"Why Iceland Should Be in the News, But Is Not"

[Bring4th_Austin]

"Icelanders have quietly carried out a revolution by toppling a weak government, drafting a new constitution and seeking to jail those responsible for the country's economic debacle."


http://sacsis.org.za/site/article/728.1



I'm kind of shocked I hadn't heard about this until now. I'm kind of disappointed that I don't live in Iceland.

[Richard]

That is what ALL of our respective countries should do. Its time to put the International Bankers back in their place.

Richard

[3DMonkey]

"....they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. ..."

[ƒ❤losopher]

Very interesting development! Thanks for mentioning, abridgetoofar.

Slight mistake in the article: Iceland is (luckily) not in the European Union. There are negotiations about joining it, but probably the author mistook it with the European Economic Area it is member of like Norway (compare with NAFTA). If it were EU-member, redrafting of the constitution could likely occur only under constraints.

Being not even 320k people with a mere 3.5% immigrants and having no strong dependence on exports makes small revolutions a bit easier. But we need role models to get the avalanche rolling. So, THANK YOU ICELANDERS!
Let's hope you ratify it in October as planned.



This is probably the important passage in the constitutional draft as far as tax-payer's money for private debts is concerned:

72nd Art. Assets and obligations of the state

Do not borrow or undergo guarantees obligate the state without the law.

Government may not guarantee the financial obligations of private parties. By law, however, provide such a guarantee in the public interest.

Do not sell or in any other way out state property disposed of except as permitted by law. The disposal of other assets, the state is determined by law.

Draft, via Google translate (emphasis by me)

Official info on the draft

[Raman]

haha I love you signature!

[Oceania]

meh, when are people gonna wake up?

[3DMonkey]

"just ten more minutes"zzzzz

[Richard]

"just ten more minutes"zzzzz

But, but...we've been hitting the snooze button for 26,000 years and you want us to change??

Richard

[Oceania]

i wanna sleep in zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[AnthroHeart]

What does being awake mean? That you know there's something more out there?

[3DMonkey]

What does being awake mean? That you know there's something more out there?

Pretty much, yeah. It is the transformation out of the sheep's skin.

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the fleece-d kind

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(impossible for me to avoid the rouge)

[turtledude23]

This is awesome, go people of Iceland! This isn't the first time they've done something awesone in recent years: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_M...Initiative