
How not to mistake the enemy? Two critiques of humanitarian action
03/21/2025The Trump administration’s attacks on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) since 20 January 2025 have revealed the anti-humanitarian ideology of the far right ‒ that is, the view that foreign aid is a betrayal of national interests and values. In this article, Joël Glasman discusses two historical critiques of humanitarianism: the far-right (reactionary) critique, and the progressive critique shared by a number of traditions (Marxist, socialist, feminist, Pan-Africanist, and anti-colonialist). The author stresses the importance of clearly distinguishing between these two types of critique despite the current blurring of the line between politics and the media (welcomed by reactionary critique supporters), and shows that they are polar opposites when it comes to human dignity and the equality it implies.