OT: The Goverment of Iceland collaspe.

[WoodpeckerWoody]

In the on going ecomomic crisis in Iceland the goverment has fail apart. Acording to the Nationl TV channel RUV and similar stories has been run by BBC and CNN.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/01/26/iceland.government/index.html

[cpdavison]

First the economy and then the government?

These are challenging times for both our countries, WW. Ah, heck, the whole world!

Think of the stories we can tell our grand children, though

Craig D.

[WoodpeckerWoody]

I had expected this to happen for a few days now. But I dont expect the USA Obama goverment to fall apart, I think that they know what they are dealing with. But If the Bush goverment had got another four years (thanks to your consitution cant sit more than eight years) would have collasped in about year or two.

However I'm not sure what will happen next in Iceland so Icelandic is some kind of Looney Tounes. :confused:

[Gasmask Ted]

The American federal government cannot dissolve in the way that a parliamentary government can. Neither executives nor legislators resign just because things are going badly for the country (when they do resign it is virtually solely for scandal or personal reasons). While the dominant of the two main parties may sometimes act in a way similar to a ruling party or coalition in a parliamentary system, it is not the same thing and if there is an impasse the legislature is not dissolved.

[Bradskey]

But I dont expect the USA Obama goverment to fall apart, I think that they know what they are dealing with. But If the Bush goverment had got another four years (thanks to your consitution cant sit more than eight years) would have collasped in about year or two.


I've read about and am sorry to hear of your country's troubles. But our "government" does not collapse, or at least it hasn't for the 200-and-some-odd years we've been doing this. We have "administrations" and there is always an orderly transfer of power. Closest we ever came was probably the first time a VP tried to assume power and nobody was sure if he could do that.

[jonmayo15]

America might not have the perfect system of government, but it looks good for a couple of thousand years more.:D

[zavkram]

So what will happen now if the Icelandic government has collapsed? Is there any sort of contingency plan in place to prevent total anarchy?

Oddly enough, I've recently seen several posters on the subway that advertise really cheap airfare rates to Iceland. I'm guessing that tourism in Iceland will drop sharply in light of recent events.

[WoodpeckerWoody]

anarchy?
No.


They will try to make a new goverment with diffrent parties (total of 5 parties are in the parlament). But how that will work out im not sure.

There has been mayor promblems with the Icelandic consitution and I bleme that on the how bad the situation are in Iceland. for example the President is some short of Monarch (Like UK) and sit and does nothing with runing the plays and when he does somthing on the stages everybody starts to question his powers as the consitution is unlcear about it. Prime Minister runs the place as long as he wants. There is also no term limits on President and Prime Minister so they can sit for x many years. The mayor flawn in the consitution is that every ministers does also sit in the parlament so Cabinet can stream role the legislative power it isn't stated in the consitution but it isn't forbidden. So I wants to take the American consitution see what can works for Iceland and improve the consitution with those article by puting them in.

[trondmm]

So what will happen now if the Icelandic government has collapsed? Is there any sort of contingency plan in place to prevent total anarchy?

It's up to Iceland's president. I'm not sure exactly how they do this in Iceland, but whenever a government breaks down in Norway (which has happened seven times (I think) since WWII) the King will give the leader of the biggest opposition party the task to put together a new government, with as much support of the parliament as possible. If the parliament is completely divided into factions that are too small to be able to get sufficient support from the rest of the parliament, then they'll have to resort to new elections.

[Jack G.]

Sorry to hear about this.

Times are tough everywhere.

Well, as long as things don't get violent, or you don't wind up with some extremist leader, hopefully Iceland will pull through.

I'll keep Iceland in my thoughts.

[Joe H]

From what I read, it seemed the Icelandic economy built itself on a giant house of cards, making several risky investments deals with other countries over the past decade with not nearly enough real capital to sustain it. The sagging economy just hastened its collapse.

[Jack G.]

House of cards?

Sounds very similar to what happened in the US housing market.

[Keith Paynter]

WWBD?

Hearing about this a few short months ago and watching it actually happen are two entirely different phoenomenon. Literally like putting a 'For Sale by Owner' sign on your country's front lawn...

(WWBD = "What Would Bjork Do")