Comment by Al-Khwarizmi
5 years ago
A great motivator? What a way to misunderstand basic human psychology.
Sanctions just give dictators more excuses to blame everything on external enemies. I honestly don't understand how anyone thinks they can work.
What other alternative reaction to the invasion would you suggest?
Send weapons to help the Ukrainian defense (already being done). Also apply sanctions, but only targeted to people in power (e.g. freezing assets in Switzerland, not buying more gas from Russia). I'm aware that these can indirectly affect laypeople (e.g. not buying gas creating unemployment in the gas sector) but that's just life. But what I find dumb is sanctions targeted explicitly at laypeople. Those who don't support their government don't deserve them, and those who do get more reasons to close ranks with their government because "the enemy" is now actively making their lives miserable.
Admit to the Ukranians that they have been cruelly used as a cat's paw to prod at the Russian and there never was any "Western" intention to support them.
Make it clear to Ukraine that their only hope really is being a neutral buffer state.
Roll back the Romanian and Polish missile bases and the Turkish tracking systems.
Sign the USA back up to all the missile treaties that they have backed out of.
That ought to secure another 40 years of fragile peace in Europe.
Or we could just keep shoving weapons into the Ukraine. Wonder how that will work out? I mean weapons always make things better.
While I am so frustrated that everyone is cheering on the powerless nation in a brutal fight they can't win, you just gave a most sensible solution that can spare us a total nuclear war.