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Ian Buruma

Ian Buruma

Writing for PS since 2001
217 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. The Laugh Is on the Democrats
    buruma219_AngelaWeissGettyImages_hinchcliffe_trump_rally2 Angela Weiss/Getty Images

    The Laugh Is on the Democrats

    Nov 8, 2024 Ian Buruma sees Donald Trump’s victory as a rebellion of the culturally dispossessed who relish his insult comedy.

  2. Warrior Nations of the Middle East
    buruma218_ JACK GUEZAFP via Getty Images_crisis israel JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images

    Warrior Nations of the Middle East

    Oct 8, 2024 Ian Buruma shows how shame and humiliation have shaped national identities that countenance further killing.

  3. The Greatest Show on Earth
    buruma217_Kevin DietschGetty Images_dnc Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

    The Greatest Show on Earth

    Aug 28, 2024 Ian Buruma describes the Democratic National Convention in Chicago as a remarkable performance of authenticity.

  4. War Games and Tribal Passions
    buruma216_Mark LeechOffside via Getty Images_euro1988football Mark Leech/Offside via Getty Images

    War Games and Tribal Passions

    Aug 9, 2024 Ian Buruma argues that sports nationalism is driven more by a desire for community than notions of blood and soil.

  5. 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.

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  1. geybulla2_ANTHONYPIZZOFERRATOGettyImages_cop29_protest ANTHONY PIZZOFERRATO/Getty Images
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    Azerbaijan Greenwashes Authoritarianism at COP29

    Arzu Geybulla argues that the host country’s centralized dynastic regime is utterly incapable of meeting climate targets.
  2. bkelly1_VCGVCG via Getty Images_chinaelectricvehicleexport VCG via Getty Images
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    Global Tensions Over China’s Overcapacity Will Rise Under Trump

    Brendan Kelly considers the economic and geopolitical implications of the country’s controversial industrial strategy.
  3. ackerman6_AndrewHarnikGettyImages_119th_congress Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
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    Trump Won, but Trumpism Did Not

    Bruce Ackerman thinks the president-elect’s agenda will falter as many congressional Republicans eye the midterm elections.
  4. odinga2_Buda MendesGetty Images_g20summitrio Buda Mendes/Getty Images
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    The G20 Must Help Africa Close the Climate-Finance Gap

    Raila Amolo Odinga urges world leaders to ensure the continent's governments can invest in resilience and clean energy.
  5. brown114_John MooreGetty Images_who John Moore/Getty Images
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    Crunch Time for the WHO

    Gordon Brown

    To prevent unnecessary deaths from treatable diseases, the World Health Organization must be empowered to fulfill its mandate as the leading global emergency responder. If its $7.1 billion fundraising campaign falls short, we risk being caught unprepared again when the next pandemic arrives.

     calls on wealthy countries to ensure that the World Health Organization can confront emerging threats.
  6. COP29 Financial Inclusion is Climate Action Event Thumbnail
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    PS Events: COP29 Live From Baku Session 2

    PS editors present our second session from COP29, Financial Inclusion is Climate Action.
  7. pisaniferry149_ThierryMonasseGettyImages_vonderleyen_green_industry Thierry Monasse/Getty Images
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    The EU Needs a Strong Clean Industrial Deal

    Jean Pisani-Ferry, et al. tout a strategy that combines decarbonization with measures to boost competitiveness and social cohesion.
  8. ggray1_DanielBeloumouOlomoGettyImages_neonatal_ward_cameroon Daniel Beloumou Olomo/Getty Images
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    The World’s Babies Need Antibiotics, Not Just Vaccines

    Glenda Gray urges the international community to help African countries prevent infant deaths from treatable infections.
  9. bp how trump won Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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    How Trump Did It

    Not only did Donald Trump win last week’s US presidential election decisively – winning some three million more votes than his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris – but the Republican Party he now controls gained majorities in both houses on Congress. Given the far-reaching implications of this result – for both US democracy and global stability – understanding how it came about is essential.

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