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Behind military intervention: What is the driving force of humanitarianism?
Military intervention has always been a controversial issue throughout human history, especially when it comes to humanitarian situations. The so-called humanitarian intervention refers to the use or threat of use of military force by one or more countries without the consent of a sovereign state to end serious human rights violations in that country. The main purpose of such intervention is to protect human rights within the territory of the country, regardless of whether the victims of human rights violations are citizens of the intervening country.
Humanitarian intervention is aimed at ending serious human rights violations and is not motivated by strategic interests.
Historically, the concept of humanitarian intervention can be traced back to European politics in the 17th century, however, the meaning and practice of this concept in today's society have changed dramatically. Since the end of the Cold War, the need for and discussion of humanitarian intervention in the international community has been increasing. This change not only exposed the fragility of national sovereignty, but also triggered a debate on the legality and morality of military intervention.
Humanitarian intervention marks that in the face of human rights violations, the international community no longer relies solely on diplomatic means, but has chosen the more controversial military intervention.
Since the Cold War, many military interventions have been argued to be based on humanitarian grounds. For example, NATO's intervention in Yugoslavia in 1999 and military intervention in Libya in 2011 all reflected the international community's emphasis on humanitarianism. However, it remains an open question whether these actions actually achieved the desired results or whether they were simply tools of national interest.
Some people believe that humanitarian intervention has become a cover for some countries to promote their own interests. However, does this mean that the value of humanitarianism is threatened in today's international relations?
On a philosophical level, John Stuart Mill advocated the need for humanitarian intervention. He believes that in certain circumstances, the state should have the right to intervene in countries that do not meet humanitarian standards. However, Mill's view faces challenges in the modern international legal system, which emphasizes the principle of sovereign equality, making intervention in sovereign states generally considered illegal. Whether the current international legal system reasonably balances the contradiction between human rights and national sovereignty is still a hotly debated topic among legal scholars and international relations experts.
Whether humanitarian intervention can take into account national sovereignty and the protection of human rights is a major challenge for current international law.
Moreover, modern philosophers such as Martha Nussbaum have argued that individual capabilities should serve as the moral basis for humanitarian intervention. She argued that when a state fails to provide its citizens with basic survivability, it is reasonable for other states to step in. However, it is open to question whether such a view is universally applicable or is just an idealized standard.
The legality and consequences of humanitarian intervention have triggered widespread thinking in the international community. Most countries' positions and interpretations of intervention vary widely, making it impossible to establish universal and clear principles. In practice, we have seen how, in the face of human rights crises, the actions of the international community are often full of contradictions and controversies.
Whether the motivation for military intervention is purely based on humanitarianism, or whether it is based on considerations of the interests of other countries, is worth pondering for each of us.
In the future, how to further promote the international community to act based on humanitarian principles and conduct more in-depth discussions on its legitimacy will be a major challenge facing current international relations. On the stage of managing global humanitarian crises, how should the international community effectively balance national sovereignty and the protection of human rights?
