Saucepan revolution

The phrase "saucepan revolution" comes from the imagination of contemporary descendants of Viking warriors, and descendants perhaps of the closest thing the world has ever seen to a working model of anarcho-capitalism.

I refer to events in recent days in the Republic of Iceland, where crowds have gathered in front of the parliament building to protest their government's prominent part in the global financial crisis -- by banging on pots and pans.

On January 20, banners included one that said, "The USA is getting rid of Bush today, we want to get rid of you" and another with a slightly less direct reference to the inauguration, saying simply: "Yes, we can."

I don't know how easy these signs were to read. After all, isn't it dark in Iceand pretty much around-the-clock this time of year? That's where the audio equivalent of pan-banging comes into play, though. And it has had an effect.

Don't take your cue from us, guys. Your ancestors had it right. When they fled from the monarchies of Scandanavia, including presumably the one headquartered in Elsinor where all sorts of unsavory goings-on were underway ... what were they fleeing toward? What were they looking for in Iceland?

The government they were protesting with those signs and saucepans has duly resigned, and a new interim government has taken office, intended only to guide the country through elections in the spring.