Iceland - the model for government in the modern era

Iceland has a homogeneous population of about 320,000 with a limited nordic/celtic genepool. That's the size of a small city in the North America. Though admirable in many ways, it is hardly a model for large, complex societies with heterogeneous populations. One should remember the particularly brutal economic crash in Iceland, which virtually bankrupted the country.
 
VH said:
Also keep in mind that the population isn't only homogeneous, it's also highly educated... a factor I keep harping on.
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Which proves that intelligence and education do not immunize against stupid greed and economic bubbles.

OTOH, I've always wanted to visit Iceland. It's one of the best places in the world for people interested in Geology. They have the oldest parliament (the "althing"). And, with an almost infinite amount of geothermal energy, it would be a great place for producing hydrogen if the hydrogen economy ever materializes.
 
Flavus Aquila said:
A move towards quasi city-states of times past?
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Consolidation and centralisation is usually a reaction against external threats by attempting to find commonality with your closest neighbours.

Decentralisation generally occurs when external threats are not notable, therefore communities re-assert their individuality.

*caveat: in my view
 
I think what is truly significant about this is that the people of Iceland are holding those responsible accountable... not just electing someone else, but are pressing criminal charges. They're going completely outside the 'system' to do it because the system provided too much insulation for these people to make these sorts of 'blunders' without repercussions.

This is a precedent that the rest of the world needs to follow.

When people rob, steal, cheat, and extort they need to face the consequences in proportion to the effect of their crimes. If someone kicks in a window and robs a shop they need to repay the shop owner (government seizure of their property to auction if they can't pay) and go to jail. If someone misuses billions of tax payer dollars, they need to repay everyone that was affected, or face real punishment like having their assets seized and then being thrown in jail. No one should be immune to justice, especially those we trust to represent us.

The time for a lack of accountability is over.
 
VH said:
I think what is truly significant about this is that the people of Iceland are holding those responsible accountable... not just electing someone else, but are pressing criminal charges...
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And, this is in contrast to the US, where few, if any, of the white collar criminals who are responsible for the 2008 economic debacle have been indicted for, much less convicted of, their crimes. Indeed, the ultimate perversity of the situation is that these criminals took stupid risks in their greedy quests for incredible wealth and then, having failed, were bailed out by the poor suckers known as tax payers. They took risks, and we insured those risks. So, it's risk free for Wall Street and Bankers: heads, they win, tails, we lose. In a fair world, these bankers would be, at least, paupers. And, remember, these bankers produce no new wealth. They don't invent, produce, grow or mine, anything.
 
I guess the problems I have with this are that 25 people is hardly a fair representation of the population, and to represent a population fairly you would really have to have too many people to have an effective parliament that you may as well introduce direct democracy.

Iceland is also a tiny country, it is not, for example and huge contrast, China.
 
Norton said:
And, this is in contrast to the US, where few, if any, of the white collar criminals who are responsible for the 2008 economic debacle have been indicted for, much less convicted of, their crimes. Indeed, the ultimate perversity of the situation is that these criminals took stupid risks in their greedy quests for incredible wealth and then, having failed, were bailed out by the poor suckers known as tax payers. They took risks, and we insured those risks. So, it's risk free for Wall Street and Bankers: heads, they win, tails, we lose. In a fair world, these bankers would be, at least, paupers. And, remember, these bankers produce no new wealth. They don't invent, produce, grow or mine, anything.
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Exactly.
 
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