My latest installment on Huffpo:
A unique and highly ambitious social experiment is set to take place here in Iceland on Saturday, November 14.
On that day, around 1,500 Icelanders will gather in a sports arena in Reykjavík to brainstorm and plan a future vision for our country, and subsequently lay the foundation for the implementation of that vision. The event is dubbed Þjóðfundur — National Assembly in English — and it is believed to be the very first time that a statistically-significant portion of a single nation gathers in one place to attempt to reach an agreement on collective values and future vision for their country.
Iceland experienced a three-fold crisis last year: a banking crisis, a currency crisis, and a political crisis. The corruption, croneyism, nepotism, cross-ownership and political skullduggery that had gone on both openly and surreptitiously for years were suddenly laid bare for everyone to see. The principles that Icelandic society had rested on for the last three decades vanished overnight and common ideology was leveled to the ground. The country was bankrupt in more ways than one.
WEATHER!
It was kinda nice this afternoon – headed out for two short errands, on foot because it is imperative these days to let as much daylight as possible hit those eyeballs. And walking by the sea is double-good cuz the reflection magnifies the light. Plus it’s just so pretty. Anyway, by evening the wind was blowing, and as everyone knows, the weather deteriorates here in Iceland as soon as that pesky wind starts to blow. It’s 5°C [43F], the sun came up at 9.41 am and set at 4.39.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
“those who take part in the national assembly are a statistical representation of the views and opinions of all Icelanders and are, technically speaking, able to speak on behalf of the nation”
A great idea for a social experiment. However, statistical significance in survey results doesn’t normally imply that the survey participants were speaking on behalf of a nation. Unless, perhaps, the participants were elected, monarchs, dictators, or members of a coup d’état. Ah, now I see – it’s the beginning of a revolution!
Future vision for Iceland, to export electricity via undersea cable,here to waterford, Ireland where I suffer €0.16 per kilowatt hour please mention that at the big pow wow, I would be one of your most willing customers at say 5 cents a kilowatt hour.Also with all that free electricity you could be the capital of the internet run the worlds servers etc.
Sounds like Iceland’s soul was also bankrupt and they are ready for something unprecedented. I love the idea of the collective wisdom of The Anthill and it is based on sound principles. I read your links of contrary opinions and it seems like they have much in the way of logistics to work out.
I don’t think we, in Canada, could be successful with something like that because of the magnitude of our country, but if anyone can do it, Iceland can!
(Saw the link at Cliff’s FB)
Have fun Alda.
As you don’t know me at all I’d like you to not refer to me as a glass half empty person just because I criticized your friends.
My questions regarding the meeting have still not been answered.
Respectfully
Daði
Re: weather
As seen from a window
http://forums.icelandweatherreport.com/viewtopic.php?p=1110#p1110
Daði – wow, touchy!
Incidentally – for the sake of transparency, let me just say that I have no special connection to the Anthill people, nor am I acting as any sort of PR officer for the assembly. I just happen to think this is a cool idea and volunteered to be there on the day to Tweet.
Carry on!
Technically speaking they represent opinion of the population – but such opinions have been collected for decades, just without such “publicity”. So – nothing special.
But for sure they have NO RIGHTS to speak on behalf of the nation aka me or Dadi or anyone else. At least I personally didn’t ask anyone there to speak on my behalf (unless they agree to pay my taxes instead of me – then I have no problem).
Many MPs represent more then 1,500 voters – so does it mean they have more value to speak on behalf of ..whatever?
I think this just proves my point. Even from “randocratically” selected representatives 1/3 doesn’t want to be part of it from the very beginning! What would you say about Parliament if 1/3 of its members don’t show up?
So again.
It doesn’t matter HOW these representatives are selected or elected or appointed.
It doesn’t matter how many of them – three The Wise Wizards or three thousand Ants of Wisdom.
What matters – the idea, the cause. If this idea comes from an old farmer from West Fjords – fine with me. But most likely this farmer was not selected nor he is willing to travel to this Anthill – so the idea is lost.
It might me correct that collective wisdom of ants is greater that the one of individual ant unless … unless this “ant” is really wise and unless he is heard.
So long story short – it’s either ALL or NONE Everything between have been already tested by humans many times.
PS. 1,500 ants are not that wise as all 300,000 ants, don’t you agree?
That’s too much. While Daði certainly doesn’t need anyone to defend him, I have to point out that Alda, you are the touchiest blogger around. You are consistently defensive and snarky to anyone who disagrees with you. Your response to Daði is a good example — it is more rude than his polite comment. Seriously, what about his comment strikes you as touchy? Look in a mirror. You didn’t engage at all with Daði’s criticisms, and actually misrepresented his writing in your HuffPo post.
pw.
Alda can write anything here – this is HER blog and this is HER opinion. Just the fact she gave a link to Dadi’s blog shows her courage so to speak. So stop crying please and start blogging
PS. I’m not half-empty-glass man…cause I used to measure in bottles!
So I’m 1/3 full-bottle person!
pw – fair enough. I found Daði’s comment rather passive-aggressive. He kindly asks me not to call him a glass-half-empty person because I don’t know him, and suggests I did this just because he criticized “my friends”. Daði does not know me either – so how can he claim to know who my friends are? He takes the liberty of inventing that relationship – why? To suggest that there is an ulterior motive in me calling him a glass-half-empty person? Because I am sticking up for “my friends”? Glass houses, people. The fact is that I have no personal friends among the Anthill people, although some of them are acquaintances of mine that I happen to think are nice people.
As it happens, I do not consider calling someone a glass-half-empty person an insult. I myself am a glass-half-empty person in some cases too. Big deal. So yes, I did think this was touchy and out of proportion – but then that’s me. Clearly Daði ascribes something different to this phrase, and that’s his prerogative. I did not write it with the intention to offend anyone, and actually found the touchiness rather bewildering.
As for Daði’s terse comment: “My questions about the meeting have still not been answered” — the point of stating that in this particular forum is ..? Did someone promise Daði that his questions would be answered in this forum? I certainly don’t recall that being the case. I remember suggesting the Þjóðfundur people might want to answer them here, but as it happens, I was able to find the answers to all of Daði’s questions on their website, under “Spurningar og svör” – in Icelandic. So to me, the point was moot. If Daði wants answers to his questions, perhaps he should look for them where he is most likely to find them.
Finally, pw, in one sentence you claim I am defensive and snarky to those who don’t agree with me, in the next you berate me for not engaging with Daði’s criticisms. Clearly I’m damned if I do, and damned if I don’t.
Opps, errors in tagging…
Alda, please trash previous message
My 2/3 bottle-empty part said (after reading
“Spurningar og svör” ) “This is wishful thinking”
Nice try but…
As Michael Hudson put it…..if debt can’t be paid, then it won’t be.
Icelanders might try swapping debt for equity….just not equity as we know it….
First, Energy.
Second, Property
One word caught my attention in these comments: “randocratically”. A quick search reveals the concept of “randomocracy” in which citizens would be “randocratically” selected to represent. Nice word play.