American Intervention Burnout: U.S. Inaction in Syria

Nicole Bauer’s human rights capstone paper shines a light on the way journalists who report on international democracy conflicts and write to elevate the voices of oppressed peoples, in the hope of spurring international attention and intervention, deal with government inaction as well as writing fatigue. Specifically, Bauer focuses on the stories of two prominent journalists, Nicholas Kristof and journalist turned U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power, who spent their efforts covering the Syrian civil war. Her paper traces the arc of liberal interventionism through a collection of geopolitical, societal, psychological, and institutional barriers that prevented American humanitarian intervention in Syria. Through the eyes of two of the most vocal American liberal interventionists, Nicholas Kristof and Samantha Power, readers can see how even the most noble of causes has become inoperative in a political climate fatigued by failed American foreign involvement. The content of this capstone is only accessible to users who have a valid Stanford SUNet ID.