Oh to be like Iceland ...

This from The State of The Nation Blog.

About 6 months ago the joke doing the rounds went something like this:

Q.What's the difference between Iceland and Ireland?

A. One letter and about 6 months!

We all laughed, at least until the British and American's started re-telling it. Then we got very offended, especially when the British press (predictably late) got a hold of it.

There was a hint of Paddywhackery about the way it played out in the British media, but if we wanted to make sure they had nothing to hang us on, we probably should have been paying attention for the past few years.

Six months on though the last laugh really is on us. Iceland has had it's banking inquiry, in public, and former Prime Ministers, Ministers for Finance, the country's Financial Regulator and the Chairman of the Central Bank have been named and shamed.

In Ireland?

The banking inquiry may or may not have started. We're not sure, because it's in private. Yep, that's right, private.

Any bankers in jail? No. Has the government been driven out of office like they were in Iceland? No. Are we on the road to recovery? Not a hope.

In Iceland thousands of protesters took to the streets and protested day and night until their government resigned. In Ireland no-one really protests (unless the Unions decide they should) and no politicians ever suffer.

Oh to be like Iceland...