Is This What You Wanted? - Karen Pease, programmer

Karen Pease, programmer

I find our race to the bottom unbelievable, along with the velocity at which we’re moving. I would have never imagined that Iceland could turn into the United States in the span of a year, as we import submachine guns and rush to dismantle our welfare and healthcare systems.

But, this is Iceland today. A nation whose doctors have been on strike for six weeks, a nation where corruption and blatant abuse of power have become so common that encountering honesty, candour and/or competency is an exception.

Are your actions being scrutinized by a member of the press? That’s fine; you can charge them with slander and defamation. Failing that, you could just purchase the newspaper and have them fired.

State budget running on empty? That won’t stop us in lining the pockets of our wealthiest oligarchs. Hurry, we must abolish the fishery tax!

We’ve become a nation of privatization and outsourcing, one that Ayn Rand herself would take pride in. So let’s gift our natural wonders to heavy industry—most people won’t be able to see them anyway, unless they fork out for that nature pass.

Whoever could be pleased with these developments? Is this what you were asking for when you voted for the governing parties? What were you thinking when you picked these extremely dangerous people to lord over you?

I see no hope until the next elections. Happy New Year.