Video: Iceland's President: Let Banks Go Bankrupt

In the following video, Mr. Olafur Ragnar Grimsson Iceland’s president calls for banks to go bankrupt. (hat tip Mises Blog)

Interesting quips:

On the worship of the banking sector:

1:24 Why do you consider banks to be the holy churches of the modern economy?

On crony capitalism 

1:37 The theory that you have to bailout banks is the theory about bankers enjoying their own profit of success and let the ordinary people be the failure...

On how political redistribution from bailouts impacts the real economy

2:31 If you want your economy to be competitive in the innovative sector of the 21th century, a strong financial sector that takes the talent from these sectors, even a successful financial sector is in fact bad news, if you want your economy to be competitive in the areas which really are the 21st century areas Innovation Technology IT 

While virtues of bankruptcy is something to extol, I think Iceland bubble experience is unique, considering her rather small 300,000+ population. 

A smaller population could mean that vested interest groups may have lesser political influence, or perhaps, are easier to deal with compared to the more complex and hugely populated social democratic welfare states as Europe, Japan or the US where power blocs have been deeply entrenched and have significant following in the populace. 

But yes, let the banks fail.