But if Iceland's economic misery was largely still to come, its cultural and political trauma had been immediate.

Some thought of leaving immediately for their homeland, but worried about the country's bread lines, inflation and economic misery.

We shouldn't overstate the case: we're not back to the economic misery of the 1970's.

In times of economic misery, war is always a 'good' way out.

This time, thanks to generous American help, democracy was not associated with economic misery and humiliation.

And it was, of course, the economic misery that made the place such a fertile breeding ground for discontent.

The chance that five years of economic misery will reverse this trend seems remote.

South Africa and its surrogates would then be unable to take advantage of economic misery.

The economic misery has been matched by a new political clampdown.

Poles have so far accepted yet more economic misery because they trust their Solidarity-led government.