Icelandic Hero

This guy is my personal hero. Ólafur R. Grimsson has managed, single handedly mind you, to steer the Icesave debate away from being about a wildly excessive, deadbeat nation that refuses to pay its debts to being about a European Union elitist club keeping their wealthy and powerful members happy by beating up on a small but proud nation.

 

While all the other politicians have done nothing but damage Iceland’s ability to negotiate a fair deal by cowering and groveling to please the British, Dutch, and the EU, Ólafur breathed new life into Iceland’s negotiation position by making out the EU as bullies and standing firm in the position that Iceland owes them nothing. Say what you will about past exploits, but no person has done more to support the nation’s image after the crisis than this man.

           I would like to know when the Althing plans to erect a statute of him in Rekjavík. 

GTB

Hvers konar klúbbur er þetta?

Athugasemdir

[Fair Play (IP-tala skráð) 14.9.2010 kl. 17:02]

The think the general opinion in Europe and I believe the USA is that he is a bit of an idiot........He nearly ruined the tourist trade this year in Iceland with his big Katla "Boom" declaration.  I saw him on BBC television and he reminded me of George Bush....:o)

[Gregg Thomas Batson, 14.9.2010 kl. 17:30]

I am quite sure that more Icelanders watched the infamous "Katla" interview than all the potential tourists wanting to visit Iceland combined.  It is a fault of living in a small country that if somebody "important" said something, the whole world must have taken notice. I can tell you for a fact that most Americans don't even know there is a country called Iceland, let alone that they have a president. You will find that the tourist industry took a hit because of the 24 hour worldwide coverage of the ash plume, not because what the president said in a five minute interview. Let's be serious, nobody can compare to the arrogant incompetence of Bush except perhaps Davið during his reign in the Central Bank. ( He still holds the record for the shortest peg in economic history - 1 day!) 

GTB

[Fair play (IP-tala skráð) 14.9.2010 kl. 18:04]

I was in England at the time........You have it wrong my friend.....He warned people not to come to Iceland.......I do agree with him on the Ice Save problem though.........The Icelandic public should not have to foot the bill for the persons that stole the money from the British and Dutch "Investors" that believed the adverts for IceSave...."Guaranteed by the Icelandic Government"

It is the Icelandic Government who are going to take the money through public taxation.......IceSave will be paid....be it through agreement or through the courts.....that is so very obvious......The Icelandic Government did not have the balls to freeze the assets of these known criminals, and they do not have the balls to admit that they should have listened to the rest of the world when they were warned of what was going to happen. If money is stolen from you what would you do......Iceland is in enough trouble without your attention grabbing president making more enemies. The British press must love that guy.....He make the news, but he does not help Iceland one bit......You face those facts my friend.......

[Gregg Thomas Batson, 14.9.2010 kl. 19:03]

Technically speaking, Obama is my president and a friend is someone you have affection for, so you have two points wrong already. But I do agree that Icelanders should not have to pay for Icesave, albeit for a more legally sound reason. Icsave was guaranteed by the state with a fund. That fund was legally acceptable by the EU. When the banks collapsed the depositors could then make a claim on that fund. But when the fund is finished so is the legal obligation to pay.  Why do you suppose the British seized the assets in the first place? Because they knew, quite rightly, that the fund would not cover a total collapse. That is why one seizes assets in the first place, to cover losses by investors when all else fails.  So the British are free to disperse the money from the seized assets and then that is it. Sorry, no more obligation.This is Business Law 101. I also agree with you on the point that The Icelandic politicians did not do anything when they should have, but that is what happens when you put politicians in the Central Bank, friends in postitions of power, and veternarians in charge of finances. And so I appreciate the Icelandic President, for rising up where everyone else stood still.

[sandra (IP-tala skráð) 15.9.2010 kl. 09:39]

I so agree with everything you say Gregg, our president is the only one standing up for our country, God knows that our useless government is not...