLERANT AND RESPECTFUL. THEY CANNOT SAY THEY DON´T NEED ANYONE… THEY ARE ACTUALLY MISSING A LOT WITH THEIR CLOSE MINDED POSITIONS AND FEAR FOR ALL THAT COMES FROM ABROAD…
AND IF YOU THINK THAT THIS IS HATEFUL RETHORIC THEN YOU REALLY SEEM TO DEFEND RACIAL AND SOCIAL DISCRIMINATION AS A LOVING WAY OF KEEPING EVERYONE IN ITS PLACE…
THEN YOU COME OUT WITH THE SAME OLD ICELANDIC BULL”’IT: “IF YOU DON´T THINK LIKE US GO AND LEAVE ICELAND”
DON´T YOU SEE?? THAT IS WHAT PEOPLE LIKE YOU IS ABOUT.. YOU NEED TO THINK LIKE THE REST IF YOU WANT TO BE HERE, IF YOU THINK DIFFERENT AND YOU ARE VERY CRITICAL WITH WHAT YOU SEE, IF YOU SPEAK OUT FOR THE INJUSTICES, THEN YOU ARE INVITED TO LEAVE…
WHAT A FASCIST AND RACIST COMMENT BRAD…
I LEAVE I STAY I GO, WHEREVER AND WHENEVER I WANT.
I BENEFIT MORE THIS SOCIETY WITH MY STRONG CRITICISM THAN YOU WITH YOUR CONSERVATIVE CONFORMISM, THE TRADITIONAL ICELANDIC CONFORMISM OF COVERING THINGS AND DOING AS EVERYTHING WAS OK..
BUT THINGS ARENT OK AT ALL!!
I aggree with Brad,
i have no problem with honest people no matter where they where born,
i was just talking about criminals,
where did i say i wanted Icelanders to come home ?
and GUS Iceland isnt the only country with corrupt people in politics, find someone else to hate.
I married and Icelandic woman in August 1968 when I met her in Miami, Florida; let me tell you if all “Viking” women are as honest,hard working,faithful and loving to their children and family members; As well as other people no matter where they are from. Then you have an abundance of natural resources in Iceland and you need not worry about “making” people who have left Iceland return for any reason.
The Icelandic men I have met are some of the strongest,opinionated,honest and hard working also.
I would assume all Iceland needs is one strong person to step up and start leading this historic island nation out of the mess caused by past leaders making bad decisions and leading the “GREAT
ICELANDIC NATION” back to it’s glory days ahead.
Foreigners in Iceland are a great boon for the country and should be allowed to stay here in peace. Iceland would be a much worse place without them.
It would, however, be a much better place without SIR EURO (FORMER GUS).
Please leave Iceland now. You and your hateful rhetoric are no longer welcome.
AXEL, YOU TALK ABOUT FOREIGN CRIMINALS COMING TO ICELAND WHEN THE WORSE CRIMINALS AND ENEMIES OF YOUR COUNTRY AND ECONOMY ARE THOSE YOU HAVE AT THE PARLIAMENT… THOSE ARE THE RATS, THE POLITICIANS, THE BANKERS, THE BIG CORRUPTED BUSINESS MEN.
I SAW IT IN A NEWSPAPER TODAY, THE BANK OWNERS THEY BORROWED TO THEMSELVES BILLIONS THAT THEY TRANSFERED ABROAD…
THOSE ARE THE BIGGEST CRIMINALS THAT HAVE DRIVEN YOUR COUNTRY TO THE MISERY AND RUIN…
ARE YOU GOING TO SHUT THEM TOO? THEY ARE THE RATS YOU TALK ABOUT..
STOP YOUR RACIST SPEECH BECAUSE NO ONE IN ITS SANE MIND WOULD DIGEST THAT SHIT.
LOOK NAZI-AXEL, FOREIGNERS LIVING IN ICELAND ( THE ONES WHO HAVE DECIDED TO STAY) HAVE MOST OF THEM A WELL PAID JOB.
THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 80.000 ICELANDERS OF 1ST AND 2ND GENERATION LIVING ABROAD. IT WOULD BE SO NICE TO MAKE THE CHANGE YOU TALK ABOUT AND LET THE FAIRLY 10.000 FOREIGN PEOPLE TO ABANDON ICELAND AND GET THE ICELANDERS BACK INSTEAD. THEN YOU WOULD REALLY COULD SEE CANNIBALISM STARTING IN THIS COUNTRY.
I AM TOTALLY FOR YOUR IDEAS, CLOSE ICELAND TO THE WORLD, MAKE ALL FOREIGNERS GO HOME, AND BRING BACK THE ICELANDERS, SPECIALLY THOSE THOUSANDS OF ICELANDERS THAT HAVE RECENTLY ABANDONED THIS COLD ROCK TO TRY TO FIND A JOB ABROAD AND BE ABLE TO FEED THEIR FAMILIES. YES, BRING ‘EM ALL BACK.
ALSO IT WOULD BE VERY NICE THAT YOU GIVE INMEDIATLY BACK ALL THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE BORROWED TO YOU, ALL THOSE BILLIONS OF EUROS, BRING IT ALL BACK TO THE IMF, EU AND SPECIALLY TO COUNTRIES LIKE POLAND WHO JUST MAKE A HUGE MISTAKE BY LENDING YOU MONEY WHEN YOU DON´T DESERVE ANY HELP AT ALL.
THEN ALSO THE REST OF THE WORLD SHOULD JUST NOT SEND ANYTHING TO ICELAND. NO COMPUTERS, NO CARS, NO CLOTHES, NOTHING…
I AM ALSO FOR YOUR IDEALS, GO AND CHANGE ICELAND INTO A NEW AGE FEUDAL MIDDLE-AGE LIKE NATION AND JUST BE HERE IN YOUR OWN WORLD AND EAT EACH OTHER LIKE IN THE MOVIE OF RAPA-NUI
CRIMES COMMITTED BY FOREIGN CITIZENS IN ICELAND ARE ONLY A 1.5% PERCENT OF THE CRIMES. THAT MEANS THAT THE REST 98.9% ARE DONE BY ICELANDERS.
EVERYWHERE ARE CRIMINALS IN THE WORLD, IT DOES NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE. BUT I AM SURE THAT YOUR IDEA OF CLOSING THE COUNTRY WOULD HELP A LOT, SPECIALLY TO THOSE COUNTRIES WHERE WE CAN FIND GHETTOS OF THOUSANDS OF ICELANDERS. ICELANDERS ARE IN NUMBER OF THOUSANDS IN COUNTRIES LIKE SPAIN, DENMARK, UK, USA, SWEDEN, GERMANY, FRANCE, YOU NAME IT… IT IS A REAL PLAGUE ONLY SUPERED BY THE TURKS..
YOU WOULD BE ATTONISHED BY THE QUANTITY OF ICELANDERS DOING CRIMES ABROAD. LETS START BY YOUR BANK DIRECTORS AND GOVERMENT, AND BUSINESSMEN, THAT HAVE STOLEN BILLIONS FROM THE ICELANDERS THEMSELVES AND FROM MANY INNOCENT PEOPLE ABROAD.
YOU HAVE A WORLDWIDE FAME OF CORRUPTED PEOPLE. THAT IS WHY YOU ARE SO POPULAR RIGHT NOW ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
MONKEYS!!
Because of recent interrest form Hells angels, a organized crime organisation border patrol is now at peak level, that means we have abandoned the schengen deal and we can refuse anyone to come here without any given reason, the whole country is locked down, some changes will be made to eliminate crime and the first step should be to stop import of thieves from E-Europe,
last year police stopped a 747 full of Hells angels from Scandinavia and turned the plane back on the airfield, they where not even allowed to leave the plane, we now ship all criminals from estonia out to save taxpayer money,
this change of policy will save alot of money and help ridding us of people who are damaging to our economy, crime level is increasing rapidly now.
when i was a kid i used to shoot rats at the local dump with a 22cal rifle, its really hard to hit someting so small that moves so fast on 100-150m
the rats are alot bigger now and harder to eliminate.
I didn’t know you are from Somalia. If this is the case – I’m really sorry for you broðer.
PS. If you are not not – stop talking what you have no idea about…
YES…EXACTLY…SIR EURO, YOU ARE TELLING THE TRUTH! YOU ARE MY HERO!
ICELANDERS WONT LISTEN TO ANYONE. THEY HAVE PROVED IT MANY TIMES… THEY JUST THINK THAT THEY DON´T NEED ANYONE. IT WAS SUCH A FUNNY THING TO SEE HOW THEY PUT THEIR PANTS DOWN AND SHOW THEIR ASSES WHEN THEY GO BEGGING FOR MONEY EVERYWHERE…
WHAT A SHAMELESS NATION, YOU HAVE NO DIGNITY AT ALL. ICELAND LACKS OF MODESTY…THAT´S ALL…
FIRST THEY THINK OF THEMSELVES TO BE SUPERIOR AND NOW THEY LIVE ON INTERNATIONAL AID, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER THIRD WORLD COUNTRY…
ICELANDERS ARE THE MONKEYS AND CLOWNS THE WHOLE WORLD IS LAUGHING AT… AND IT SEEMS THAT WE WILL HAVE CIRCUS FOR A LONG TIME, THIS IS GOING TO BE SO SO FUNNY… HAHAHAHAH
Jean-Pierre,
Yes, there are many Americans like myself who know what real freedom is. We know that it no longer exists in America, but we have our history books to teach us what it was like. The worse things get here, the more we crave it. I know that my future business interests will be strangled to death in this country…this is why I have a strong interest in the future of Iceland.
Also, be careful when you laugh at the lost freedoms of the Patriot, lest you get caught up in his Rage.
NKOTB,
You said, “EU membership is the only hope that Iceland will be able to honour its debt obligations in the long run…” I know it will sound shocking, but why care about those debt “obligations”? Who ran up the debt? Who caused the trouble? The bankers and the politicians. Let them pay. Empty out their fat pockets! Should they have grown rich on the name and credit of Iceland with no responsibility? Should the average citizen who got NOTHING but inflation become a slave and bring their children into lives of slavery because of these so-called “obligations”? I say no.
Also, for your knowledge, this paper money SYSTEM was designed such that certain debts could never be paid back. It’s purpose is simple – to enslave.
“If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand (EU) that feeds you; May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.” -Samuel Adams
ROBERT SAID: “RE : SIR EURO
THANK YOU!!! IT IS REFRESHING TO READ COMMENTS THAT COVER THE POINT OF DISCUSSION AND ARE INTELLIGENT. I MAY NOT AGREE WITH EVERYTHING I HAVE READ FROM THE COMMENTS YOU POST, BUT I DO SEE INTELLIGENCE AND THOUGHT BEHIND THEM.
OPPOSING VIEWS IS WHAT ALLOWS THOUGHT TO DEVELOP. I HAVE NO PROBLEM HAVING A DISCUSSION WITH SOMEONE WHO MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION THAN I. HOWEVER, SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT COME THROUGH THIS SITE ARE SO COMPLETELY FOOLISH, I AM BEWILDERED. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ADDING SOME MUCH NEEDED INTELLECT TO THIS SITE.”
ROBERT, I MIGHT DISAGREE WITH YOU IN MANY POINTS. BUT I WOULD ALWAYS DEFEND MY OPINIONS FIERCELY. YOU ARE A GENTLEMAN, IF WE HAD A BATTLE IT WOULD BE A HONOR TO DIE BY YOUR SWORD.
NKOTB.. WE DON´T WANT ICELAND IN THE EU. DON´T WORRY WE WILL KEEP SENDING THE INTERNATIONAL HELP. BUT FOR A LONG TIME YOU WILL JUST HAVE TO SURVIVE ON YOUR OWN. WE DON´T NEED ICELANDIC PROBLEMS AT ALL. ICELAND IS LIKE AN INFECTIOUS VERY SICK PERSON THAT IS BETTER TO BE KEPT AWAY AND APART. JUST KNOWING HOW ACKWARD ADN UNCIVILIZED THIS NATION IS, I WOULD JUST BE SCARED OF THE WAY YOU WOULD ACT IN THE EU PARLIAMENT.
EU TRUST MORE COUNTRIES LIKE BULGARIA OR RUMANIA THAN ICELAND. JUST BECAUSE ICELAND IS THE BEST EXAMPLE OF ORGANIZED AND OFFICIAL MAFIA AND CORRUPTION. EVEN COUNTRIES LIKE RUMANIA OR BULGARIA HAVE LESS CORRUPTED POLITICIANS AND BANKERS THAN ICELAND.
NO ONE IS WILLING TO TAKE RISKS FOR ICELAND NOW AND WE DON´T WANT POOR AND RUINED COUNTRIES WITH SUCH A BLACK FUTURE TO COME TO MAKE THINGS WORSE IN EUROPE. SORRY MATE…
JUST GO FISHING AND BE COOL IN BANANAISLANDIA…
YOUR COUNTRY IS A SHAME… WE DON´T WANT IT..
ALEXANDER, I AM NOT A PHILOSOPHER. BUT I STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU TO READ THIS BOOK:
-EMILE DURKHEIM SELECTED WRITTINGS. ( EDITED WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ANTHONY GIDDENS). CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS.
THERE ARE MORAL VALUES, CUSTOMS, RULES AND LAWS… ALL THAT ORGANIZING THE WAY WE INTERACT IN SOCIETY.
“A RULE IS NOT A SIMPLE MODE OF CUSTOMARY ACTION; IT IS A MODE OF CONDUCT THAT WE DO NOT FEEL FREE TO ALTER ACCORDING TO TASTE”
(FROM THE BOOK)
I SUPPOSE THAT ICELANDIC POLITICIANS AND BANKERS DO HAVE A VERY GOOD TASTE FOR OTHER’S MONEY…
ICELANDIC SOCIETY IS RULED BY FEAR AND IGNORANCE. IT SEEMS THAT PEOPLE HERE HAS NOT ABILITY OF CRITICISM. IT IS VERY COMMON IN ICELANDIC CULTURE-SOCIETY TO JUST COVER THINGS.
to all: you want real freedom? Try Somalia these days.
For the rest of us, an open currency exchange and EU membership is the only hope that Iceland will be able to honour its debt obligations in the long run and not default. Not fully floating the ISK and not starting EU membership discussions shortly effectively means closing Iceland and a guarantee to default. For generations to come people will have to work hard to pay off debt that is mostly in foreign currency with a currency that is completely dead.
If we don’t want this Rock to turn into an Alcatraz the only strategy can be to start EU membership application, fully float the ISK, and eventually pick up the Euro.
RE : American and Alexander E
Just once it would be nice for people to stick to the topic of discussion. The article above is about the current ECONOMIC situation in Iceland and how to help change it. Freedom comes in many forms, and covers a vast range of social, personal, economic……… get the point. It is a subject that can cover many aspects of our lives. In this discussion we are talking about the ECONOMY, thus a comment about FREEDOM, when the current government has set tight restrictions on many aspects of currency exchange and flow, should be in reference to that situation.
American : Very honorable of you to note that you may have missed previous statements. Thank you for this.
Alexander E : Give up the charade. I realize you want to believe you have all this knowledge and wisdom (which by the way are two different things) and you are in charge of great think tanks and big money business deals. However, the only tank you have the mental capacity to work with is the one on the back of the toilet, and as far as financial investments stick to a game like Monopoly. And before you make some jackass comment to me like… of course I would say Monopoly because of my views… remember it is a game, and NO I do not support Iceland joining the EU. Again, learn how to recognize good advice. You do not have to agree with everything Zoega said, but if you do not recognize the sound advice being offered, you are only demonstrating the depth of your ignorance.
RE : SIR EURO
THANK YOU!!! IT IS REFRESHING TO READ COMMENTS THAT COVER THE POINT OF DISCUSSION AND ARE INTELLIGENT. I MAY NOT AGREE WITH EVERYTHING I HAVE READ FROM THE COMMENTS YOU POST, BUT I DO SEE INTELLIGENCE AND THOUGHT BEHIND THEM.
OPPOSING VIEWS IS WHAT ALLOWS THOUGHT TO DEVELOP. I HAVE NO PROBLEM HAVING A DISCUSSION WITH SOMEONE WHO MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION THAN I. HOWEVER, SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT COME THROUGH THIS SITE ARE SO COMPLETELY FOOLISH, I AM BEWILDERED. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ADDING SOME MUCH NEEDED INTELLECT TO THIS SITE.
P.S. You obviously don’t know what REAL freedom is. I hope one day you will find out.
Ha ha ha!
This is the joke of the day! Does a single American (I mean a USA citizen) know what freedom is???? What democracy is? What multi-party system is????
SIR GUS.
I DIDN’T KNOW THAT YOU ARE PHILOSOPHER. BUT THAT EXPLAINS WHY YOU USE TELETEX. ;-)
But I agree that “moral values” makes the big difference in business and other parts of the life of us – short minded people.
I assume you are talking about “moral values” of bankers and politicians?
ALEXANDER, PLEASE, REVISE YOUR TEXTS BEFORE POSTING THEM. WE ARE HUMAN BEINGS HERE AND HAVE FEELINGS. IT IS LIKE CRAP IS CHEAP THESE DAYS…
ALEXANDER, JUS ONE QUESTION. HOW CAN SOMEONE BE SO SHORT MINDED (VERY LOW IQ) TO NOT BE ABLE TO SEE THE INTERRELATIONS BETWEEN ECONOMY-SOCIAL LIFE-PHILOSOPHY ?? … IT IS ALL INTER-CONNECTED. MORAL VALUES AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ATTITUDE REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN BUSINESS.
I doubt he will. How is it possible for a person who believes in “right” regulations based on advice of lunatic professor and EU – as the solution?
It’s clear to see – when you said “If Iceland wants foreign investors as well as the respect of the world, all you have to do is offer freedom.”
He didn’t get it. He’s started to talk about “freedom” for currency “flow”.
As to investments – just wait a little and let the dust settle. I could say that there are more freedom in doing business in Iceland than in USA right now. Cause I came here to run office for US company – I know it from the first hands.
BTW – how much are you thinking to invest? If you don’t know how to waste 100,000 – 200,000 bucks – I might have a suggestion for you. ;-)
RE : Robert
What I saw in the article is another guy who wants Iceland to be eaten up by the EU. Once he made that comment about the Euro, I was done with him.
What were Zoega’s previous warnings? Did he suggest that the central bankers be thrown out or perhaps tarred and feathered? Did he suggest that the country have real money backed by substance rather than the RPMs of the printing press? If so, I take it back!
I am a foreigner, and I am considering running a business in Iceland. The only reason I ever thought of it was because of what I heard about the protests and riots. I figured that if the people had the guts and good sense to make the bankers and politicians miserable, then it would be a land of great opportunity. If the people fall back to their knees however and bow under the yoke of the EU and a new set of central bankers, I would see no point whatsoever in doing business there. After all, if I wanted EU baloney, I could always go to one of the other many EU satellites.
P.S. You obviously don’t know what REAL freedom is. I hope one day you will find out.
RE : American
OK, I have now read a comment with less sensibility than what Alexander E normally writes. Did you even read the article above? Have you read any of Zoega’s previous warnings? He has been trying to offer advice so this country could have avoided this situation, and now he is offering advice on how to avoid further catastrophe.
You comment that all Iceland has to do is offer freedom. Again, DID YOU READ THE ARTICLE!!!??? That is what he is suggesting. Reduce the controls that are currently in place to allow for a more open currency exchange.
Please drop the cliches. What, did you read these comments in some paperback novel and adopt them as an educated viewpoint on world economics? Learn how to recognize when someone is honestly extending good advice.
ABEL, THIS IS NOT THE FRENCH REVOLUTION YOU LEARNED ABOUT LAST YEAR AT YOUR HIGH SCHOOL. THIS IS NOT ABOUT A FIGHT OF CLASES, ONE EDUCATED AND RICH AND ONE POOR AND IGNORANT. ACTUALLY THERE ARE PUNCHES OF PEOPLE FROM THE LOWEST CLASSES ALL READY WITH UNIVERSITY DEGREES, YEARS OF LABOUR UNIONS AND POLITICAL EXPERIENCE AND ALL YOU WANT.
A PERSON WITH AN BA DEGREE IN ANY AREA HAS ONLY A BASIC IDEA OF WHAT IS GOING ON IN THERE, AND BELIEVE ME, ONE REALLY NEEDS TO GET AT LEAST A MASTERS DEGREE OR AN EXPERIENCE OF YEARS IN A DETERMINED AREA TO BE AN EXPERT IN SOMETHING.
BEING EDUCATED DOES NOT MAKE YOU FORM PART OF ANY OPPRESSING CLASS AND BEING POOR DOES NOT MAKE YOU A HONEST MAN.
THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE, WITH AND WITHOUT A UNIVERSITY DEGREE, THAT HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN POLITICS FOR A LONG TIME AND KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT.
ABEL, WHAT DID YOU DO WHEN EVERYONE WAS MOBILIZING IN THE COUNTRY TO PUT THE GOV DOWN?? SITTING AT HOME??
REALLY, I CANNOT ONLY BUT LAUGH TO DEATH TO SEE MORE AND MORE RIDICULOUS THINGS GOING ON IN THIS COUNTRY.
AS I SAID, YOU MIGHT NEED TO START WITH ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING OF THE POLITICAL LIFE IN YOUR COMMUNITY AND GET THINGS TO ACTION FYRST.
IT IS NOT THAT YOU ARE TOO YOUNG OR UN-EDUCATED, IT IS NOT THAT YOU DON´T EVEN HAVE THE NECESSARY EXPERIENCE…THE REAL PROBLEM IS THAT YOU ARE NOT REALLY INVOLVED IN IT.
SO DON´T COME TALKING ABOUT DEMOCRATIZATION, REPRESENTING THE UNREPRESENTED AND THOSE WHO HAS NO VOICE, WHEN YOU DON´T EVEN GO AND LISTEN TO THEM YOURSELF.
COME DOWN FROM THE CLOUD, STEP ON THE REAL WORLD AND LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE. AND PLEASE COME OUT THE CLOSET AND PUT YOUR IDEAS TO LIGHT ( IF YOU HAVE ANY) SO WE CAN EVALUATE HERE HOW GOOD OF A POLITICIAN YOU COULD BE… WE NEED TO HEAR SOMETHING MORE THAN THE TYPICAL CHEAP, INVENTIVELY POOR AND OBSOLETE FAIRY TALE OF THE OPPRESSED AGAINST THE RULING CLASSES.
DOING THE DO AND THE TALK MEANS TO SHOW PEOPLE AROUND YOU THAT YOU ARE INTO THIS, BY FOR EXAMPLE, STARTING TO LISTEN WHAT PEOPLE WANTS AND NEEDS INSTEAD OF ELABORATING CHEAP DISCOURSES.
I AM DISLEXIC, I HOPE YOU MIGHT UNDERSTAND THAT I USE CAPITALS AND THAT SOMETIMES THE GRAMMATICAL ORDER IS DIFFERENT IN A PERSON LIKE ME. BUT I THINK YOU CLEARLY GET WHAT I WANT TO SAY. AND THAT IS THE IMPORTANT THING, THAT YOU GET THE MESSAGE.
HAVE YOU EVER READ TEXTS WRITTEN BY A MUDE OR DEAF PERSON? YOU WOULD BE REALLY AMAZED ! BUT STILL, YOU WOULD GET THE MESSAGES CLEARLY.
THERE IS ONE THING THAT REALLY MAKES ANYONE SEASICK… AND THAT IS THE LACK OF ARGUMENTS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING A SOLUTION OF CONTINUATION IN A DIALOGUE.
[…] innen und nach außen. Es laufen Verhandlungen, aber es ist kein Ergebnis bekannt.” Siehe IceNews (auf Englisch – siehe auch unseren Bericht vom […]
Mr. Zoega is obviously a filthy globalist. I’d prefer the opinion of a shoemaker to that of a Keynesian “economist” like him. These crackheads are the ones who started the problem, and they confidently assure us that they are the only ones who can fix it…with more of their counterfeit fiat money and the spine-snapping yoke of further regulations of course.
If Iceland wants foreign investors as well as the respect of the world, all you have to do is offer freedom.
The standard of English literacy in these comments is remarkable. I can barely understand half the time and reading it makes me seasick. Especially when it is in caps. Please stick to lower case.
2 EURO
SORRY, I DO NOT READ YOUR TELETEXTS (thanks God it’s easy to spot)…
Robert, thanks for you efforts to promote me. Sorry, I can not return you same favor. I don’t want to bother my friends with your boring comments (no matter how wise you think they are).
And it’s okay if you don’t the answer why investors love China – with its unfloating currency, rulling communist party and Tibet ;-)
“I’m genuine, independent and righteous persona with high goals. I wish to give young people a voice and a spokesman in places most needed.”
NO DOUBT YOUR INTENTIONS ARE GOOD AND THAT YOU SEEM TO BE AN EXAMPLE OF A GOOD CITIZEN. STILL, YOU SHOULD HAVE MUCH OF A GREATER TIME IN ACTING LOCALLY, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO SUPPORT ACTIVE DEMOCRACY AND PARTICIPATIVE CITIZENSHIP IN THE AREA YOU LIVE. WHAT YOU EXPLAIN IN YOUR TEXTS LOOKS MORE LIKE YOU ARE REALLY MORE READY TO ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN YOUR COMMUNITY THAN TO ATTEND MAJOR NATIONAL MATTERS ( THOSE OF THE PARLIAMENT).
AS I SAID, ONLY HONESTY AND GOOD WILLINGNESS OF A CORRECT CITIZEN IS NOT ENOUGH FOR BEING A SUCESSFULL PARLIAMENT MEMBER.
JONAS, YOU MIGHT NEED LOTS OF MORE POLITICAL EXPERIENCE. YOU NEED TO SHOW FIRST IF YOU CAN POLITICALLY BE EFFECTIVE IN YOUR COMMUNITY. IT IS SO EASY TO DO THE TALK, BUT YOU WILL ALSO HAVE TO SHOW THAT YOU CAN DO THE TALK AND THE DO AS WELL.
IF YOU GAIN EXPERIENCE FIRST AND IF YOU GET TO DEVELOP YOUR SKILLS LOCALLY YOU MIGHT GET READY AFTER SOME YEARS TO BE ABLE TO AFRONT MAJOR AND MORE SERIOUS MATTERS.
YES, EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN DEMOCRACY. BUT THERE ARE MANY WAYS OF PARTICIPATING. SITTING AT THE PARLIAMENT IS NOT THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN. OF COURSE, THERE YOU COULD GET A PRETTY GOOD SALARY. BUT LETS GET REALISTIC HERE, YOU ARE JUST STILL NOT READY FOR THAT.
I WISH YOU THE BEST LUCK, AND PLEASE, I HOPE YOU KEEP BEING ACTIVE IN YOUR COMMUNITY…
I ALSO RECOMMEND YOU TO START STUDIES OF POLITICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF AKUREYRI. DO JUST SIMPLY A BA IN POLITICS OR RELATED ISSUE. YOU JUST NEED TO GET A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF POLITICS, AND BY DOING SO YOU WILL MAKE US ALL A FAVOR AS WE WILL BE MORE SURE THAT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING…
DO A BA IN POLITICS, GAIN MORE EXPERIENCE AND SHOW THAT YOU ARE REALLY INTO IT…
THEN WE WILL TALK..
ALEXANDER, DO YOU KNOW HOW POPULAR ICELAND IS IN THE NEWS IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES??
YOU SHOULD KNOW, MOST OF THE EUROPEANS WOULD NOT KNOW ABOUT ICELAND IF IT WAS NOT FOR THE EUROVISION CONTEST, FOR THE REST, REALLY PEOPLE IN EUROPE DON´T REALLY SHOW TOO MUCH INTEREST FOR THIS COUNTRY, IMAGINE THE REST OF THE WORLD…
LOOK, IT IS YOUR CHOICE OR NOT TO OPEN YOURSELF “MENTALLY AND PSICOLOGICALLY TO BE A PART OF THE GLOBAL SOCIETY”, BUT YOU ARE VIRTUALLY PART OF THE WORLD AS YOU USE COMPUTERS DESIGNED IN CALIFORNIA AND ASSEMBLED IN CHINA, JAPANESSE CARS, INDIAN TEA, COLOMBIAN COFFE, FRENCH CHOCOLATE, AMERICAN COCA-COLA, SPANISH ORANGES AND SHOES AND SWISS WATCHES… LOOK, YOU ARE AS INTERNATIONAL AS ANY OTHER HUMAN BEING. BUT STILL YOU NEED, DESIRE AND WANT TO BE SPECIAL AND UNIQUE. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, EVERY HUMAN IS SPECIAL AND UNIQUE, EVERY CULTURE AND COUNTRY IS UNIQUE…
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO APRECIATE THE BEAUTY IN OTHER CULTURES,COUNTRIES AND PEOPLE…
REMEMBER THE STORY OR NARCISO THAT DRAWN IN THE MIRROW LAKE OF HIS OWN SELFHISNESS??
RE : Alexander E
Please, keep writing these ridiculous comments. I forwarded a few of them to some friends, they could not stop laughing. I am not even going to correct your mistakes in these latest comments, they are so obvious, there is no need to point them out.
2 Andy
What do you mean by “rest of the world”? Aha! I got it – you mean EU! Cause it’s really the rest of.. As world is mainly China, India, Brazil, South-East Asia, Russia, not mentioning Arab World and Africa ;-)
FYI Iceland is the part of the world. That’s why people are talking so much about it – like a test mouse in medical lab. Watching for results of the test ;-)
There are dozens of other bigger than Iceland countries on the planet in really very bad situation – but “rest of the world” doesn’t give a sh*t about them.
Please name someone in the world we could look at to understand more about moral fibre…
Any rock is a former mountain, you know… And sand on the beach as well ;-)
Robert. Guess why paper “money” are called banknotes…
Also try to explain how foreign investors – like Japanese or German – were investing in USSR with its “solid” ruble banknotes that times back? And how does Russia and China operates on “world markets”? You can not buy rubles or yuans at Heathrow. Landsbanki posts rate for Polish zloty – but do you invest there?
Having two university degrees, being university lecture myself, doing business with major world economies – USSR(Russia)- China- USA, running research/education projects with US universities – is it legitimate enough to post here my foolish opinions? And I met many professors of something with their sensible suggestions…OMG. But so far I’ve heard a very few of them who were able to understand why s**t happened. And Zoega is not in this list. NOT AT ALL.
PS. Sorry I have no desire even to comment Zoega’s “suggestions”… But if joining euro/EU will write off Icebanks debt – then I’ll be first to vote for Zoega … LOL
Idiot, hating the country he tries to “give a lesson”.
His “thoughts” doesn’t cost even a toilet paper.
PS. Have’n read other comments yet but would like to ask everyone. Have you heard about Germans that they are complaint and unpatriotic people in matter about Germany? Maybe French? British?
PS-2. I would fire him from HI if I were ;-) Not because his position about EU and euro but because he has no idea about economy…unless his words were misinterpreted by IceNews 8-)
Opening up the market would be risky and Iceland is in no place to gamble.
Iceland is as big as Coventry city in the UK, and I would not expect Coventry to b able to provide national leadership in depth for the UK.
Iceland will probably have to join the rest of the world rather than the other way around, as well as imbuing senior management and political leadership with some moral fibre .
Iceland has already voted for a foreign politician, Paul Nikolov. He is now seated in the Icelandic Government and was voted in during the last election. By the way, he was voted in by Icelanders who knew he was a foreigner.
No one will cash out any ISK holdings if the krona is truly floated. You would be foolish to exchange your currencies out when the rate is so low ( 280-290 per 1 EUR as is the current accepted rate outside this island). Any smart investor would wait for the currency to come back before trading in that direction. People worried about that kind of situation have already gotten out of the system here.
There are many “legitimate” investors who would bring their business to Iceland if the banking system here would act in a more sensible manner. I should know, I am one of them. I love this country and call it home.
If the banking system keeps up these ridiculous standards and controls, they will be ignored and the ISK will become the same value as a piece of notebook paper (outside the island). This country and economy is too small to try and force the numbers in their favor. A mountain can stand strong and not be moved by an ocean wave, but a rock on the beach will get pushed aside. As I said, I love this country, but let’s be serious here, the Icelandic Economy is no more than a small rock on the beach compared to the world market.
I have to add, I am amazed at how some of the comments I read here are so outlandish and foolish. Coffee house intellectuals always amuse me. Someone who has never received legitimate education, yet they try to correct those who have and are offering sensible suggestions.
He should never have visited Norway during his life….
Gylfi Zoega must live on a different planet.
You can’t relax currency controls because everyone will cash out their ISK at 110-140 and move it overseas. Everyone knows that the ISK is overvalued by at least twice its current value. If you relax currency controls the bondholders holding $3+ billion will try to cash out right away.
There is not going to be any trade with Iceland other than fish. Iceland does not have much to offer. Most of the trade by Icelanders, as I understand it, must be done with Icelanders paying cash up front, partly because Icelanders have a bad reputation, partly because the banks might freeze the money.
There are no foreign investors (apart from vultures or leppurs for crooked Icelanders) because either their money will be trapped here or because the government or businessmen here will find some way to cheat them.
Icelanders are too small-minded to ever vote for any foreign politician. No chance of that.
There is no chance of adopting the Euro this year.
Why doesn’t he make some real suggestions, like eliminating indexing, getting the IMF to reduce the interest/inflation rate from 18% to 5%, modifying bankruptcy laws, allowing mortgage reductions for insolvent homeowners, freezing foreclosures for the unemployed or low-wage earners.
With all the educated people in Iceland, surely one or two could become decent politicians and Central Bank Governors, instead of going for the more fashionable quick buck, Range Rovers, mansions in the countryside, private jets, etc. Do some good for your own country!
SPOT ON, Mr Zoega!
One small comment though: “…and banks regain their credibility and status.” That is an issue that needs to be addressed seperate from re-opening the market. A lot more is needed to regain credibility; the status as it was in the old days will unfortunately never be the same.