inside my head on the last day of the year!

Today is the last day of the year 2008.
I find it very strange, this year has flown by extremely fast and new year is here already and I can not wait for new opportunities and hope for my work to become better and I feel better about myself.

these passed few days I've been getting into very interesting conversations with people inside and outside my family.
Mostly regarding the situation here in Iceland and my views on how we can start to work out of it, my views on EU and if Iceland should join or not and also what the society needs to start thinking if we want to move out of this crisis sooner rather then later.
It's been extremely interesting to learn what other people think, if they think the way I do or if I'm completely out there in my thoughts.

So just to share few thoughts of my own.
I personally do not think Iceland should jump into EU without really making sure we dont loose ourself as a nation in the process.
The thing is, when countries enter EU they are bound with the rest of the member countries in everything and is that something we, as this strong independant nation, are willing to risk?
We would also loose a lot of our agricultural area since Icelandic agriculture is not strong enough to compete with the low tarrifs that are required and low prices EU countries can offer. And there are many many agricultural countries in EU that want bigger market to sell in.
Then it's the fish. although the bigger the market to sell in and better prices we would be gaining a lot of money.
But then again our fishing miles that we own as a country will be less since we would have to allow the member countries to come closer and into our turf to fish as well.
So my question is, is the money we get for the fish going to be bigger then the loss we would have by less fishing and smaller fishing area?
That would have to happen and I'm not so sure that it would since we dont sell 100% to the EU countries but also outside.

these are just few of my questions and doubts that I would like answers to before I'm willing to say YES for EU.

My next thoughts are around the way of thinking of the Icelandic nation, and then of course myself included.
We are a hunting nation, we only think one day at a time. there is NO longterm planning, not longterm strategies to make sure our resourses dont leave us like it did when everything fell down in October.
If we are going to pick us up out of this crisis then we need to start thinking longterm, we need to think about sustainability and not only in energy but in society and fincances.
But the thinking about picking Iceland into the same level as we have been then we need to start making sure people think long term and gread is dimished.
Icelandic people are gready. We want everything and more and we want it now.
when young university educated, resent graduate is getting out on the job market they want higher salaries then is normal and all these "benefits" that havent been normally there.
If we are going to run fast this hast to stop.

So enough of my thoughts even though these are just few of them.
so when the year is ending things like these are running through my head and I wonder how can I make sure we dont run to fast, both in the directon of EU as well as we stop run for easy money without earning for them.
So I welcome the new year and I hope to find my way to contribute, find my place in the society.
Until I know where that is and how I shall make my country a better place I will go now and start celebrating the past and prepare for the future ;)

- with love-