Intelligence Squared US: Does Humanitarian Intervention Cause More Harm than Good?

Proponents of humanitarian intervention – the use of force to halt human rights abuses – argue that the world’s most powerful militaries have a responsibility to protect innocent civilians around the world. Beyond saving lives, they argue, intervention deters would-be abusers and ensures global stability, thereby strengthening the liberal world order.

But opponents argue that military intervention is thinly veiled Western imperialism, and subsequently, an assault on state sovereignty. And, it’s ineffective: the West, with its military might, increases the death toll and worsens the conflicts it sets out to solve. Further, given recent waves of populism in the U.S., France, and U.K., they suggest that Western nations should spend their time looking inward rather than policing activity around the world.

Intelligence Squared US: Does Humanitarian Intervention Cause More Harm than Good? with debaters Frank Ledwidge, Senior Fellow, Royal Air Force College & Former British Intelligence Officer; Rajan Menon, Author, The Conceit of Humanitarian Intervention; Bernard Kouchner, Co-Founder, Doctors Without Borders; and Kori Schake, Deputy Director-General, International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Airs Friday, May 18 at 9pm on WNYC 93.9 FM

Airs Saturday, May 19 at 10pm on WNYC AM 820 and NJPR

Airs Sunday, May 20 at 11am on WNYC AM 820 and NJPR