"How has Liberalism faced the challenges of racism? Is there more than one kind of liberalism? And what does the future hold for liberalism in a country where its spoken principles are newly entrenched, but where its name is so contentious?" "Ironic victory collects nineteen essays on liberalism in South Africa written since 1994 by prominent individuals in South Africa and abroad. From diverse and often opposing perspectives, the essays cover notions of liberalism and the currency of the term, its status among South Africans, and its present and future usefulness as a way of understanding and approaching contemporary politics, education, affirmative action, the press, law, and the South African constitution."--Jacket.