"Why are we, just like when fishing cod, only interested in the first step, i.e. providing the raw material, instead of processing it all the way? Why are we still playing the part of the colony? Whether it's for the Danes, the U.S. Army or Alcoa, we don't get much in exchange. Isn't it childish to sell oneself that cheap? The senator mentions 'the brutal withdrawal of the army'. Why should Alcoa not become as brutal some time in the future? Most of the Icelanders who were employed by the army have now found a new job, and we should be glad they did. Jónas frá Hrifla once said that Halldór Laxness was childish, because of his views on nature conservation. Laxness fought for the protection of Gullfoss, the golden waterfall. Was prime minister Ólafur Thors also childish, because he granted the U.S. Army permission for only one military base, when they were asking for four? Sure, they would have rewarded us and paved road nr 1 all around Iceland, but then Iceland would have followed the cold war in its fall, and been hurt by brutal unemployment. We would have been unable of attempting anything without asking first the U.S. for permission. Not unlike the dependency of Greenlanders on Denmark today."Björk beskriver motiven till Náttúra-projektet och bemöter de politiker som kritiserat hennes engagemang för miljön i The Reykjavík Grapevine som du kan ladda ner här.
Foto: David Sims/bjork.com
