In my previous post, I noted the total confusion and disagreement between the governments of Iceland and the U.K. on the most basic facts (like who said what). I also said that I thought most of the loans made by Icelandic banks could probably have been paid back under ordinary circumstances. The evidence that has come out over the past few days supports these ideas. It appears that the U.K. government, for whatever reason, was like a bull in a china shop. Britain over-reacted and guaranteed that a difficult situation would turn into a bloody mess.

The Times Online has a short opinion piece written by a member of the British Parliament, which lambasts Gordon Brown. Daniel Hannan, a member of the Conservative Party, makes a number of charges that will certainly resonate with the Icelandic people. Hannan describes British action as a shameful over-reaction that made the situation worse; he notes that seizing the otherwise solvent Kaupthing Bank led to its collapse, and alleges that far more people could have been paid back if the situation was approached in a rational manner. Hannan also denounces the use of British 'anti-terrorism' laws to deal with a variety of incidents that clearly have nothing to do with terrorism.

You can read the article "Gordon Brown's raid on Iceland was cowardice, not courage" at the Times Online.

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Most of the phone calls and emails from Iceland paint a picture that is not good, but is not too bad at this point. Imports of food and medicine continue, but getting foreign currency for other things is very difficult or not possible. The Krona has fallen and won't be getting up soon - most people are simply looking for stability. Unemployment is going up, but most people still have their jobs (and are updating their resumes just in case).

The old expression "Devil's Island" (Djöflaeyjan) is being heard quite a bit these days. This terms was in common use before WWII, when Iceland was poor, physical conditions were quite basic, and it was considered a cursed place. There was also a 1996 film called Djöflaeyjan by Icelandic director Friðrik Þór Friðriksson. I have a copy on DVD that I got a few years ago for Christmas, and plan to watch it again. I can remember bits and pieces from the movie (metal shacks and quonset huts, old cars, etc.) but most of the story is fuzzy.

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I have seen comments in various blogs about people wanting to help Iceland, but they were not sure what products they could buy. Here are a few places that came to mind - these are places I am familiar with, I have ordered from a few in the past - and it is not a comprehensive list in any way.

• Randburg.com: Books about Iceland
• Nordic Store Icelandic Jewelry, Books, Souvenirs, Foods.
• Icelandic Record Labels: a list of links to their websites.
• Eve Online: an online massive multiplayer game based in Iceland.

If you know of other places where consumers can support Iceland, leave a comment.

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