20.02.2009

Never appeal to a man's "better nature".  He may not have one.  Invoking his self-interest gives you more leverage. - Robert A. Heinlein

The Name of the Game

Whenever something that seemed wrong or irrational to me to in the world I would go and as my father why this was happening.  For an example -"How can the US embargo a communist country like Cuba and freely trade with a Communist country like China?"  My father always had the same response which was -"What's the name of the game?"  I can remember the first time he said this to me and I replied "I don't know. What is the name of the game?" To which he replied and always replies- "MONEY!" A simple solution to all the perplexing problems in the world.  If you want to know why people do the things they do just remember they are thinking about money.   Which leads me to the foreign travel agencies.  These agencies are not bastions of moral priciples, they are money making businesses just like all other businesses and they will not remove Iceland from their travel books as long as there is a buck, or a Euro or a pound to make.  They will make threats of economic terrorism and try to rattle the Icelanders but their industry is highly competitive and the one that can offer the most usually does the best.  And in the event that some short sighted agency does remove Iceland, another will surely step into the breach to give their clients choice, because that agency will know what the name of the game is.

GTB

Hóta að taka Ísland út

That Makes How Many Times?

If some Icelanders are opposed to whaling due to "negative" publicity, then why do they insist on dragging the issue continuously into the spotlight of the world press.  When Einar K. issued the quota for five years this was a blessing for those fearing bad publicity.  Once the initial protests were lodged and the story broke with the world news agencies the rough part was over. All the Icelanders had to do was to ride out the storm for a week or two by keeping their mouths shut and something else would come along and the quota issue would be forgotten -FOR FIVE WHOLE YEARS!  But no, Steingrímur decided to drag it back into the spotlight by reviewing the quota.  Well, that wasn't enough publicity apparently, so he again gives the quota more publicity by letting it stand, but for only one year.  Why only a year? So the issue can receive even more attention the next year too. That will make a total of four times this quota issue will make it into the press in the course of about a year.  Not a very smart way to avoid the "negative" publicity everyone is afraid of.  Does anyone know what the quota for whales is in Norway?  I sure don't.  Maybe that is because they don't announce it to the world FOUR TIMES A YEAR!

GTB

Kvalræði sjávarútvegsráðherra

Good Conclusion To A Poor Decision

Steingrímur has allowed the whaling quota to stand for this year.  This news comes really as no surprise.  I had stated previously that this was a lose/lose proposition for him and it would have been best, politically, to let this be decided by the new government in the spring.  His party will be upset but Steingrímur was faced with a possible vote of no confidence by the Parliament.  How foolish it would have been to throw away the hopes of the new government on such an issue.  Apparently Steingrímur saw it this way too.  So having really no choice he allowed the quota to stand.  A very good decision.  Too bad reviewing the quota was such a poor one.

GTB

Ákvörðun um hvalveiðar stendur

Two Hopes

Is anyone taking bets on whether Davið will actually show up to this meeting?  I think there are two hopes of this happening.  No hope and Bob Hope.  And Bob Hope is dead.

GTB

Seðlabankastjórar funda með viðskiptanefnd

16.02.2009

"The only thing that separates us from all the other animals is that we have a very vivid imagination" - S.Þ. Magnusson

No More Cruel Than Domestication

Imagine being a whale. You are born in the open ocean. Your home is as vast as the sea itself. You travel where you want ,when you want to.  You find your meals every day. You are with your family and your survival mostly depends on them and yourself.  You are free. However there is a small chance that sometime later in life you will be hunted, chased down by a ship and stabbed with a harpoon. And there is also a chance your death may not be quick. 

Now imagine being a sheep. You are born in a house with shit under your feet.  You are poked and proded and if you are a boy you are most likley to have your vas deferens crushed. (In the most humane way, of course.) Food is brought to you when someone feels like bringing it.  It is crowded and doesn't smell pleasant.  For a few months you are allowed to roam outside until you are forced marched to a corral where you will be separated from your family, starved, crammed into a truck and let into another building where you will be killed- quickly.

Now which do you think is more inhumane?

GTB

Gegn hvalveiðum

12.02.2009

Bear always in mind that a nation ceases to be republican only when the will of the majority ceases to be the law." --Thomas Jefferson

Freedom of Choice

Speaking purely politically, it was a brilliant move by Einar K. to give a five year whale quota on the way out the door.  He must of had inside information that someone from VG would be taking over his ministry.  How does making use of a sustainable resource falls outside the VG platform can't be explained but what a predicament Steingrimur is in now that he has chosen to review that quota.  Does he do the will of his party and core supporters (17%), a minority in the government and population respectively, and change the quota and possibly end whaling? Or does he live up to all that democracy, will of the people (67%) stuff he is always ranting about and leave the quota as is? Unless he can come up with some solution equally satifying to both sides it will be a lose/lose situation for Steingrimur and he would have done best to let Einar's decision stand for 80 days and let the next government with majority deal with it.  But too late!

The real winners in all of this are,of course, Framsóknarflokkurinn.  They have shown really good judgement in supporting the minority government but holding on to the trump card "NO" vote.  How many parties get the chance to vote Yes or NO.  The Icelandic system has alway been the majority makes the laws and always votes "yes" together and the opposition votes "no" together.  No matter what. It is as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow. With Framsóknarflokkurinn giving only support they have added a twist to the normally predictable system and are giving the voters the impression( even if it is only an impression)) that they alone are the defenders of democracy and won't allow any law to be passed that the people don't agree with.  Sigmundur Davið may have done  a "one up" on Einar K. and Steingrimur.

GTB

36 þingmenn vilja hvalveiðar

11.02.2009

Banking was conceived in iniquity and born in sin. Bankers own the earth; take it away from them but leave them with the power to create credit; and, with a flick of a pen, they will create enough money to buy it back again. Take this power away from them and all great fortunes like mine will disappear, and they ought to disappear, for then this world would be a happier and better world to live in. But if you want to be slaves of bankers and pay the cost of your own slavery, then let the bankers control money and control credit.
-Sir Josiah Stamp, Director, Bank of England, c1940.