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Ian Buruma

Ian Buruma

Writing for PS since 2001
213 commentaries

Ian Buruma is the author of numerous books, including Murder in Amsterdam: The Death of Theo Van Gogh and the Limits of Tolerance, Year Zero: A History of 1945, A Tokyo Romance: A Memoir, The Churchill Complex: The Curse of Being Special, From Winston and FDR to Trump and Brexit, The Collaborators: Three Stories of Deception and Survival in World War II, and, most recently, Spinoza: Freedom’s Messiah (Yale University Press, 2024).

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  1. Democracy, What Democracy?
    buruma215_ Octavio JonesGetty Images_trump supporters Octavio Jones/Getty Images

    Democracy, What Democracy?

    Jul 4, 2024 Ian Buruma warns that Donald Trump’s supporters have a different understanding of government by the people.

  2. Are the Kids All Right?
    buruma214_Win McNameeGetty Images_young trump supporters Win McNamee/Getty Images

    Are the Kids All Right?

    Jun 7, 2024 Ian Buruma explains why younger voters are falling under the sway of populist demagogues who threaten their liberties.

  3. The Privileged Gaza Protesters
    buruma213_Stephanie KeithGetty Images_palestine college Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

    The Privileged Gaza Protesters

    May 7, 2024 Ian Buruma argues that fear of losing rank could be driving students to demonstrate their intersectional bona fides.

  4. The Case for Israel Remains Valid
    buruma212_Sean GallupGetty Images_israelflaggermany Sean Gallup/Getty Images

    The Case for Israel Remains Valid

    Apr 1, 2024 Ian Buruma explains why the country’s founding principle as a safe haven for Jews still appeals to many people.

  5. Alexei Navalny Did Not Die for Nothing
    buruma211_VANO SHLAMOVAFP via Getty Image_navalny Vano Shlamov/AFP via Getty Images

    Alexei Navalny Did Not Die for Nothing

    Mar 1, 2024 Ian Buruma highlights the crucial role of political martyrs in inspiring resistance to oppressive regimes.

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  1. velasco150_PAUL ELLISAFP via Getty Images_voting PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
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    In Praise of First-Past-the-Post

    Andrés Velasco explains why Britain’s electoral system is better than all the plausible alternatives.
  2. slaughter105_JACK GUEZAFP via Getty Images_womenwagepeace Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images
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    Peacebuilding in the Middle East Requires Women

    Anne-Marie Slaughter & Xanthe Scharff argue that negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians must no longer be the province of men.
  3. varoufakis117_JULIEN DE ROSAAFP via Getty Images_macron JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images
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    Macron and Europe’s Centrists Are Out of Good Options

    Yanis Varoufakis shows that an intractable economic conundrum lies behind the current impasse in French politics.
  4. quesada3_ Lokman Vural ElibolAnadolu via Getty Images_immigration Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images
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    Immigration Does Not Start at the US Border

    Carlos Alvarado-Quesada laments the failure of Republicans and Democrats alike to address the root causes of migration.
  5. landau4_Getty Images_AI money Getty Images/Anton Petrus
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    Will AI Kill Off Money?

    Jean-Pierre Landau considers some of the underappreciated implications of an economy run entirely by machines.
  6. op_krauze1_Fine Art ImagesHeritage ImagesGetty Images_spinoza Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images
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    A Philosopher for Our Times

    Enrique Krauze shows that, given rising illiberalism, the seventeenth-century thinker Baruch Spinoza is as relevant as ever.
  7. snower8_Getty Images Getty Images
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    A New Worldview for Troubled Times

    Dennis J. Snower proposes four principles to guide policymaking and global negotiations in the age of climate change.
  8. moyo29_Carl CourtGetty Images_FTSE Carl Court/Getty Images
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    Navigating Today’s Frothy Financial Markets

    Dambisa Moyo offers a basic framework for assessing the risk of new bubbles and their potential spillover effects.
  9. asadullah16_ MUNIR UZ ZAMANAFP via Getty Images_bangladesh MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP via Getty Images
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    An Arab Spring for Bangladesh?

    M. Niaz Asadullah argues that young protestors could help the country chart a democratic course and achieve sustainable growth.

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