Consider the following hypothetical example. After decades of civil war, it has become clear that the United Kingdom cannot cope with the situation in Northern Ireland. The international community wonders how many more innocent Catholic and Protestant civilians must die. After many failed attempts to put pressure on the British government to find a solution, China takes the initiative for a humanitarian intervention. The Chinese leadership tries to seek support within the Security Council, but efforts to obtain a mandate are vetoed. However, all members, except for the US and of course the United Kingdom, agree that the atrocities must stop. Subsequently, China, supported by some allies, carries out a humanitarian intervention. Despite heavy protests, other countries have no other choice but to accept China's actions, because it is now the world's leading power.

This example seems far-fetched, because liberal democracies simply cannot imagine a situation where other, non-Western, states intervene in their domestic affairs. At the same time, however, liberal democracies show little restraints in interfering in the domestic affairs of others. This, of course, leads to accusations of the use of double standards by the West.

The attitude of liberal democracies not only points to measuring with different standards, it also demonstrates ignorance of how others see the West. On the one hand, the citizens of liberal democracies consider themselves as peace-loving people, seeking to promote stability and values and to defend their interests peacefully. On the other hand, although they do not fight each other, for ideological reasons and self-interest, Western liberal democracies have intervened frequently. This chapter provides a closer look at how liberal democracies use intervention to achieve their foreign policy objectives.

Democracy and the justification of interventions

For Western leaders, normative reasons have always been important to explain or justify interventions. In recent history, all American presidents have used democracy to justify interventions. US President Richard Nixon argued that “at times it will be necessary to use American power and influence to defend and extend freedom in places thousands of miles away if we are to preserve it at home.”