Author Guðmundur Andri Thorsson wrote a very good opinion piece in yesterday’s daily newspaper Fréttablaðið:

“Maybe many people think it’s a matter of national pride to pay outrageous interest rates, consider the króna a national treasure like the puffin and want Osta- og sjörsalan to manufacture all cheeses, Holtakjúklingur all meat products, Mjólkursamsalan all dairy products and Baugur to control pricing.

“And the fishing quota baron, who own everything, can do anything and wants even more, to control the economy as he has done ever since the devaluation was invented for him.

“It may be that there are many here in Iceland, who are against a higher standard of living, because it makes us lazy.

“It appears that when we discuss the European Union here in Iceland, the standard of living is not mentioned… although it should be the main topic.

“Instead we hear people describe the EU as a union of Nazis and mackerel killers, not to mention sentimental speculations on giving up our sovereignty, which happened a long time ago with the EEA membership.

“The danger is that our young talents, couples with kids, the young developers, will decide to move, pack their household things and join the EU as they disembark the airplane.”

So true.

Sometimes I think, when listening to people and politicians who are against the EU, that we couldn’t have grown up on the same planet.

Do we listen to the same news? Do they listen to any news at all, from the outside world? Do they really think, Iceland and its people are so special?

Do we have the best water?

The best meat?

The freshest air and the most fascinating women?

That we have the world’s strongest men, the best horses and the cutest hens?

Do we also have the most striking volcanoes, not to forget the freshest fish?

The absolute best canned beans (from Ora) can be bought in Iceland and the butter is the world’s best, by far.

We even have the smartest bankers and the most handsome politicians.

Did I mention our fantastic musicians, actors and actresses?

Or the wind?

In Hamarsfjörður fjord, between Höfn and Djúpivogur, record wind was registered around midnight last Thursday, with an average wind speed of 40.6 m/s, or 146 km/h (90 miles/h) and gusts of wind reaching 70,5 meters/sec, or 253 km/h (157 miles/h).

World record?

Páll Stefánsson – ps@icelandreview.com