Free Republic

Ah, thank you, now I understand. Yes, it is not as we are doing anything wrong, just managing our marine resources in a sustainable manner like is neccasery for us to live off them.

Why people can´t get out of their western guilt for nearly wiping out some of the whale speacies (we banned whaling around iceland to protecth them in 1915) now that many of the whale species have reached the numbers it is quite alright, even neccesery to start harvesting them in order to keep the oceans I can´t understand.

It has obviously become an industry, portrayting the big animals with big cute eyes as a litteral cash cow for the environmentalists. Maybe it is because we don´t feel guilty, that we cannot understand the mentality of banning it, now that the research shows that these species can surely support hunting again.

I have never heard about it being used for dog food, maybe some leftovers (which are many in such a big animal) like the guts or something, but the meat is like the most tender beef and is a very valuable commodity f.e. in Japan. Just imagine the thickest, juciest beef steak you have ever had, and multiply it by 10...

Haha, always wanted a contrarian T - Shirt with that! Although I am more for harpooning them...and then eating, and you can´t really do that with them all nuked up...

EXACTLY! We have been eating whale meat since the onset of our history as can be read about in the Icelandic Saga´s...how are we less native and less connected to the use of our marine resources than the escimo´s? The US in fact hunts whales that are really endangered, not like we do, only those that are in abundance in our waters.

You are the second one to mention him, is he going? Well, as i said before, then it is all understandable, I mean if you have to choose between a passing movie star or a staunch ally of 70 years with thorough understanding of sustainable use of its marine resources.

I beliwe the second one is the correct...I looked at the page, where they talked about sustainable fishing, which is exactly Iceland´s expertise and where we are the world leader, and there is no mention of our solution, which is Individually Transferable Quatas, the only system that really works, privatization in effect. All about top down aproaches it seemed to me.

No thank you for the interest you have always shown...maybe I should start to be active here again, and create the Iceland related ping list I always intendet...

Norway has oil, they are never threatened...so I know of. We are just small and can easily be kicked around...well, at least so people tend to think...

Well, of course we care, it is a snub from the power that purports itself as the protector of the weak and small nations in the international order and thus the supposed champion of freedom, snubbing a staunch ally over the most important issue of that ally, the use of its marine resources, in which we have gained a very valuable experience and knowledge and consider ourself to be a leader in the world despite our smallness. Having a world ocean summit without Iceland is like having a world economic summit without the US.

Is he going to this conference? Oh, then I understand why the US would throw a 70 year relationship with a staunch ally overboard...

As english is a second language to me, I don´t understand many acronyms and expressions that are second nature to natives, can you explain to me what you are saying? I tried to google what the acronmy MYOP stood for but came up with nothing.

Well, it would be in icelandic: Orðið á götunni, which would be translated as ,,the word on the street”. Other could be: Gróa á Leiti, which is a reference to a fictional caracter that spread rumors, but Gróa can be understood as something course. But as it is an english language paper (probably the only state supported such paper in the country, as it is pretty much paid for through the tourism office) in the country, which is a sad thing as it is VERY leftwing in its discussions, but using an english epitheth for it is then quite understandable.

Yes, and over just such a small matter, or as our finance minister said, why threatening sanctions or worsening relations over an internal matter that does not concern others? He mentioned then f.e. that Iceland never had let it affect its relationship with the US that it conducts death penalties on humans even though it is to us morally reprehensible. This picture had fun with that comment, and in it he is saying: ,,What? I thought we could use the chair to get the killings up to the stage you call: The Moral High Ground”
http://www.visir.is/article/20140620/SKODANIR07/140629985

Ping

Well, today on Iceland´s national independence day when we are celebbrating that there are 70 years since we declared our independence under the protection of the American military, whose government was the first to recognise us and has been a longtime ally and friend ever since, this relationship is souring quickly by one more of Obama´s foreign policy debackle.

It is especially idiotic as Iceland has one of the worlds most succesful marine resource management system and a very good record of a commercially sound, sustainable use of its resources, including whales, which for sentimental reasons seem should be excluded from use. By what argument? Big puppy eyes?

I understand that having a small friend like Iceland doesn´t seem so important maybe to a big fella like you are, but being the protector of the weak and small is your primary counterargument against those accusing you of imperialism.

The US has always had a special place for Icelanders, it is not even exceptionally foreign, due to enormous american influence during our formative years when we were building up a modern society while hosting a sizeable american military presence.

It is not even considered such a treacherous affair that one of our most promising young athleetes elected to use the coincidence he was born in the US to play for the US football (errenously called soccer) team at the World Cup. But I can only imagine the uproar if someone would choose playing for the Danes, or other countries.

Not pure democracy, more like a libertarian heaven (anarcho-capitalist) where the government didn´t have any executive power. There was one weakness in that system, the chieftenships, that were in fact the lawmakers and judges, was a tradable commodity and the hencemen of a foreign power (Norwegian king) slowly and stealthy acquired them, which became easier after taxation was introduced after the establishing of Christianity as a state religion (taxation was through and by the church, the primary instrument of norwegian influence in the country).

But it created nearly 300 years of relative stability in the propably most free society of the time on earth, but then after the loss of the independence the situation slowly deterioated, until after the lowest point in the end of the 17 hundreds (eruptions, diseases and the little ice age which we are finally getting out of and is thus called global warming) we lost about one third of our much reduced population, the ideas of liberty, that the US rebellion had sparked finally made their way hither.

The fight for independence started in 1830 and culminated by the declaration of independence under the protection of the American military the 17. of june 1944.

You can read about the Icelandic Free state (the former independent period of the country) by Miltons Friedmans son here:
http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Academic/Iceland/Iceland.html

Ping

At the same time as Iceland is celebrating its 70 years of independence that was only possible to achieve because of the American occupation (more correctly described as protection) during WW2 (american forces came here before Pearl Harbor), this oldest and most trusted alliance is drifting apart (rember we were one of handful of countries supporting your Iraq invasion, even though we couldn´t contribute much, it hurt the governing parties politically) because of Obama´s government insistance on snubbing us because of our sustainable approach to our marine resources.

One of those is our abundant whale stocks which we of course harvest like any other, but even though Iceland has one of the worlds best sustainable fishing system (Individual Transferable Quatas) and industry the government is barring our representitives from a big conference they are holding about world´s oceans. A good way to treat allies, and over what? Sensibilities because some animals are more cute than others, and thus should be allowed to put an imbalance on our efforts to sustainable use of our marine resources (if we hunt some, but not other species, the imbalance accumulates).

http://grapevine.is/news/2014/06/12/iceland-snubbed-over-whaling/

Wow, your attitude surprises me so much that I am going to give this one more change, to try to establish positive discussion, you don´t have to be so compatitive to everyone, there isn´t everybody against your or trying to one up on you, so you don´t always have to “win” every conversation.

I would not say that Iran is positively viewed, but way to many say, weather they truly or fully mean it, that the US is more of a threat than Iran, and cite the number of wars and interventions all over the world. But most of the time, when you talk to them further and reasonably, people accept the fact that the US is a force of good in the world, at least compared to Iran.

And american culture is ubiquitous here, by people from the whole spectrum of political thought, being for a long time very influenced by american culture through the military base here, its tv and radio and products. But of course the left tryed to limit that influence and we have for long time be divided between those that want to look more to europe and those that want to look more to the US. As english is generally understood its influence here is big of course.

But yes, sadly Israel is not winning the discussion here, there is no one publicly standing up for their cause, or at least not from any respectable sources and in any reasonable manner. And the criticism can go way too far against israel, but it is dampened by political correctnes as I say, sometimes it is not totally a force of bad things, even though it is most often quite hipocritic.

But about my nordic culture and history, it is not spoken in english you know, I have pointed out to you before that the english american world you live in isn´t the center of the world, even though its culture is influental. I said that i did recocnise it and I wondered if you were trying in some bad spelling english way to reference Haraldur Harðráði, the norweegian king whose story was mostly written and preserved by Icelandic manuscripts and sagas. The norweegians of course having lost our old common language preserved here mostly intact in my little isolated country write his name differently today, and in english of course different still, but none of that exactly matches your spelling.

That is why I asked, no need to act like an idiot when someone is showing an interest and trying to establish a common link. Please try this time to answer in a civil manner, I would like to know more about what you are saying, where you get your ideas and views and why for example you chose that name.
Best wishes/bestu kveðjur, from Iceland/frá Íslandi,

Leifur

I just don´t understand where your attitude is coming from or your claims. I am only asking for some proof of your claims or anything that I could read about them so I understand. They are so completely alien and new to me.

In other things, we probably share similar views when it comes to Israel, Iran and anti-semitism, although I am not keen on your language. Sadly Israel is not winning any propaganda wars here in Iceland, Iran is not considered enough of a threat and sometimes criticism of Israel can sound dangerously close to anti-semitism.

But that being said, political correctness is rampant so it doesn´t go all the way to that and jews, albeit few here, are not in any way targeted or under any kind of threat or discrimination, overt or covert. That is why I am so surprised by your words and attitude.

Also, your name, it sounds nordic, Harðráði would be the icelandic equevelent i believe, could be translated as the hardminded. Where does it come from and why did you choose it?