Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.08.2014, Blaðsíða 10

Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.08.2014, Blaðsíða 10
10 The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 11 — 2014 ;OL<UP]LYZP[`VM0JLSHUK:[\KLU[)HY The Student Cellar cheap food, brunch, excellent bar, coffee, cakes & entertainment Z[\KLU[HRQHSSHYPUUPZ MHJLIVVRJVT:[\KLU[HRQHSSHYPUU 6WLUL]LY`KH`MYVT  L_JLW[;O\YZKH`HUK-YPKH`MYVT  The University of Iceland Bookstore The University bookstore offers a wide selection of books on Iceland, Icelandic novels in many languages and various University of Iceland products. www.boksala.is 6WLU^LLRKH`ZMYVT   University of Iceland Sæmundargötu 4 - Reykjavík - tel: 570 0890 Meanwhile, two tourists who were clearly more concerned with Iceland than the street pooper risked their lives in order to swerve around a sheep that had jumped into the road. The jeep flipped and rolled over. Thankfully, the tourists suffered only minor injuries. Speaking of tourism, an Iceland- er hoping to sell group trips to North Korea has pulled the plug on the operation. “We had a complete group, but when news stories about concentration camps and starvation in this otherwise fine country began to be reported, people started to cancel,” he told reporters. In other news, Hallgrímskirkja has been voted one of the world’s strangest buildings. Hall- grímskirkja is the largest church in Iceland and according to the State Architect Guðjón Samúelsson who de- signed it, it is meant to resemble basalt lava flows in Iceland’s landscape. Perhaps weirder still is the news that a group of Icelanders are aiming to have the country brought un- der the administration of the Nor- wegian government as “Norway’s 20th county.” The group in question, Fylkisflokkurin (“The County Party”) purports in their mission statement that they aim for “the re-unification of Iceland and Norway,” wherein “the Norwegian government would consti- tutionally protect and promote Icelan- dic culture while Icelanders would en- joy all the same rights as Norwegians.” Lastly, on a happy note, Crossfit athlete Annie Mist Þórisdóttir and found- er of deCODE genetics Kári Ste- fánsson have had a great few weeks. Annie finished second overall in the 2014 CrossFit Games despite a back injury, which threatened to keep her from competing, and Kári was recognised by the Alzheimer’s As- sociation for his work in research- ing the genetic aspects of the disease. Congratulations to them both! — Continued — NEWS IN BRIEF LATE JULY Opinion | Politics When I returned home later that eve- ning, I did some online investigation. Wasn’t Barber nominated for this vital position last year? Why is it taking so long for him to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate? Is this delay simply the re- sult of bureaucratic inefficiency, or are lawmakers within the Senate playing partisan games and using America’s relationship with Iceland as a means of scoring political points and gaining political leverage? Regardless of the exact reasons for Barber’s protracted confirmation process, American poli- cymakers should, from this point on, prioritise their nation’s invaluable partnership with Iceland and vote swiftly to restore the U.S. Embassy in Reykjavík to full working order. Barber’s Long, Bumpy Road From Nomination To Confirmation President Obama formally announced Robert Barber’s nomination for U.S. Ambassador to Iceland on October 29, 2013. His selection for the position ini- tially drew criticism from Republicans because Barber, who has never been to Iceland, was a prolific fundraiser for Barack Obama during his 2012 re- election campaign (he raked in a hefty total of 2.9 million USD for the incum- bent president). Outside of his political activities, though, Barber is an accom- plished attorney with degrees from Harvard and Boston University who works as a managing partner at a Cam- bridge law firm. Barber is clearly a po- litical appointee with little experience in foreign affairs, but his prodigious law career and fundraising prowess suggest that he is a capable profes- sional and leader with the potential to make a significant, positive impact on U.S./Icelandic relations. At the same time Barber was cho- sen for the top diplomatic post in Ice- land, President Obama also named his controversial selections for vacant ambassadorships in Hungary and Norway: television producer Col- leen Bradley Bell and CEO of Chart- well Hotels George Tsunis. Both Bell and Tsunis made national headlines in the U.S. when they bungled their confirmation hearing before the Sen- ate Foreign Relations Committee. Bell struggled, and ultimately failed, to name a single commercial interest the U.S. has in Hungary, while Tsunis made a series of humiliating gaffes, claiming that Norway has a president (Norway is a constitutional monarchy) and mistakenly characterising mem- bers of Norway’s majority coalition in parliament as “fringe elements” who “spew hatred.” Barber emerged from the hearing relatively unscathed, but the other appointees left not only the members of the committee but also the American public completely stunned and underwhelmed, likely causing considerable delays in all three nomi- nees’ final confirmations. The Politics Of Postponement Prolonging the approval of ambas- sadors, especially those who are not career diplomats, is not an unusual oc- currence. In fact, it is a long-standing tradition within American politics. Both Republicans and Democrats have stalled confirmation votes in the past not only to curry favour with their parties’ bases but also to enact politi- cal retribution. Just recently, the Sen- ate Majority Leader, Democrat Harry Reid, took to the Senate floor to address this issue, heaping his Republican col- leagues with scorn, accusing them of jeopardizing America’s economic and national security interests abroad by leaving “gaping holes” in the coun- try’s diplomatic “frontlines.” In his speech, Reid noted that thirty ambassadorial nominees are cur- rently awaiting final authorization by the Senate, including critical posts in Viet- nam, Bosnia, and over a quarter of all African nations. He went on to accuse Republicans of blocking these crucial votes as “payback for rule changes in- stituted by the Senate." Petty squabbles and partisan poli- ticking aside, the need for a permanent representative of the United States in Iceland is becoming more and more apparent, as the two nations are close partners in business, trade, and the battle against climate change. In The Meantime… The absence of the U.S. Ambassador to Iceland certainly reveals the sad state of American politics, but the embassy staff in Reykjavík continue to faithfully execute its duties, undeterred. Until Barber is confirmed, Chargé dé Affaires Paul O’ Friel has assumed administra- tive command of America’s diplomatic mission in Iceland, as procedure within the U.S. Department of State dictates. All embassy functions have continued as scheduled, and Iceland and the U.S. remain strong allies who willingly col- laborate on economic and social mat- ters pertinent to both nations. However, American politicians’ stubborn refusal to approve the nation’s backlog of ambassadorial nominees continues to send a tacit message of indifference to the rest of the world, an unfortunate situation that will hopeful- ly be resolved soon. If you are an Ameri- can living in Iceland, there is something you can do to help: send a letter to your senator back home, imploring him or her to bring Barber’s confirmation up for a vote. Tell them America’s long- standing relation- ship with Iceland is not a political bargaining chip: Iceland is an es- teemed partner and ally in com- merce, world af- fairs and the fight for human rights that should be respected, not ig- nored. Elliott is currently earning an M.A. in English literature at the University of Iceland. I recently attended the U.S. Embassy in Reykjavík’s an- nual American Independence Day celebration, a lively event with great music, a delicious American-style buffet, a host of accomplished people and an abundance of patri- otic spirit. As I scanned the mingling crowd, I recognised several highly-distinguished Icelandic guests, including former president Vigdís Finnbogadóttir and newly-elect- ed Reykjavík mayor Dagur B. Eggertsson. However, as the evening wore on, I realised that one important Amer- ican figure was noticeably absent from all the festivities: Robert Barber, President Obama’s nominee to replace Luis Arreaga as U.S. Ambassador to Iceland. Where’s Robert Barber? The confounding case of the missing U.S. Ambassador to Iceland Words by Elliott Brandsma “Bell struggled, and ultimately failed, to name a single commer- cial interest the U.S. has in Hungary, while Tsunis made a series of humiliating gaffes, claiming that Norway has a president…”
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