Thanks for the Sanctions

[Fountain79]

When trying to rein in the misbehavior of roguish regimes, be it nuclear proliferation, support for terrorism, or internal repression, the United States increasingly turns to a policy of economic sanctions. A quick survey: We began our economic embargo against North Korea in 1950. We've had one against Cuba since 1962. We first applied economic sanctions to Iran during the hostage crisis in 1979 and are currently trying for international sanctions aimed at getting the government there to suspend uranium enrichment.

http://www.slate.com/id/2147058#

[madokie]

1. economic sanctions only hurt the innocent

when will they ever figure that out or will they

[Ravenseye]

2. Good Article

"Sanctions tend to fail as a diplomatic tool for the same reason aerial bombing usually fails. As Israel is again discovering in Lebanon, the infliction of indiscriminate suffering tends to turn a populace against the proximate cause of its devastation, not the underlying causes. "

The sanctions in Iraq were a direct contributor to the death of my grandfather there. I watched a decade of sanctions make many iraqi's more and more bitter to the outside world. They didn't blame Saddam. They blamed the U.N. and the U.S. for imposing them.

Economic development (not aid, but direct stimulation of trade and business) is the key to lasting peace and prosperity in the world.

[Fountain79]

3. Then again...

Is economic development helping China become any more democratic?

[Ravenseye]

4. Well it takes time

It's certainly worked in a number of other countries as the writer mentioned such as in South Korea and a number of other locations. I think China is a really complicated case. Sanctions obviously aren't going to happen, but I do think that we're on the right path with them. I think it's only a matter of time, and I'd rather this sort of process which is slow and takes decades and decades, but succeeds, than one that has no chance of succeeding. China will develop more, the standard of living will rise, and slowly but surely change will occur as an evolution. That's the only effective way to garner change.

I personally think promoting democracy in the world is a good cause, but I think we can't do it at the expense of peace and prosperity. If people are happy, have good lives, and live in peace then freedom and democracy will follow. Democracy may be part of the ultimate goal, but for first steps I'll take peace and prosperity.