Author: Íris Erlingsdóttir
Family Write-Offs
Icelandic legislators have been particularly kind to a certain social class of Icelanders. Its members, often associated with year 2007,…
Inconvenient Truths
In two recent decisions, the Reykjavik district court has, in effect, ruled that truth is not a valid defence to…
Words Have Consequences
I do not believe Anders Behring Breivik is insane. Certainly, his murderous rampage was horrific and cruel. His targets were…
The Icelandic Entitlement Club
In 1952, Israel’s premier, David Ben-Gurion, offered the new country’s presidency to Albert Einstein. Einstein, being a rather bright fellow,…
Court Nullifies Election: Better Luck Next Time
If the Icelandic government decides to hold a second election for the Constitutional Convention, it is to be hoped that…
With Friends Like These…
The hot item in Icelandic news these days is the American government’s attempt to obtain information about Birgitta Jónsdóttir—a member…
Total Drama Iceland
Icelanders who lived through the first decade of the 21st century found it to be the most interesting, and the…
Liberty And Justice For All
The concepts of liberty and justice are somewhat contradictory. If I am completely free, I should not have to justify…
Why A New Constitution?
Iceland’s Constitution is a legacy of our prior status as a Danish colony and basically a direct translation of Denmark’s…
Protecting Free Speech in Iceland
Earlier this year, Iceland made headlines around the world by vowing to enact the Icelandic Modern Media Initiative (IMMI), in…
Iceland Is … Simmering
The patience of the Icelandic people is wearing thin. After three years of waiting for justice, nothing fundamental has changed….
“Meet the new boss, same as the old boss…”
This summer’s special income/tax issue of the Icelandic business magazine Frjáls Verzlun is at once a bottomless source of nauseating…
The Body Electorate
While waiting at a doctor‘s office a couple of weeks ago, I was paging through a recent copy of Séð…
What Are We Worth?
It is no secret that the role of newspapers today is in a state of flux. The widespread dissemination of…
“Where there is no vision, the people perish”
The problem with the Magma deal is not that it involves a heartless foreign corporation (though of course it does)…
Sour Grapes Over Icelandic Loans
After the Icelandic Supreme Court invalidated loans indexed to foreign currencies, the banks and regulators have struggled to determine what…
Loans And Moral Hazard
The practice of lending money to members of one’s own group for profit is generally condemned by the Bible (see,…
It’s The End Of The World As We Know It
The municipal elections throughout Iceland had a strong “throw out the rascals” feel to them. And it felt good. Independence…
The Limits Of Money
I can understand a father working two jobs to support his family, a mother sacrificing her time to ensure that…
Barbara Ehrenreich Is Coming!
American New York Times columnist and best-selling author, essayist, feminist, and activist Barbara Ehrenreich will be the keynote speaker at…
Apologies and Justice
Now that the “Black Report” has finally been issued—and criminal, tax, and regulatory investigations appear to finally be nearing fruition—our…
The Politics Of Destruction
Now that the Icelandic people have overwhelmingly rejected the IceSave bill, we have to ask ourselves: what have we accomplished?…
Accepting Responsibility
After months of eager anticipation and numerous delays, the investigative committee created by Iceland’s legislature to investigate the dramatic collapse…
The Humbling of Iceland
In 2009, Iceland became the poster child of the global economic downturn. The precipitous collapse of Iceland’s banks and the…