Jun 1, 2023·edited Jun 1, 2023Liked by Jack Mirkinson
I think Jack nailed it. They have dark thoughts and like dark stories, but they have a healthy society. A minority of people are actually miserable. And the declining rates of alcoholism in Iceland might be another data point - drinking in Iceland is way down over the last few decades. In the 90s Iceland had this reputation of being a dark place where everyone sucked down vodka was either into black metal or EDM. The latter is still true. But Icelandic people are so good. Want to join them? You just need to to live there for 7 years and prove you can make a living there. No one will picket you to "go back where you came from." Make it there and you can live there. That deal surely won't last. What are they thinking?
Scandinavians are awesome people. They just have a different emotional baseline then we do. And that baseline is contentment. Have a kid in college with just modest credit card debt? Good. Have both a gasoline car and an EV? You're affluent! Have a solid roof over your head? And a summer cottage? You rule. I just came back from northwest Iceland. They are not the shiniest, happiest people. But I watched them closely. They work from home and have side gigs like farming or running a cafe or inn. They enjoy their imported coffee. They spend at least 15 minutes each day in a public hot pot or the town pool. Their kids are safe. There are no mass shootings. There's no minority political party stripping rights away or threatening to rush into the legislature with guns. In fact, you can call the president. His cell phone is public much like Boston Mayor Menino gave people his number back in '94. I was told the president dined at a fish restaurant in Ísafjörður days before I got there and it was no big thing. The Prime Minister is a good woman. The society is decent. Iceland is good.
Were not. Full stop. We're ill. We're sick. We're killing each other. We have no future. We drink and do drugs too much. We commit suicide too much. And the men among us sometimes commit suicide by gunning down dozens before they expire. We're no good. The fucking problem is us.
no doubt about it all, yes all, the scandinavian shows I watch on the tube are very dark. From when I was lad and went to Engrid Beregman movies -Cries and Whispers- onwaard. dark, kinda sick even. Mostly cop and detective stuff but even ourside of these two genres everyting I watch to date has been dark. Maybe its a ying yang thing.
I think Jack nailed it. They have dark thoughts and like dark stories, but they have a healthy society. A minority of people are actually miserable. And the declining rates of alcoholism in Iceland might be another data point - drinking in Iceland is way down over the last few decades. In the 90s Iceland had this reputation of being a dark place where everyone sucked down vodka was either into black metal or EDM. The latter is still true. But Icelandic people are so good. Want to join them? You just need to to live there for 7 years and prove you can make a living there. No one will picket you to "go back where you came from." Make it there and you can live there. That deal surely won't last. What are they thinking?
Scandinavians are awesome people. They just have a different emotional baseline then we do. And that baseline is contentment. Have a kid in college with just modest credit card debt? Good. Have both a gasoline car and an EV? You're affluent! Have a solid roof over your head? And a summer cottage? You rule. I just came back from northwest Iceland. They are not the shiniest, happiest people. But I watched them closely. They work from home and have side gigs like farming or running a cafe or inn. They enjoy their imported coffee. They spend at least 15 minutes each day in a public hot pot or the town pool. Their kids are safe. There are no mass shootings. There's no minority political party stripping rights away or threatening to rush into the legislature with guns. In fact, you can call the president. His cell phone is public much like Boston Mayor Menino gave people his number back in '94. I was told the president dined at a fish restaurant in Ísafjörður days before I got there and it was no big thing. The Prime Minister is a good woman. The society is decent. Iceland is good.
Were not. Full stop. We're ill. We're sick. We're killing each other. We have no future. We drink and do drugs too much. We commit suicide too much. And the men among us sometimes commit suicide by gunning down dozens before they expire. We're no good. The fucking problem is us.
no doubt about it all, yes all, the scandinavian shows I watch on the tube are very dark. From when I was lad and went to Engrid Beregman movies -Cries and Whispers- onwaard. dark, kinda sick even. Mostly cop and detective stuff but even ourside of these two genres everyting I watch to date has been dark. Maybe its a ying yang thing.