Society's Core Values: Redux

Miriam Rose, the young woman facing deportation form Iceland for "threatening society's core values" was on the local current-events show Kastljós last night. One of the better points she made was that if she is threatening the core values of Icelandic society, then those values are the values of the market place, not of a civil society.

Kudos to her.

Thing is, the state of Icelandic society has been getting me down the last couple of months, as is abundantly evident in this blog.

A sizable chunk of this is down to yours truly. I've had a worse than usual case of my autumn-induced malaise/melancholy, coupled with a deeply rooted pile of pissed off due to the events of last July. I should move on, but I'm still pissed, and its coming out in all kinds of ways.

But my dissatisfaction is not entirely due to my currently pissy attitude. There are things that need addressing here on the Lump, and even if no one actually reads this blog, it means something to me to voice my dissent. If "most men live lives of quiet desperation" I think its about fucking time for our desperation to get really FUCKING LOUD!

The Miriam Rose case is highly illustrative of several issues that desperately need addressing and redressing in this society.

For starters, there's a distinct level of xenophobia at play. Icelanders arrested for acts of civil disobedience are not held in solitary confinement during their incarceration. Ms. Rose was. Icelanders arrested for acts of civil disobedience are not required to hand their passports over to the authorities. Ms. Rose was. Finally, while an Icelander arrested for civil disobedience would have their day in court, Ms. Rose's deportation does an end-run around justice, as the deportation is being handled by the Icelandic Immigration "Service" (that actual translation is closer to "Authority" or "Police", they don't service folks that well) who when it comes to matters of immigration and immigrant rights, act largely as a power unto themselves, unchecked by the courts.

Then there's the glaring example of the nepotism, cronyism, and jingoism at play when it comes to the powers that be. Several months ago, a young Central American woman was granted Icelandic citizenship after only a year or so in the country. This was newsworthy because, as far as the rules usually apply, it takes at least a year to get citizenship (if you're married to an Icelander, which the young woman wasn't) but usually takes anywhere from 5-7 years. The young woman in question just happened to be living with the son of a prominent member of Parliament, which we've been assured has nothing to do with her super-sonic entry into Icelandic society, but was seeking Icelandic citizenship so that she could then be eligible to study economics in the U.K.

After her interview on Kastljós, she was active in her "mother in law's" party's election campaign.

So the lesson is, as long as you are politically connected, interested in something conservative and respected like business or economics, speak Icelandic (Ms. Rose put on a brave show, but Ms. Speedy Entry had obviously spent alot of time in the language lab), and play by the unwritten rules (don't rock the boat, only act within the system, etc.) then the written rules can be bent or even broken to allow you to stay here, even if you're active in politics.

If your not politically connected, not conservative, don't speak much Icelandic, and challenge the status quo, you'd best tread very carefully, especially if you're active in politics. That's when they hammer the rules into a nice rigid rod to pummel you with.

But the Miriam Rose Case has another side to it as well. Just like the WAR IN CITY CENTER, its part of an ongoing campaign of misdirection and coercion on behalf of the authorities.

Case in point, just a few weeks ago, Iceland hosted a major NATO conference.

Not a protest to be seen.

Which is the whole point. Deporting "troublemakers" like Ms. Rose isn't just an end in and of itself, it's also a handy means of stifling dissent. By channelling the dialogue to make it look like the only people who protest anything are foreigners (not far from the truth sometimes, but I digress) you can make Icelanders feel less inclined to support them. After all, "þetta fólk" are "bad mouthing" the beloved homeland. Label them a "threat to the basic values of society" and people will be even less inclined to support them, and the government gets a green light to kick out all the foreigners who aren't perfectly happy being "erlent vinnuafl", aren't busy taking care of the elderly and the young, doing the building and the cleaning and the cashiering and the dish washing or touring around and drinking at bars and going to music festivals all the other "legitimate" things that foreigners can do here.

All this is to protect the basic values of Icelandic society.

If so, then the following is sadly a much more likely list of core values than whatever's written down at Alþingi (that is, if its written down, and not just left up to whoever is in charge at the time):

1-Money is more important than people.

Therefore people with lots of money are more important than people without. People who
work with money are more important than people who work with people. Hence bankers, investors, business owners and investment groups deserve better service from the government, tax breaks, and more say in the organization of society than teachers, nurses, child-care workers, municipal employees, or people in the (non-financial) service industries.

Money being the most important thing, it must therefore be good. Hence anything that increases the amount of money (business, GNP, tax revenue, etc) no matter the cost to people must be good. Hell, its practically holy. Anyone or anything that seeks to limit, prohibit, or otherwise impede the accumulation of wealth, especially the accumulation of wealth by the already wealthy is therefore evil or misguided and certainly a threat to society. After all, we're not "gamaldags kommatittur".

Likewise, monetary crimes are more serious than crimes against people. Especially monetary crimes against the State. Hence drug offenses, which entail making money in a way unsanctioned, and therefore untaxed, by the government, or smuggling (ditto) are prosecuted more harshly and with more zeal than crimes like assault, rape, and sexual abuse, which after all, only harm people.

2-Laws must be obeyed no matter how asinine, intrusive, or unjust they are. Civil disobedience threatens the stability and sanctity of the status quo.

Therefore people like Martin Luther King, Gandhi, and Henry David Thoreau should never be allowed into the country, as they threaten the very foundations of Icelandic society. Remember: Með Lögum Skál Landið Byggja. Seriously, if people went around protesting and challenging laws, it might not be illegal to be gay, or women might be guaranteed equal pay under then law!

Likewise, if you have a problem with an asinine law, you shouldn't seek to change it publicly (unless your an elected politician) rather you should try to get around it via subterfuge. Challenging it outright on moral, ethical, or even legal grounds will get you in trouble, best just to grow the pot in the basement and not bother with rallies, protests, or petitions. This also gives the authorities the ability to catch you, punish you, and use you as an example of how they are protecting the public from you. Do your duty, break the law in private!

If a law is so universally ignored that not even the most rabid policemen will enforce it, it should remain on the books as a way of selectively targeting people for prosecution. (Why do you think porn and sex toys are still technically illegal?)

3-Thou Shalt Be Mightily Apathetic!

The last thing a perfect society like Iceland needs is malcontent trouble-makers wanting to change or fix things. You can't fix things. Það er vónt en það venst. Don't try. Don't strive. Fólk eru fífl, og þú ert fólk. Be unhappy inside and smile to the world. The unhappy buy more, and money matters. Buy yourself into debt. Keep up with trends. Go abroad once or twice a year to someplace sunny and cheap. Buy buy buy. Consume consume consume. Work work work. Don't question why you're depressed, tired, stress out. Don't wonder if a world where you actually spend time with your kids is possible. Whittle your dreams down to things you can find in a catalogue. Repeat the mantra "Ísland best í heimi! We have the most cleanest nature, most beautifullest women and strongest men! We are hip of kúl and all the Hollywood stars think we rock!" until you believe it!

And yes, for the record, if these really are (and I deeply hope they are not) the basic values of Icelandic society, then throw my ass out too, 'cause I'm definitly threatening them!

Poscript:

If you feel the need to give me any "Iceland, love it or leave it" shit, please click here. If you feel the need to point out that I'm being very negative, please check the title of the blog and ask yourself "what part of rant did I not get?"