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To: Leifur
I have to apologize if I thought that Iceland's people and government followed most of the usual Scandinavian US bashing (although the Norwegians and Danes don't strike me as being as bad the Swedes in that regard). It's hard to find much information about Iceland outside the occasional piece in the travel sections of most US newspapers.

I have found http://www.icelandreview.com/ for information in English, but it appears to be written by an expat American. It would be nice for us foreigners if you had an English language edition of a newspaper, like Aftenposten does in Norway so we could see more about Iceland. Although I'm not sure you could compete regarding the moose stories ;-)

It's taken a lot of determination for your country to have preserved its language and culture for such a long time with such a small population. It doesn't look like the US is ready yet to pull its bases completely out of Iceland. I think the problem is convincing us that Iceland is still strategically important to us. I also hope your country does not become another satellite of the reconstructed Holy Roman Empire (or Soviet Union Lite, if you prefer). Perhaps that's reason enough for us to stay involved. Good luck keeping the socialists at bay.

PS-- perhaps you can provide us with the real Viking Kitties?

17 posted on 07/07/2004 7:33:17 PM PDT by pierrem15
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To: pierrem15; ScaniaBoy; what's up; California Patriot

The government has newer participated in that, although the opposition parties have been very bad in their ever more increasing US bashing and people in general are more and more against the US after the Afganistan and specially Írak war. So I am a little bit afraid that if this government falls (it is not very popular in the moment) the next goverment will not be careful and will change our 60 years policy of cooperation with the US. For the first time now there is a pro-EU party that has on its agenda to join the EU, even though it is not possible because of their fishing policy.

Iceland review is the only English news service I know of except some english news on the national broadcasting service wich seem strangely to be only about foreign issues.

The Danes have now a right wing government (although the main parties name is Venstre (left), but it is now a right wing party, it is an old party) for the first time in decades and they are more pro US than the old leftist, socialdemocratic governments that are usually in control in all the Scandinavian countries except Iceland (at least until now).

The Norwegians have allways been closer to the US than many others, although having been most often under a socialdemocratic labour party but that is most likely because of their short border with Russia. And Denmark and Norway are both in NATO wich the Sweedes and Finnish are not (they are neutral) and as socialdemocratism is the Sweedes only religion it is no wonder they bash the US (and Israel) often.

Yes our determination to protect our language is firm, but I am afraid our culture is in many ways lost, mostly due to american influence. But as the language is the bulk of our cultural heritage our identity is secure and is hopefully going to live on, ewen though how few we are. No, we could not tell you any stories about moose´s, hehe, maybe whale stories though;).

And I hope also that we will newer become part of the EU, with whom we have a free trade agreement jointly with the Norweegians and Lichtenstein. I would like us to be able to have similar free trade agreement, ewen join NAFTA wich would decrease the pressure of joining the EU wich is on us now.

I post this comment on you all as I should have done with my last post, I am still trying to learn how this great forum works. Can I not just choose the ones I want to post my comment to, or do I have to write each´s name into the box?

PS. Kitties, you mean cats? I have one Cat, beutiful white and black we got from the countrieside. Is it maybe true what I have heard that the cats on Mannhatan island are very similar to the Icelandic ones? I have heard theories about cats in Manhattan coming from Vikings who maybe sailed down there thousand years ago.


18 posted on 07/08/2004 11:57:04 AM PDT by Leifur
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