Last week the U.S. and its allies enacted sanctions which should for all intents and purposes be understood as a war crime. From a purely consequentialist/humanitarian perspective sanctions are totally unjustifiable. They will impoverish millions of people not only in Russia but the many countries which are economically reliant on and integrated with the Russian economy. Impoverishing millions in effect means killing tens of thousands.
North Korea is a prime example. Western people love to cry crocodile tears about North Koreans but they mostly just treat them as a source of humor and memes not people. The sanctions on North Korea punish some of the most deprived humans on earth and its been clear for a long time that the Kim regime is willing to endure sanctions for as long as it takes no matter how much suffering it causes the North Korean people. But the American policy makers don't care. They get away with this evil behavior because they wear nice suits and dine at fine DC restaurants and wrap their language around nice altruistic words like "human rights" and "democracy".
A good and concise article. The world needs more perspectives like this right now, while it seems nearly everyone is out for blood.
But I think you brush off deterrence too easily. Just because sanctions are being applied with motivations that seem hypocritical and frankly, chauvinistic, doesn't mean that it doesn't change the calculus of leaders making decisions. Except rather than "don't invade countries", the principle is something like "don't do things that create a narrative that unites the west against you".
Also, my understanding is that the U.S. dollar being the reserve currency of the world is given undue importance by geopolitical analysts relative to serious economists.
"We should all be ashamed." Good article but this line is garbage. 90% of Americans have no power at all. Many of us - in particular, I - have bitched against similar policies ever since Vietnam. It's been a bitter pill to swallow: I'm lower than whale sh*t on the bottom of the ocean (a we used to say in the Navy). I have nothing to be ashamed of regarding immoral US actions. If you want to beat yourself up about it, go right ahead, but leave me out of it! Thanks in advance for your cooperation!
North Korea is a prime example. Western people love to cry crocodile tears about North Koreans but they mostly just treat them as a source of humor and memes not people. The sanctions on North Korea punish some of the most deprived humans on earth and its been clear for a long time that the Kim regime is willing to endure sanctions for as long as it takes no matter how much suffering it causes the North Korean people. But the American policy makers don't care. They get away with this evil behavior because they wear nice suits and dine at fine DC restaurants and wrap their language around nice altruistic words like "human rights" and "democracy".
A good and concise article. The world needs more perspectives like this right now, while it seems nearly everyone is out for blood.
But I think you brush off deterrence too easily. Just because sanctions are being applied with motivations that seem hypocritical and frankly, chauvinistic, doesn't mean that it doesn't change the calculus of leaders making decisions. Except rather than "don't invade countries", the principle is something like "don't do things that create a narrative that unites the west against you".
Also, my understanding is that the U.S. dollar being the reserve currency of the world is given undue importance by geopolitical analysts relative to serious economists.
"We should all be ashamed." Good article but this line is garbage. 90% of Americans have no power at all. Many of us - in particular, I - have bitched against similar policies ever since Vietnam. It's been a bitter pill to swallow: I'm lower than whale sh*t on the bottom of the ocean (a we used to say in the Navy). I have nothing to be ashamed of regarding immoral US actions. If you want to beat yourself up about it, go right ahead, but leave me out of it! Thanks in advance for your cooperation!