| Governments represents only those whose consent | | | | of weaker states the strong enforcing their will |
| they have sought, action to prevent them from | | | | against the weak, claiming moral superiority where |
| oppressing those whose consent they have not | | | | only technological superiority is demonstrated. This |
| sought ceases to be seen as 'intervention' in the | | | | may lead to modem versions of 'gunboat' diplomacy |
| traditional sense. Those who try to protect the | | | | -or its more frightening modem version, 'cruise missile' |
| oppressed would not be interfering in the internal | | | | diplomacy. |
| workings of a sovereign territory or trying to break | | | | The possibility of regression is the key reason why I |
| down the walls around a sovereign state. They would | | | | am not an intervention 'hawk'. Up to this point, you |
| be assisting in a conflict between international legal | | | | might be forgiven for thinking that I am about as |
| persons. What would previously have been called | | | | hawkish as one could be; prepared to level the walls |
| 'intervention' will take on a different character, more | | | | around sovereign states to allow intervention by |
| like action taken to assist the self-defense of a | | | | others for the protection of the rights of citizens |
| sovereign government. It might still be called | | | | against those who gain power without consent. But |
| 'intervention' as it will still involve 'coming between' | | | | the issue is not just whether intervention is justified; |
| other persons. However, taking such action will lose | | | | but who is justified in intervening and what processes |
| its normative stigma. | | | | should be involved in making the decision about who |
| This does not mean that all such 'interventions' will be | | | | may intervene. |
| justified. If you intervene in a bar room brawl, you | | | | Those who authorize intervention cannot be those |
| may do much good or much harm. If you assist the | | | | who intervene, as that would make them judges in |
| bully, if you exacerbate the dispute, if you increase | | | | their own cause. Intervention may one day be |
| the harm, or if you just join in the fight with your | | | | authorized by treaty within a wide range of states. |
| mates, you will be in the wrong. If you encourage it | | | | One might envisage a 'Democratic League' formed by |
| or precipitate it, you are as guilty of the breach of | | | | an international treaty between democratic nations. It |
| the peace as they are. If you seek to intervene in | | | | would set standards for its membership and be |
| place of the lawful authorities you are usurping their | | | | authorized to intervene in any of its member nations |
| authority in a way that generally endangers the | | | | in a coup situation or if any other action, which |
| peace. | | | | fundamentally breached the conditions of |
| It is easy to see how interventions will be justified to | | | | membership, arose. The treaty could not justify |
| protect the oppression of excluded minorities. | | | | intervention in countries that had not ratified. This is |
| However, the future is not necessarily benign. Just as | | | | the sort of club in which voluntary membership is the |
| challenges to liberal democratic values may lead to | | | | only kind. Such remedies will take longer but it is |
| regression towards old ideologies, the breakdown of | | | | more likely to work in the longer term. However, the |
| weaker states may not herald a progression to a | | | | kinds of nations which are likely to sign up to such a |
| new world order. Instead it may involve regression | | | | treaty are, coups apart, unlikely to be justifiable |
| towards interference by strong states in the affairs | | | | subjects for intervention. |