Protecting the Welfare State: A Cautionary Tale from the UK to Iceland Ian McDonald skrifar 25. júlí 2023 10:01 I write the following as a response to Bjarni Benediktsson stating that he wants to continue the sale of Íslandsbanki, in addition to the privatisation of many other state-owned institutions. As a concerned citizen who fled the UK seven years ago to escape the tragic consequences of rampant privatisation, I feel compelled to raise the alarm as I witness a familiar pattern emerging in Iceland. Privatisation, with its potential to devastate once-strong welfare states, is a deeply concerning issue that must be addressed and rectified before it's too late. The lessons learned from my home country's mistakes should serve as a stark warning to Iceland and other nations tempted by the siren song of profit-driven governance. The United Kingdom, once renowned for its robust welfare state, found itself in the clutches of an ideology that prioritized profit over people. The relentless push for privatisation stripped vital public services, such as healthcare, education, and transportation, from the hands of the government and placed them into the control of private entities, often to disastrous effect. The consequences were felt deeply by the most vulnerable members of society, as these changes disproportionately impacted low-income families and the marginalized. The British experience with privatisation revealed that when essential services are subject to the whims of the free market, the primary focus becomes maximizing shareholder returns rather than ensuring the well-being and happiness of the population. The human cost of this shift was nothing short of devastating. Critical services, once considered sacrosanct, were plagued by inefficiencies, reduced accessibility, and inflated costs. Privatised institutions became less accountable to the public and more beholden to shareholders, leaving citizens voiceless and at the mercy of profit-driven motives. I am filled with apprehension as I see Iceland seemingly falling into the same trap. If the same pattern of privatisation is repeating itself in this country, there is a real danger of witnessing the erosion of the strong welfare state that has long been a source of pride for Icelanders. The cherished social safety net, which has provided care and support to those in need, is at risk of being torn apart and auctioned off to the highest bidder. It is essential for Icelanders to heed the warnings from across the ocean and reflect on the mistakes made in the UK. Consider who stands to benefit from these changes, and who will be left behind? Can we guarantee that essential services will remain accessible and affordable for all citizens? How can we ensure that profit motives do not supersede the public interest? Rather than blindly following the path of privatisation, Iceland has the opportunity to take a different route—one that prioritises collective well-being, inclusivity, and a commitment to strengthening its welfare state. This means exploring innovative ways to improve public services, enhancing efficiency, and seeking alternative solutions that place people rather than profit at the heart of decision-making. As an outsider looking in, I implore Icelanders not to let history repeat itself. Learn from the mistakes of others, stand together to protect the foundations of the country, and ensure that the interests of the people remain at the forefront of any policy decision. Only through unity and a commitment to shared values can Iceland forge a path that leads to a brighter, fairer, and more prosperous future for all its citizens. Let us avoid the nightmare that comes with the ruins of privatisation, and instead, build a society where compassion, solidarity, and a strong welfare state are cherished and preserved. Sjálfstæðisflokkurin, and Bjarni Benediktsson more specifically, are fully, idealogically comitted to the privatisation and sale of as many cherished and important Icelandic institutions as possible, in as short a time as possible. The recent interview in which Bjarni Benediktsson laid out his hopes and plans was not accidental. It was perfectly calculated. If this goes to pass, he gets what he wants and privatises huge swathes of Iceland, he will point to this interview and say "...well I did warn you..." Do not ignore this warning, or forget about it in the next news cycle. An ideological project is ongoing, and it is the duty of Icelanders to stop it. I just hope that they do before it is too late. The author is a member of Efling Union. Viltu birta grein á Vísi? Sendu okkur póst. Senda grein Mest lesið Má lögregla rannsaka mál að eilífu? Hildur Sverrisdóttir Skoðun Fyrir hvað erum við að borga? Guðmundur Ari Sigurjónsson Skoðun Dætur, systur, frænkur, vinkonur Jódís Skúladóttir Skoðun Er framtíðin í okkar höndum? Anton Sveinn McKee Skoðun Endursala stórnotenda er engin töfralausn Tinna Traustadóttir Skoðun Einn af hverjum fimm Katrín Þórarinsdóttir ,Gerður María Gröndal Skoðun Fáránlegar hugmyndir Haraldur F. Gíslason Skoðun Arðsemi vetrarþjónustu Halla Signý Kristjánsdóttir Skoðun Á sama tíma, á sama stað Ólöf Guðmundsdóttir,Friðrik Árnason Skoðun Raunveruleg pólítísk ábyrgð íslenskra stjórnmálamanna Ómar Már Jónsson Skoðun Skoðun Skoðun Hundalógík ríkisstjórnarinnar Guðbrandur Einarsson skrifar Skoðun Staðreyndir og mýtur um kynferðisofbeldi Eygló Harðardóttir skrifar Skoðun Raunveruleg pólítísk ábyrgð íslenskra stjórnmálamanna Ómar Már Jónsson skrifar Skoðun Á sama tíma, á sama stað Ólöf Guðmundsdóttir,Friðrik Árnason skrifar Skoðun Mikið væri það ljúft Matthildur Björnsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Er framtíðin í okkar höndum? Anton Sveinn McKee skrifar Skoðun Einn af hverjum fimm Katrín Þórarinsdóttir ,Gerður María Gröndal skrifar Skoðun Arðsemi vetrarþjónustu Halla Signý Kristjánsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Endursala stórnotenda er engin töfralausn Tinna Traustadóttir skrifar Skoðun Fyrir hvað erum við að borga? Guðmundur Ari Sigurjónsson skrifar Skoðun Má lögregla rannsaka mál að eilífu? Hildur Sverrisdóttir skrifar Skoðun Dætur, systur, frænkur, vinkonur Jódís Skúladóttir skrifar Skoðun Er okur á leigumarkaði? Reynir Böðvarsson skrifar Skoðun Skynsamleg orkunýting Eva Dögg Davíðsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Tímamót fyrir kvenheilsu Willum Þór Þórsson skrifar Skoðun Hver á að mennta barnið mitt? Ólöf Ása Benediktsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Óþarfa steinar í götunni Teitur Björn Einarsson skrifar Skoðun Stofnun Félags Hafnarverkamanna: Ástæður og áhrif Sverrir Fannberg Júlíusson skrifar Skoðun Heyrn er mannréttindi Kristbjörg Pálsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Hvernig líður þér í dag? Hildur Vilhelmsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Framtíð sjúkraliða, viðbótarnám og nýliðun til að efla heilbrigðisþjónustuna Sandra B. Franks skrifar Skoðun Orkuskipti við hafnir á Norðurlandi eystra Ottó Elíasson skrifar Skoðun Það er alltaf von að vekja fólk til vitundar um mikilvægi geðheilbrigðis Ellen Calmon skrifar Skoðun Heilbrigðisráðherra tekur stórt skref í krabbameinsforvörnum Halla Þorvaldsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Skrepp í skimun, október tími umhugsunar Halla Signý Kristjánsdóttir,Líneik Anna Sævarsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Er ekki bara best að hætta þessu bulli og kjósa? Óli Valur Pétursson skrifar Skoðun Sálfræðimeðferð - Mannréttindi eða munaður? Pétur Maack Þorsteinsson skrifar Skoðun Geðheilsa er samfélagsmál Halldóra Friðgerður Víðisdóttir skrifar Skoðun Sund og kvíði Davíð Már Sigurðsson skrifar Skoðun Að bjarga mannslífi Högni Óskarsson skrifar Sjá meira
I write the following as a response to Bjarni Benediktsson stating that he wants to continue the sale of Íslandsbanki, in addition to the privatisation of many other state-owned institutions. As a concerned citizen who fled the UK seven years ago to escape the tragic consequences of rampant privatisation, I feel compelled to raise the alarm as I witness a familiar pattern emerging in Iceland. Privatisation, with its potential to devastate once-strong welfare states, is a deeply concerning issue that must be addressed and rectified before it's too late. The lessons learned from my home country's mistakes should serve as a stark warning to Iceland and other nations tempted by the siren song of profit-driven governance. The United Kingdom, once renowned for its robust welfare state, found itself in the clutches of an ideology that prioritized profit over people. The relentless push for privatisation stripped vital public services, such as healthcare, education, and transportation, from the hands of the government and placed them into the control of private entities, often to disastrous effect. The consequences were felt deeply by the most vulnerable members of society, as these changes disproportionately impacted low-income families and the marginalized. The British experience with privatisation revealed that when essential services are subject to the whims of the free market, the primary focus becomes maximizing shareholder returns rather than ensuring the well-being and happiness of the population. The human cost of this shift was nothing short of devastating. Critical services, once considered sacrosanct, were plagued by inefficiencies, reduced accessibility, and inflated costs. Privatised institutions became less accountable to the public and more beholden to shareholders, leaving citizens voiceless and at the mercy of profit-driven motives. I am filled with apprehension as I see Iceland seemingly falling into the same trap. If the same pattern of privatisation is repeating itself in this country, there is a real danger of witnessing the erosion of the strong welfare state that has long been a source of pride for Icelanders. The cherished social safety net, which has provided care and support to those in need, is at risk of being torn apart and auctioned off to the highest bidder. It is essential for Icelanders to heed the warnings from across the ocean and reflect on the mistakes made in the UK. Consider who stands to benefit from these changes, and who will be left behind? Can we guarantee that essential services will remain accessible and affordable for all citizens? How can we ensure that profit motives do not supersede the public interest? Rather than blindly following the path of privatisation, Iceland has the opportunity to take a different route—one that prioritises collective well-being, inclusivity, and a commitment to strengthening its welfare state. This means exploring innovative ways to improve public services, enhancing efficiency, and seeking alternative solutions that place people rather than profit at the heart of decision-making. As an outsider looking in, I implore Icelanders not to let history repeat itself. Learn from the mistakes of others, stand together to protect the foundations of the country, and ensure that the interests of the people remain at the forefront of any policy decision. Only through unity and a commitment to shared values can Iceland forge a path that leads to a brighter, fairer, and more prosperous future for all its citizens. Let us avoid the nightmare that comes with the ruins of privatisation, and instead, build a society where compassion, solidarity, and a strong welfare state are cherished and preserved. Sjálfstæðisflokkurin, and Bjarni Benediktsson more specifically, are fully, idealogically comitted to the privatisation and sale of as many cherished and important Icelandic institutions as possible, in as short a time as possible. The recent interview in which Bjarni Benediktsson laid out his hopes and plans was not accidental. It was perfectly calculated. If this goes to pass, he gets what he wants and privatises huge swathes of Iceland, he will point to this interview and say "...well I did warn you..." Do not ignore this warning, or forget about it in the next news cycle. An ideological project is ongoing, and it is the duty of Icelanders to stop it. I just hope that they do before it is too late. The author is a member of Efling Union.
Skoðun Framtíð sjúkraliða, viðbótarnám og nýliðun til að efla heilbrigðisþjónustuna Sandra B. Franks skrifar
Skoðun Það er alltaf von að vekja fólk til vitundar um mikilvægi geðheilbrigðis Ellen Calmon skrifar
Skoðun Heilbrigðisráðherra tekur stórt skref í krabbameinsforvörnum Halla Þorvaldsdóttir skrifar
Skoðun Skrepp í skimun, október tími umhugsunar Halla Signý Kristjánsdóttir,Líneik Anna Sævarsdóttir skrifar