Looks more like the 1386 Battle of Sempach, although I see what you mean by “basis”.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Sempach

Wikipedia already claims that “Opinion polls indicate that the Left-Green Movement will win enough votes in the coming election to form their own government.” (No source provided, though.) But assuming this will happen in the coming elections, do you think the Left Greens will take Iceland out of Nato? After all, the party’s website says that it “opposes participation in military organizations such as NATO and WEU”.

And incidentally, the Swiss were slaughtered in that battle.

1) Time will tell how bad off Iceland is. However, my suspicion is that when company annual financial reports for yearend 2008 are public, facts will be much clearer and perhaps direr. My suspicion is that insolvencies will run rampant and “when all markets eventually clear” that may result in Iceland being cleared of many of its most promising youth, which may have little means or inclination to pay off crushing sovereign debt. I hope you are right and I am wrong.

2) Although your account has basis in fact, to be a little more precise it was a Swiss soldier fighting Italians at the battle of Bicocca in 1522 that was the basis (among others at other medieval battles who did the same thing) for this legend. Saying Romans prickly with spears conjures up an image of a) ancient Rome and b) a phalanx, which is more a Greek than a Roman tactic.

3) Are our only choices for how to describe Oddson a) Arthur Winkelried (the Swiss martyred knight) or Christ? I don´t think that does justice to his lack of effectiveness and/or active participation in encouraging a system (unregulated kleptocracy) that led to such tremendous damage that will span across generations. A better analogy would be to the captain of a military vessel who is charged with its safe handling, and while they are asleep in the cabin, the crew runs it aground. Nevertheless, he/she (in nations with martial virtues) is still held accountable for the events that took place under their command. And they should be sacked.

As for D’Oddsson, he, too, is likely not so much the villain as he is made at present. There is no doubt he is being given the brunt and made the crisis scape-goat. It appears that he was taken as much in surprise by the breakdown as any, and he that he made a bad call or two. And there is little doubt that he has meant well for Iceland in all he has done. That said, there is that bit of cutsie foolishness, where he said to a worried and desperate government searching for answers and reasons that he knew the reasons, but he was not telling. With that he put himself squarely in line for where he is. From then he was crow-bait, and would be even had he done everything else right.

There is a Swiss tale of an army of Swiss guard facing a wall of attacking Roman soldiers impregnable for being prickly with spears, until a brave Swiss charged the spears, gathering as many as he could into himself, thereby making an opening through which the others of the Swiss could get in, behind the spear defense, to then rout the Romans. Perhaps D’Oddsson can think of himself as such a one, taking the slings and arrows of the opposition?

But there is also the story of Jesus, the truth of whom was not understood, wherefore he suffered ignoble sacrifice. Today’s question is which of these D’Oddsson is more likely to feel himself to be…

Andrew – I think we’ll just all breathe a collective sigh of relief. At least most of us will.

James – oh my! What is it like – do tell! Does the printed logo look all right??