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Obama is neither a socialist, nor a mere political accountant. He has some modest ideals, and may yet be an excellent president. But what is needed to revive liberal idealism is a set of new ideas on how to promote justice, equality and freedom in the world. Reagan, Thatcher, and Gorbachev, assisted in the end of an ideology, which once offered hope, and inspired real progress, but resulted in slavery and mass murder. We are still waiting for a new vision, which will lead to progress, but this time, we hope, without tyranny.
— Ian Buruma
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Obama is neither a socialist, nor a mere political accountant. He has some modest ideals, and may yet be an excellent president. But what is needed to revive liberal idealism is a set of new ideas on how to promote justice, equality and freedom in the world. Reagan, Thatcher, and Gorbachev, assisted in the end of an ideology, which once offered hope, and inspired real progress, but resulted in slavery and mass murder. We are still waiting for a new vision, which will lead to progress, but this time, we hope, without tyranny." in the context of "What’s Left After 1989?" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Ian Buruma" (Sourced)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Ian Buruma
Ian Buruma (born December 28, 1951) is a Dutch writer and academic. Much of his work focuses on Asian culture, particularly that of 20th-century Japan. In 2003 he became Luce Professor of Democracy, Human Rights & Journalism at Bard College, New York.
About Ian Buruma
Ian Buruma (born December 28, 1951) is a Dutch writer and academic. Much of his work focuses on Asian culture, particularly that of 20th-century Japan. In 2003 he became Luce Professor of Democracy, Human Rights & Journalism at Bard College, New York.
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