Enemies of Interculturalism: The Economic Crisis in Light of Xenophobia, Liberal Cruelties and Human Rights

Abstract

This paper contains a slightly enlarged version of the key-note speech given by its author at the final IDIN conference, held at the University of Bergen, Norway, 21st-23rd August 2014. In it, the issues of xenophobia, liberalism and cruelty are discussed, especially in the specific context of Iceland during the 2000s, i.e. the nation’s hot-money-induced boom in the early years of the century, its world-famous bust in 2008, and a less-known recovery over the years 2009-2013.

Keywords

• cruelty
• liberalis
• xenophobia
• Iceland
• private property; penal justice
• human rights