Dumpsite
Being free of just about any claim to nationality or patriotism is indeed a mixed blessing. During World Cup Football games (football as in true foot + ball, not the freaky American variation of piling men on top of each other) I can pretty much pick whatever team I would like to support. Comes in handy since Iceland rarely qualifies.
The downside is that I do not understand what love for country means. I can fathom dying for an idea or democracy or liberty, but dying for a piece of land? Why? What is the point?
Iceland does not have an army, something I think we can all agree is fair as it would be small and useless. Also, we are not under any current threat, there are very few other countries that are fervently against Iceland and all things Icelandic. Therefore, I am slightly puzzled by the self congratulatory tone many Icelanders strike while they discuss other countries' problems.
Reading the Icelandic newspapers one gets the notion that we have some expertise in international peace keeping, that we hold the key to peace in the Middle East and that without us the UN would crumble and fall.
Well. The city of Reykjavik can't even provide simple functional recyclable garbage disposal. In the other Nordic countries - heck even in New York City for most of the 90's - all one has to do is throw the trash into three differently colored trash cans. In Reykjavik, one has to drive to the dump, be hassled by the people who work there and if one is lucky, the garbage container for one's specific needs is open that day.
If you are anything like me, the idea of driving to the dumpsite kind of takes the whole "ecologically meaningful" aspect out of it.
Who decided that just because we are 285 000 people who speak the same language and have no sound environmental plan for the future, we are better equipped at uniting under one flag than any other country born in the 1900s? Why is it that we can so easily publicly state that this that or the other country does not have the right to exist, whilst we happily march forth and destroy our piece of land?
I hereby announce the birth of the Republic of Elin.
The downside is that I do not understand what love for country means. I can fathom dying for an idea or democracy or liberty, but dying for a piece of land? Why? What is the point?
Iceland does not have an army, something I think we can all agree is fair as it would be small and useless. Also, we are not under any current threat, there are very few other countries that are fervently against Iceland and all things Icelandic. Therefore, I am slightly puzzled by the self congratulatory tone many Icelanders strike while they discuss other countries' problems.
Reading the Icelandic newspapers one gets the notion that we have some expertise in international peace keeping, that we hold the key to peace in the Middle East and that without us the UN would crumble and fall.
Well. The city of Reykjavik can't even provide simple functional recyclable garbage disposal. In the other Nordic countries - heck even in New York City for most of the 90's - all one has to do is throw the trash into three differently colored trash cans. In Reykjavik, one has to drive to the dump, be hassled by the people who work there and if one is lucky, the garbage container for one's specific needs is open that day.
If you are anything like me, the idea of driving to the dumpsite kind of takes the whole "ecologically meaningful" aspect out of it.
Who decided that just because we are 285 000 people who speak the same language and have no sound environmental plan for the future, we are better equipped at uniting under one flag than any other country born in the 1900s? Why is it that we can so easily publicly state that this that or the other country does not have the right to exist, whilst we happily march forth and destroy our piece of land?
I hereby announce the birth of the Republic of Elin.
posted by disinterpreter at 3:42 PM
3 comments
