They are aroused by pictures of atrocities. That is the question that preoccupies me. I have attended a number of discussions about Kosovo, and I was shocked to discover how vague and confused people well-informed people are about the reasons for our involvement. They speak of humanitarian reasons and human rights almost interchangeably. Yet the two are quite different.
Human rights are political rights.
When they are violated, it may lead to a humanitarian disaster, pictures on CNN that arouse people s emotions but by then it is too late. The damage is done and the intervention is often counterproductive. The humanitarian disaster could have been prevented only by protecting the political rights of the people. But to achieve this, people must take an interest in the principles of open society. Prevention cannot start early enough.