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Ian Buruma

Ian Buruma

Writing for PS since 2001
198 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, and, most recently, The Churchill Complex: The Curse of Being Special, From Winston and FDR to Trump and Brexit (Penguin, 2020).

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  1. Israel’s Flirtation With Anti-Semites
    buruma199_DEBBIE HILLPOOLAFP via Getty Images_binyaminnetanyahu Debbi Hill/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

    Israel’s Flirtation With Anti-Semites

    May 8, 2023 Ian Buruma examines the alignment of Binyamin Netanyahu’s far-right government with ethno-nationalists elsewhere.

  2. Is Taiwan Worth Defending?
    buruma198_ MANDY CHENGAFP via Getty Images_taiwan MANDY CHENG/AFP via Getty Images

    Is Taiwan Worth Defending?

    Apr 11, 2023 Ian Buruma calls on Western governments to commit to protecting the island against Chinese aggression.

  3. The Culture-War Trap
    buruma197_effrey GreenbergUCGUniversal Images Group via Getty Images_bannedbooks Jeffrey Greenberg/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    The Culture-War Trap

    Mar 6, 2023 Ian Buruma warns that some progressive rhetoric is playing into the hands of the populist right.

  4. The History Trap
    buruma196_ Spencer PlattGetty Images_ukraine Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    The History Trap

    Feb 8, 2023 Ian Buruma reflects on how the memory of past wrongs can be misunderstood and exploited by political opportunists.

  5. China’s Autocracy in Crisis
    buruma195_Kevin FrayerGetty Images_xijinping Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

    China’s Autocracy in Crisis

    Jan 9, 2023 Ian Buruma explains why the country’s political system, not COVID-19, is responsible for its pandemic-related distress.

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  1. pisaniferry145_ Thierry MonasseGetty Images_eu green deal Thierry Monasse/Getty Images
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    Europe’s Climate Quandary

    Jean Pisani-Ferry assesses the inevitable trade-offs the European Union must confront in achieving its clean-energy targets.
  2. basu92_Win McNameeGetty Images_samaltmanopenaisenate Win McNamee/Getty Images
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    Governing the Unknown

    Kaushik Basu suggests a few principles to guide policymakers as they try to keep up with rapidly advancing technologies.
  3. oyebanji2_ PIUS UTOMI EKPEIAFP via Getty Images_lassa fever PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP via Getty Images
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    Fast-Tracking a Lassa Fever Vaccine

    Oyeronke Oyebanji outlines what West African governments can learn from the development and distribution of the COVID-19 jab.
  4. schleussner1_David McNewGetty Images_heatwave David McNew/Getty Images
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    Climate Science Beats Climate Fatalism

    Carl-Friedrich Schleussner, et al. show that the more ambitious 1.5º target for global warming is still feasible – and more necessary than ever.
  5. benami202_Burak KaraGetty Images_erdogan Burak Kara/Getty Images
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    Turkey’s Pragmatic Islamist

    Shlomo Ben-Ami expects Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s latest electoral victory to have little impact on Turkish foreign policy.
  6. sierakowski98_Jaap ArriensNurPhoto via Getty Images_donaldtusk Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images
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    Poland's Electoral Inquisition

    Sławomir Sierakowski decries a new law designed to disqualify opposition candidates from running in this year's general election.
  7. stiglitz318_Drew AngererGetty Images_ira Drew Angerer/Getty Images
    2

    Western Industrial Policy and International Law

    Joseph E. Stiglitz

    With recent landmark legislation to support decarbonization and innovation, the United States is making up for lost time after its failed 40-year experiment with neoliberalism. But if it is serious about embracing a new paradigm, it will need to do more to help bring the rest of the world along.

     explains how to minimize the political risks of new spending packages in the US and Europe.
  8. mohan4_STEFANI REYNOLDSAFP via Getty Images_imf STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images
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    The IMF’s Turn to Lead on Climate

    Rakesh Mohan, et al. explain how the International Monetary Fund can best support green investment where it is needed the most.
  9. nye_Joe RaedleGetty Images_trump Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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    If Trump Returns

    Joseph S. Nye, Jr.

    What would a second Donald Trump presidency mean for US foreign policy and the world? While the man himself is unpredictable, his first term and his behavior since losing re-election in 2020 offer plenty of clues, none of which will be comforting to America's allies.

     considers the implications of the 2024 presidential election for America's foreign policy and global standing.

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