Biographical note:

Richard Seymour lives, works and writes in London. He runs the Lenin’s Tomb website, which comments on the War on Terror, Islamophobia and neoliberalism.

Country of final manufacture:

US

Main description:

A war that has killed more than a million Iraqis was a “humanitarian intervention”, the US army is a force for liberation, and the main threat to world peace is posed by Islam. These are the arguments of a host of liberal commentators, including such notable names as Christopher Hitchens, Kanan Makiya, Michael Ignatieff, Paul Berman, and Bernard-Henri Lévy.

In this critical intervention, Richard Seymour unearths the history of liberal justifications for empire, showing how savage policies of conquest—including genocide and slavery—have been retailed as charitable missions. From the Cold War to the War on Terror, Seymour argues that colonialist notions of “civilization” and “progress” still shape liberal pro-war discourse, concealing the same bloody realities.

In a new afterword, Seymour revisits the debates on liberal imperialism in the era of Obama and in the light of the Afghan and Iraqi debacles.

Review quote:

“A powerful critique of ‘humanitarian intervention’ and of those liberal intellectuals who support it.”—Independent

“A great deal of damning material on the apologists of recent illegalities.”—Philippe Sands, Guardian

“Among those who share responsibility for the carnage and chaos in the Gulf are the useful idiots who gave the war intellectual cover and attempted to lend it a liberal imprimatur. The more belligerent they sounded the more bankrupt they became; the more strident their voice the more craven their position. As the war they have supported degrades into a murderous mess, Richard Seymour expertly traces their descent from humanitarian intervention to blatant islamophobia.”—Gary Younge

“An excellent antidote to the propagandists of the crisis of our times.”—Independent on Sunday

“A powerful counterblast against the monstrous regiment of ‘useful idiots.’”—Times

“Indispensable ... Seymour brilliantly uncovers the pre-history and modern reality of the so-called ‘pro-war Left.’”—China Miéville

“[Seymour] delves into areas that are usually politely ignored, carefully uncovering liberalism and reformism’s own shameful record of collaboration with mass murder ... essential reading.”—Owen Hatherley, New Statesman

“We need to understand where these ideas comes from and how to fight them. This book is a major contribution to this understanding.”—Lindsey German, Socialist Review

“The Liberal Defence of Murder is an important and scrupulously researched book with much to offer those who want to know why the likes of Christopher Hitchens have gone so loopy.”—Morning Star

“The most authoritative historical analysis of its kind ... [Seymour] displays a welcome critical engagement, meaningful intellectualism and unabashed factual analysis.”—Resurgence