On Friday our government introduced what they call “extended measures” to help the general public to cope with the situation. That is, some of the general public. And not really help, more like extending the noose (and by noose I mean the one that people use for hanging themselves in).
To make a long story short I have not yet seen anything in their “extended measures” that is of any relevance to me and my family at all.
Somebody asked me to speak in public last night, as a representative of the ordinary people, struck by the economic crisis. It was pretty late and I was almost asleep. I try not to take big decisions when half asleep, so I said I’d think about it. In the morning I did just that, plus consulting with a good friend who told me to go for it. I am not much into giving speaches, but I’ve done it a couple of times and survived. And so I decided to speak.
However, then it turned out that the person who asked me didn’t really have authority to decide who should speak at this particular venue. Appearantly I am one of many possible candidates. Which a kind of makes me uninterested, as my only goal would have been to represent the general public. It now seems that the general public has other delegates who may even do a much better job than me.
However, should I have given a speach I probably would have spoken about the same things that I wrote about in my first post.
On Saturday around 10.000 people (it seems hard to get reliable numbers, it might be a bit more or a bit less) took part in a protest agains the government and their lack of action. I wasn’t there. Like the Saturday before some yongsters chose to express their anger by throwing food and toilet paper at the parliament building (pardon me if the translations for “Alþingishús” is something else). From what I’ve heard it was only a small group. However, this seems to be what makes it into the international media, not the many good speaches nor all the other smart stuff.
Well, at least we’re getting attention.
One more thing: According to the latest gossip there is now, finally, some talk of forming a new government. However, I am not so sure that it would do us any good. As far as I see it the parties are all equally incompetent (including the one I voted for). We’d need a much bigger change than just a different conglomeration of the same old parties.
