Liberal Imperialism: The History of ‘Humanitarian Intervention’
IN FOCUS, 11 Apr 2011
Even if one’s instincts are to help those fighting Gadaffi, it is no longer enough just to see it as a struggle of goodies against baddies. For it is precisely that simplification that has led to unreal fantasies about who we are fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The idea of “humanitarian intervention” which is behind the decision to attack in Libya is one of the central beliefs of our age.
It divides people. Some see it as a noble, disinterested use of Western power. Others see it as a smokescreen for a latter-day liberal imperialism.
I want to tell the story of how this idea originated and how it has grown up to possess the minds of a generation of liberal men and women in Europe and America.
READ IN THE ORIGINAL – bbc.co.uk
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 11 Apr 2011.
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