This whole thing has become an interesting twist. First, the US talked them into allowing a base there and built it up. There is well over $40 million that flows through the Iceland ecomomy because of the base. There is nothing to make up that $40 million. The one and only airport...which has international flights to Europe and the US...is heavily dependent on US personnel going back and fourth. The resturant and pub scene downtown...as expensive as it is...probably counts 20 percent of their profit off the Americans. So they just created their own Icelandic-style depression.
The Americans...unhappy during the last year or two with various comments made by Icelandic polticans over the war...counted up the marks. There is only one major paper, and one major tv station...so the negative comments carried far and loud over the entire island. The Americans sat there and figured nothing really gained by the island, and even when Iceland sat there and started to realize the end was coming...offering millions to help finance the operation...the pentagon simply said no. And to add to the mess...they meant no in a hurry. You will see drastic reductions this year.
So what happens to Iceland now? As the Americans vacate...the Icelandic government will try to figure what to do economically. Tourists aren't increasing...its mostly stable in that area. You will see more young people pack up and leave by early 20's when they realize there is no long-term answer here. I predict a 30 percent population decrease over the next 20 years. The workers on base...looking for employment...will be permanently unemployed. And as for the politicians who went dumped on Bush...they will sit there for months...drinking their expensive booze and trying to remember why they did that stupid commentary. Life goes on there...but its not going to be as pleasant as yesterday.
I knew a girl who was a prosecuter. Invariably, defendents would plead, "I was joking around!" and your story reminds me of her standard answer:
"You laugh too hard, you cry."
I'm sure all those loudmouth icelandic politicians had a bunch of guffaws with their liberal friends at their wine and brie parties. Back-patting each other, egging each other on, slamming the US, slamming Bush, slamming our military.
You laugh too hard, you cry.