#sanctions
Also why are we punishing the Russian citizens for the actions of the government
We’re not punishing the citizens, we’re punishing the government systems they use to make those payments so the citizens are more likely to take action like protest against their government instead of just saying “not my problem”
Thrusting millions of people into poverty through economic strangulation is in fact targeting its citizens. It is delusional, calloused, and dangerous to suggest otherwise. It also almost always does not work. The US stealing 3.5 billion in Afghan assets and sanctioning Afghanistan hasn’t led to the people rising up and overthrowing the Taliban. It’s led to millions more people being plunged into poverty to the point that thousands of parents are having to sell their own organs to keep their children fed. Even if you think that the end result IS a popular uprising that result is reached through intentional mass emmiseration.
“More likely to take action and protest”
People have ALREADY been protesting Putin’s government–even before sanctions–but guess what, you can’t just fucking snap your fingers and overthrow a government. So now you have people still protesting but with less resources to survive and no job to return to. Congratulations?
Why is Russia punishing Ukraine citizens with an aggressive invasion of their country? Who is that helping? What homes and jobs and schools do they have to go back to? What about those who had to flee across international borders with nothing but their children and what they could carry, while risking being shot by Russian soldiers? Or shelled by Russian artillery?
They didn’t start aggressively invading a neighbouring country.
Acts of international aggression are not a purity contest, nor are they clear lines in the sand. War hurts civilians before it ever touches those in power.
The real question to ask in the wake of how unfair it all is, is: why are those in charge in Russia hurting the civilians of two countries?
Also why are we punishing the Russian citizens for the actions of the government
Because we live under a system that conflates wealth with power, and power with the ability to compel others to do what one wants them to do, while remaining insulated from the consequences of one’s actions.
As a result, it’s impossible to punish the rich and powerful without also punishing the poor and powerless a lot more.
I’ve seen a lot of posts and comments asking what the US/NATO/etc. should be doing instead, and the problem is that there are no good options.
The world’s options vis-à-vis Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are:
1. Do nothing. Let Putin take Ukraine without international opposition–which will lead not only to crimes against humanity in Ukraine, but is also likely to encourage him to keep going and invade other places that he feels like should be part of Russia.
2. Impose sanctions that cause real and immediate suffering to millions of ordinary people, in the hopes that eventually some of the harm will make its way through the thick layers of wealth and arrogance to affect someone who has some influence over the situation.
3. World War Three–which will not only cause even more harm and suffering to the ordinary people of both Ukraine and Russia, but could also lead to global thermonuclear war, i.e., the end of human life as we know it.
These are all really, really shitty options. Putin has made it very clear that direct military intervention in Ukraine–boots on the ground, planes in the air, or ships in the sea–will be considered an act of war, and if the US or any NATO country is at war with Russia, that’s World War Three. Putin has also been conspicuously drawing our attention to his massive stockpile of nuclear weapons, and saying, more or less, “Do you feel lucky, punk?”
And option 1–let him do it–has a good chance of turning into option 3 eventually. That’s how we got World War II: the rest of the world, desperate to avoid a re-play of the Great War, let Hitler take Austria, and then Czechoslovakia, in return for promises that he would leave the rest of Europe alone. He broke that promise by invading Poland, and…well, we all have some idea of how that turned out. Based on this historical precedent, letting Putin take Ukraine without international opposition would be a dangerous move–even leading aside any moral or ethical considerations relating to Ukraine’s sovereignty.
So, sanctions. Because out of a list of, I say it again, extremely bad options, it’s the least-worst.
To be clear, the point of the sanctions is notto cause a popular uprising against Putin, as some have said above. The point is to make the invasion as difficult, costly, and politically unpopular as possible, in order to convince Putin that the invasion isn’t worth his while–ideally, to pull back out of Ukraine, but at minimum, if Ukraine does fall, to quit while he’s ahead and not invade Poland. (Metaphorically or literally.)
There’s no way to target the sanctions so that they hurt the rich and powerful while leaving the ordinary people alone, because “rich and powerful” means that you have the ability to pile up a bunch of other people between yourself and any inconvenience.
It sucks. It feels shitty, because it is. And the whole thing is Putin’s fault–he’s the one that’s holding a nuclear missile to the world’s head while he makes us watch him commit war crimes in Ukraine. He can stop any time he wants.
And that’s why he has his troll farms JAQ-ing off about the suffering of the ordinary Russian people–it’s all about making it look like it’s somebody else’s fault.
Hey y'all remember how Russian agents used misinformation on Tumblr posing as leftists to influence the 2016 election
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There are only three days left before the #Iran sanctions deadline, so here’s the third requirement for the Iranian regime to behave like a normal state: it must end support for the Taliban and other terrorists in Afghanistan and the region, and cease harboring senior al-Qaida leaders.
Read more about the Trump administration’s Iran strategy. Download the "Outlaw Regime: A Chronicle of Iran’s Destructive Activities" report.
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![U.S. Department of State [archived]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/avatar_26b8c43809c8_30.png){kind=avatar}
With four days to go until the Iran sanctions deadline, this is a reminder about the 4th requirement for the Islamic Republic of Iran to behave like a normal state: The Iranian regime must withdraw all forces under Iranian command throughout the entirety of Syria.
Readmore about the Trump administration’s Iran strategy. Learn more by downloading “Outlaw Regime: A Chronicle of Iran’s Destructive Activities.”
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There are five days until the Iran sanctions deadline, so here’s a reminder for the regime about the 5th requirement to behave like a normal state: The Iranian regime must end its military support for the Houthi militia and work towards a peaceful political settlement in Yemen. Learn more: https://go.usa.gov/xPPPk
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With six days to go before the sanctions deadline, this is the 6th requirement for Iran’s regime to behave like a normal state: The Iranian regime must respect the sovereignty of the Iraqi government and permit the disarming, demobilization, and reintegration of Shia militias. Learn more: https://go.usa.gov/xPPPk
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Seven days from today, sanctions will be reimposed on Iran’s regime. Here’s a reminder about the 7th requirement for the regime to behave like a normal state: it must end support to Middle East terrorist groups, including Lebanese Hizballah, Hamas, and the Palestine Islamic Jihad.
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October 28 marked 8 days until the November 4 Iran sanctions deadline. Here is the 8th requirement for the Iran regime: the Iranian regime must release all U.S. citizens, as well as citizens of our partners and allies, each of them detained on spurious charges.
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The November 4 #Iran sanctions deadline is 9 days away. Here’s a reminder of the 9th requirement for the regime: the Iranian regime must end its proliferation of ballistic missiles and half further launching or development of nuclear-capable missile systems.
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There are 10 days left before the November 4 sanctions deadline, so here’s a reminder about the tenth requirement for the Islamic Republic of #Iran to behave like a normal state: The Iranian regime must provide the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with unqualified access to all sites throughout the country. Statement: https://go.usa.gov/xPPP9 | Learn more: https://go.usa.gov/xPPPk
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With 11 days left until the November 4 sanctions deadline, here’s a reminder about the 11th requirement for the regime in #Iran to behave like a normal state: The regime must stop enrichment and never pursue plutonium reprocessing. This includes closing its heavy water reactor. Statement: https://go.usa.gov/xPPP9 | Learn more: https://go.usa.gov/xPPPk
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Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo outlined 12 requirements for the Islamic Republic of #Iran to act like a normal state. With 12 days to go before the November 4 sanctions deadline, here’s a daily reminder for the regime, starting with #12: The Iranian regime must declare a full account of the prior military dimensions of its nuclear program, and permanently and verifiably abandon such work in perpetuity.
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Indo-Pacific Strategy Adrift In An Illusion
Indo-Pacific Strategy Adrift In An Illusion
The Chinese daily Global Times featured a political cartoon marking the US-ASEAN summit meeting in Washington on May 12-13. It showed the US President Joe Biden seeking help from a bus load of ASEAN officials to give a push to his battle tank hopelessly stuck on slush and mud and is sinking.
Biden’s tank is of course on the road to China. The cartoon captures the US’ desperate need to get the…
A New War Is Being Prepared For After The Defeat In The Face Of Russia
A New War Is Being Prepared For After The Defeat In The Face Of Russia
On the front of the stage, Nato assures that it has been strengthened by “Putin’s madness”. Ukraine, powerfully armed by the West, is leading a counter-offensive and pushing back the “invader”. At the international level, the sanctions are bearing fruit. Finland and Sweden, feeling threatened, decided to join the Atlantic Alliance. Soon the Russians will overthrow the “dictator” in the…
How U.S. Government Steals From Other Countries
How U.S. Government Steals From Other Countries
The American Government explains its thefts from other countries as being justifiable because the U.S. Government has slapped sanctions upon those countries, and because these sanctions authorize the U.S. Government to steal whatever it wants to steal, from them, that it can grab. Here are just a few such examples:
On May 26th, Reuters headlined “U.S. seizes Iranian oil cargo near Greek island”,…
Ukraine After 90 Days Of War
Ukraine After 90 Days Of War
The Western narrative that Russia is facing defeat at the hands of the Ukrainian military is falling apart. The contrived narrative that Ukraine was “winning” made Kiev delusional which in turn created conditions for Washington and London to extend the war and incrementally enter into it laterally and turn it into a war of attrition against Russia.
But the compelling reality is that the Russian…
U.S. Ukraine Policy Leads U.S. Inflation-Rate Higher
U.S. Ukraine Policy Leads U.S. Inflation-Rate Higher
As-of the latest reported month, which was May 2022, the annual inflation-rate in the U.S. for “Fuel Oil” is 106.7% (see “Table A. Percent changes in CPI for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U): U.S. city average”, which document also notes that “The index for fuel oil more than doubled, rising 106.7 percent; this represents the largest increase in the history of the series, which dates to 1935.”). The…
“There is evidence to suggest that as early as August 2001 {before the invasion} Washington, contrary to the Geneva Convention, intentionally used sanctions against Iraq to degrade the nation’s water supply. This had a devastating impact on Iraqi children particularly. This was done through hampering the importation of specialized equipment and some chemicals to purify its water supply, most of which is heavily mineralized and frequently brackish to saline. Ultimately, the United Nations concluded that as a result of these sanctions alone, some 500,000 Iraqi children perished.”—Blows against the Empire by Dr Gerald Horne
There are only two countries in the world where Coca-Cola cannot be bought, Cuba and North Korea. Both countries have banned the company due to their anti-American sentiments and until 2012, the product was similarly banned in Myanmar (Burma) due to American sanctions against the country.
On World Cancer Day, cancer treatment still free in Syria despite sanctions and high costs
Damascus, SANA – At the eve of World Cancer Day, which is marked on February 4th, figures show the growing burden cancer is placing on the world, with 18 million new cases and more than 9 million fatalities, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The latest estimations of the Agency suggest that one out of five men and one out of six women in the world will suffer from cancer during their lifetime, and one out of eight men and one out of eleven women will lose their lives due to the disease.
Despite the rising costs of treatments and the difficulties caused by the economic sanctions imposed on Syria, the Syrian health sector continues to provide free treatment services to cancer patients, including diagnosis, management, and follow-up, with the main challenge being the fact that many patients begin treatment at late stages of the disease due to various psychological or social causes.
One of the Health Ministry’s ten centers that provide free cancer treatment is Ibn al-Nafees Hospital in Damascus, which opened an oncology department in 2016 that provides surgical, chemo, hormonal, and immune therapy.
Dr. Nidal Khedr, head of the oncology department at Ibn al-Nafees, said the department has treated around 4,500 patients since its opening, at a rate of 90-100 patients and 40-60 doses per day.
Khedr said the patients who need radiation therapy are referred to Al-Bairouni University Hospital, while other services such as diagnosis, testing, and consultations are provided for free at the department.
Syria imports all types of oncology medicine, and according to Khedr the cost of treating cancer patients differs according to the type, location, characteristics, and stage of the tumor, with the least costly doses ranging from SYP 20,000 to 50,000, while some doses might cost around SYP 1.5 each, and some patients could require such doses every three weeks.
He went on to note that the most common and deadly types of cancer in Syria are lung, colon, and breast cancer, which is similar to the rest of the world.
Khedr stressed the need for raising awareness about the importance of early diagnosis of certain types of cancer, like breast, cervix, lung, and prostate cancers as this would reduce the time of treatment and increase the likelihood of recovery.
In addition to Damascus, the Health Ministry’s cancer treatment centers are located in Aleppo, Hama, Sweida, Tartous, and Homs.
Im understanding now that sanctions of Russia will not make people go to the protests and make a change. Let me explain why.
My country has unreflected trauma of Soviet regime and of 90s (after it collapsed)
People of the 50-70 age - are scared of the government, because they lived though USSR.
People of the 30-40 age - are lived though 90s - decade of deficit in Russia. They know what it’s like to survive in the terrible economy - so this perspective are scaring them less, than perspective of being in jail (even now, when I’m writing this - I’m kinda risking - they just announced the new laws). My mother literally made stock of canned food in case they would have nothing to eat.
People of my age (~20) - are the most likely to protest right now. They never chose this government - I, for example, 20 y.o and I’ve NEVER seen this country WITHOUT Putin. Can you imagine? But there’s not a lots of us.
You may ask: why if people know what it’s like to be scared and poor - they are ready to experience it again?
My answer that this has to do with reflection - analysis of the past. They never done this. Russians, actually, is very traumatized nation. And in my opinion and experience - trauma often makes you more scared, angry, powerless.
Germany, for example, even now, keeps reflecting on its past, that why they are great nation right now.
Russians often go “let’s not talk about the past”, “let’s remember only good stuff”, “well at least we have something now” and etc.
I know that all of it sounds pitily and miserably. It is.
Probably my country on the way to have another trauma. It ether would be USSR 2.0 or Civil war.
I really do not know if I ever would see russia being healthy nation. Really don’t know.
But, of course, sanctions not only about this. It’s also about solidarity and wanting have nothing to do with us. And it’s fair.
