8mo ago

Why sanctions on Russia are literally backfiring: Moscow appeared ripe for Western-imposed economic pain after its invasion of Ukraine but today the country is thriving - Responsible Statecraft

responsiblestatecraft.org

Why sanctions on Russia are literally backfiring

19 comments

Obvious propaganda is obvious.
- Wait. Why is this obvious propaganda?
- This is literally a think-tank centered in Washington DC. Why not just call it Wrongthink, you clod? 😁
I don’t think the article successfully argues its main point. Sure, sanctions are galvanizing, but I believe it’s well understood that sanctioning a country is going to result in that country pursuing any other viable avenues to conduct their economic activities. It’s a stretch to say that the sanctions backfired. I would say it’s more accurate to write that the sanctions have resulted in profound consequences, and not all of them are good.
- So what would you call profound consequences that rebounded against the USA, Europe, Australia, South Korea, and Japan, if not blowback?
  
  That’s a different standard. I’m not claiming that there haven’t been negative consequences, but I would hardly call the economic sanctions “backfiring.” To me, backfiring means that the action actually brought the West further away from their goal of harming Russia using nonviolent means with the sanctions.
  Consider the price of oil. Having options to sell oil in more markets means you can generate more profits. Being forced into selling oil only to a smaller set of countries who are willing to purchase your product? That’s going to have economic consequences even though it does increase isolationism. I also imagine it’s quite a bit more inconvenient being an oligarch right now in the presence of sanctions.
  Has there been some blowback? Sure. But I don’t think it’s backfired completely. There’s definitely been a major impact.
Sure - that's why people are resorting to stealing butter from grocery stores. Positively thriving.
- Food insecurity in the USA exists without anyone sanctioning it. Stores have literally started locking deodorant and baby formula behind glass to prevent more theft.
  But you think a Newsweek story about a single person stealing a pack of butter is evidence that the sanctions are working?
  Worse, you are totally cool with sanctions harming average citizens with food insecurity and not aware that collective punishment is a literal crime against humanity?
- One stick of butter. 😭🤧 Fortunately Newsweek assures me the US economy is doing great! I wonder if anyone has stolen A BUTTER in the US recently? Is the US under sanctions? I wonder.
- You know I'm positively tickled by this as normally liberals want to claim that sanctions are an attack on a country's ruling class but here you openly gloating about how you think that their population is starving, very humanitarian of you.
Liberal downvoting has seriously spiked today. What's going on?
- I'm openly antagonizing them lol
thriving
May you thrive in interesting times

19 comments