In this work, Chomsky explores the West's uses and abuses of the principle of 'human intervention'. An updated foreword by Jean Bricmont explores the ongoing crises of humanitarian intervention in Afghanistan, Libya, Palestine, Syria and Ukraine and reaffirms Chomsky's excoriating critiques of Western foreign policy.

Noam Chomsky is one of the most cited scholars in history and has profoundly shaped contemporary understanding of American politics. He has authored numerous books on linguistics, history, and politics. He is Institute Professor (emeritus) in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy at MIT, and Laureate Professor of Linguistics and Agnese Nelms Haury Chair in the Program in Environment and Social Justice at the University of Arizona.