By now your opinion on the Ukraine/NATO stand-off is on the minds of Americans….
I see that Congress and the president are going for the throat with sanctions…..will this stop any war from breaking out?
Seldom is it a deterrent….I have made my thoughts known on the use of sanctions…..
SANCTIONS!
I am truly sorry but sanctions do NOT work….at best they are a ‘feel good’ option when dealing with an adversary….
Whenever a foreign country doesn’t go along with the policy goals of the “international community” (i.e. America and it’s allies), one tool that it invariably uses to try and put these nations back in line is the sanction. As most of you are already aware, sanctions involve prohibiting trade in certain goods or services between firms or individuals in one country and another. They can range from restrictions on business dealings with the political leaders of a nation, to total blockades and embargoes, complete with independent sanctions on trade with any country that violates the embargo (effectively forcing them to choose between trading with the sanctioned country and the one imposing sanctions), as in the case of Cuba, Iran, Yemen, and Syria.
As can be expected with American foreign policy, sanctions are virtually always ineffective at achieving their goals. More often than not, the governments of sanctioned countries are only made stronger by America waging an economic war on them, causing further destabilization and political stagnation. Such is seen in Syria, Russia, China, Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba. Even when they are effective in achieving regime change, the results are almost always negative for that nation, as was seen in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, the former Soviet Union in the 1990s, Afghanistan during the 1980s, and countless other examples.
Why Sanctions Don’t Work
With the long history of failure then why keep doing the same thing over again (think Einstein here)
Who decides where this cycle of worthless exercises stop?
Let me ask…..just how has sanctions cooled the situation in Ukraine?
AS far as I can see nothing has been accomplished by all these sanctions…..it seems to grow more likely of a conflict daily.
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
In Saner Thought 
For western countries, imposing ‘sanctions’ is the softer oprion to armed conflict. In my experience, sanctions only hurt the poorest and most deprived in the countries where they are imposed. The DPRK is a good example, with poverty in the countryside, but Kim looking fat and healthy in the capital.
Best wishes, Pete.
Like I said a feel good option that appears like the West is rational. chuq
Sanctions never work. They’ll just get their resources through other channels.
GP justg hit the nail on the head with this one. I believe China would back Putin up financially in the face of any U.S. sanction actions. Putin can just laugh in our face on this one.
John Russia and China have already signed an agreement….so you are correct. chuq
He thinks of us as children, so yes, I agree!
There will always be holes in them…..you are right…..chuq
Just heard news flash Finland considering requesting NATO membership. That would be a huge plus as a psychological victory for West, enhanced monitoring of Kola Peninsula, of Murmansk, Arkangel, Barents Sea, White Sea , Russian subs monitoring and listening stations. At this moment I would care to have Reagan or Nixon leading USA.
We need calmer heads…..Finland will be on a long list…..with satellites we have monitoring already. chuq