The sheepish nature of Icelanders has revealed itself in three distinct ways during the last year. It is truly amazing what people sign up for without checking the small print. Icelanders are doing their best to portray themselves as naive and gullible by running like a herd of sheep towards events and projects without asking who is behind them and what is the motive before lending their names to said events and projects.
First off, In Defence is a curious group. Formed to protest against Britain’s “mistreatment” of Iceland in the total absence of any PR by the Icelandic government, its roots and motivations have been questioned due to its Kaupthing and Progressive Party links, notably here at IcelandTalks. The Indefence group not works directly in sync with the Progressive party, and act as an informal tool on the parties behalf.
Instead of asking who is behind the group, what is their motivation, wait…what is Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson doing there, who is paying and hey…isn’t this what we elected a government to do on our behalf, thousands signed up for their cause and even posed in photographs bearing the signs “I am not a terrorist Mr. Brown”. Well he never said we were, and before acting all hyperbolical maybe we should ask Mr. Brown for the reason why Icelandic banks ended up on the UK terrorist list? Mass hysteria at worst, a decent PR campaign at best. Right now the group is asking people to sign a petition to the president to ask him to not approve the IceSave agreement. Almost five thousand experts in international law and finance have stated their support already.
The second mass gathering of sheep thought it was a gathering of ants. I have written about the total lack of critical thought which accompanied that gathering where 1.200 people agreed to participate in a mass focus group. And once some people (including me) started asking questions they were written off as negative and depressive, without any answers being provided. The people who parked illegally outside the conference hall then agreed that honesty was to be Iceland’s guiding light in the future. Now the founders of the Anthill which includes the environment minister have been asked to assist a congressional committee with their expertise on Icelandic values. Empowered by people who probably don’t know their names.
The third mass hysteria so far is Thjodarhagur which says it is gathering a group of individual investors to buy Hagar’s retail empire from Kaupthing/Arion. Close to 5.000 people have pledged their support to a group whose website doesn’t even say who is behind. Why don’t they just erect a mailbox downtown with the engraving “give us your money”? Considering Icelanders sheep mentality they’d be up to their ears in cash within days.
The economic crash happened because of the lack of and repression of critical thought in Iceland. The nation would do well to learn its lessons and ask who, what, where, why and how before jumping aboard any bandwagons in the current climate.
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The Chosan
9 months ago
Tjodarhagur = S-hópurinn.
Blubber
9 months ago
Exactly, Dadi, it is shocking how analytical and critical thought is (under) valued in Icelandic society.
In my naivete I actually thought the crash would have shaken people awake. Alas, I was wrong.
A quick investigation into Thjodarhagur leads to Tengill eignarhaldsfélag ehf. (investment company)who merged with Kaupfélag Skagfirðinga svf. in May 2009.
That, in turn is, like The Chosan already pointed out, S-hópurinn, or at least Þórólfur Gíslason of that group.
This is the group of Framsókn people who according to Fréttablaðið 31.May 2005, borrowed billions from Landsbankinn in 2003 in order to buy the the state owned 45.3% stake of Búnaðarbanki aka Kaupthing aka Arion.
One might claim that anyone who donates money to Thjodarhagur is basically funding Framsókn’s bid to buy Hagar from Framsókn.
Did I miss something? Does that make sense?
Dadi
9 months ago
Makes perfect sense Blubber