Published September 24, 2010

Hi. I’m back from vacation. It was alright. I read a lot of books. Drank a lot of beer. Took in some sun. Went to the beach a couple times, actually. That was nice. Wish we had beaches like that over here.

Oh yes, I did a little dance, made a little love, got down tonight. Boy was it relaxing! As I boarded the plane back home I felt like a fresh, new human being, all ready to take on the world with the sun in my eyes and a smile on my face.

Then the stewardess passed around the latest copies of Fréttablaðið and Morgunblaðið, Iceland’s two daily newspapers.
Ugh. I sank further into my chair with every turn of the page. I tensed up. My skin turned pale and clammy. I started shaking uncontrollably as I envisioned the environment I was returning to. I cried a little inside.

Folks, what are we doing? Seriously! What the hell are we trying accomplish here? This is not how an enlightened and reasonable society operates. This is not how we run a discourse. This is not how we solve any problems!

It feels like we are all stuck in some sort of horrible Twilight Zone-type area where we are doomed do just cover our ears and scream as loud as we can in one another’s faces while completely ignoring the each other, the outside world and every attempt at a valid argument.

What are we protecting? Who are we protecting?

What are we doing?

I don’t understand.

And I am having some serious doubts whether I have the stomach to partake much longer.