Can we learn in under a century what Iceland took...

...hundreds of years to understand?

Denmark was to Iceland - what Canada is to Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Iceland Review Online features young Icelanders speaking out about issues important to them. The latest one is probably a great lesson for us - and one that all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians should think about.

Here's a few paragraphs from the column titled "A Colony's Revenge":

You see, the Danes have at times in the past, done some pretty rude things to Iceland and generally behaved a bit like some kind of brute.

For example, there was the time back in 1380 when Denmark took over Norway (and subsequently Iceland as we were a bit of a package back then) and decided that unlike Norway, Denmark no longer needed any of the homespun wool or fish Iceland was used to selling and exporting, a decision that led to a dramatic financial and trading deficit on the little island of ice and fire.

By 1602, when Iceland had finally established a pretty good income through European trade, Denmark decided that they didn’t really want Iceland to trade with others either and enforced this with the looming threat of their massive naval army. Iceland embraced poverty yet again.

Then there was the time back in 1783 when Laki Volcano erupted and killed off 9,000 people (a hefty chunk considering our size) and about 80 percent of our livestock. The livestock deaths led to a starvation that killed off 25 percent of the nations populous. “Where” the people asked “is Denmark? They are meant to be helping us”. The answer? “Nowhere”.

Take the time and read the rest of this interesting story. Witness the passion young Icelanders feel about their history - culture - and nation. I'm just a little envious - are you?