Economic sanctions - more lethal than war

Presenting: Episode #3 of “The International,” a world-spanning video series brought to you by Jacobin and the @ProgIntl

Economic sanctions have become a favorite US foreign policy tool to confront its adversaries and punish so-called “bad actors” around the world. The US government will say that they are an alternative to war — a targeted measure to take out bad guys without firing a bullet.

But the hidden history of economic sanctions shows that they can be more lethal than any gun, gas, or megaton bomb — a weapon, in the words of US President Woodrow Wilson, “more tremendous than war.”

For Episode #3, Dr. Ammar Ali Jan uncovers that history — and explains how this tremendous weapon actually works.

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[jdavid]

Thank you for making this content Jacobin!

[numanrazzaq]

Ammar Ali Jan is a great presenter, vocalist and a human rights activist.❤❤

[jarylsim]

The country that believes the hardest in free market imposes the highest number of sanctions in the world.

[fburton]

In what way could Madeleine Albright think that the death of so many children “be worth it”??

[TennesseeJed]

If you can't tolerate hypocrisy then you can't have any human friends. I love my dogs.

[axdentprone]

Love this man, he is sincere, mukhlis. Has written a beautiful, unbelievably underrated book (Rule by Fear), which is basically the real life version of Nekim from Andor's manifesto. Wish him every success.

[josephgrosso]

It's strange: somehow Saddam Hussein managed to spend billions building palaces and fancy mosques in Iraq when the sanctions were in place. Can't figure it

[davidhauser]

Just ask Starbucks shareholders, they know the boycott hurts

[urrywest]

The weird thing is that sanctions against Russia have strengthened the Russian economy while stifling Europe.

[allangardiner]

I think it is worth stressing that (1) the UN can't apply effective progressive sanctions because powerful countries can abstain/veto and (2) sanctions are a weapon of the powerful just as much as overwhelming force is. (The Palestinians cannot blockade Israel for example.) I am not convinced that the "BRICS" type of challenge will be important and it does not seem to be any sort of hope for actual social justice and empowerment of the oppressed and exploited. Super power geopolitics is the status quo.
Progressive boycotts are limited at best. For example the cultural boycotts of apartheid South Africa were feeble and slow and much less effective than other factors such as internal resistance.
The brutish world of powerful against powerless is depressingly unchanging. Sieges of walled towns in ancient history resulting in mass death in absolute misery are mirrored in modern imperialism.

[RalfBernhard-gc]

*Remember all their names.*
But as millions of individuals, maybe *we* should start thinking about a different strategy.
All around the world, millions of people have finally figured out they are on the wrong side of a *100-year old imperialist war in the ME, * but they are not as connected or organized like the outside meddlers have been for 100 years. Right from the start of this conflict 100 years ago, the meddlers' strategy has been *"divide and rule", * and it has been all about OIL and outside Western CONTROL over strategic locations on the map.
_Counter strategy to "divide and rule": Start pulling the rug from underneath the feet of these eternal meddlers..._
*Boycott:* Much simpler than trying to remember the long loooong lists of what _not_ to buy, and for whatever specific reasons, is to try and limit what one actually _does_ buy: *buy no-name brands from small companies (addresses usually on the labels), buy local foods (farmers markets), buy locally produced or handmade items, otherwise go slightly "over-regional, " or buy fair trade wherever possible.*
It is not a perfect strategy, but don't get sidelined by the whiners/finger pointers who will invariably ALWAYS show up like clockwork, trying to ridicule or nag with their dumb _"...duh but your using a smartphone, but your using oil toooo"-gotcha style_ distractions. It is not MEANT to be "perfect"...

*Methodology:* JDI and make it a _longterm lifestyle, _ not just a short-term knee-jerk "trend, " because of some or other upsetting event in the news. Just boycott ALL corporations, as far as personally convenient and possible, and always remember that even if only 75% of all the people on the planet only get it right about 75% of the time, on roughly 75% of everything they buy, it will finally make a massive difference for all the causes _you_ also value. Want to bring the boys home? Do you wish to limit military actions to becoming multinational, following the principles of international law only, and independent of any corporate "interests." Do you wish to contribute to end western imperialist actions and meddling all over the world? You wish to contribute a small share to forcing Israel into a negotiated peace process? Do you wish to give small companies a better chance in the dog-eat-dog capitalist world in your country?
*Join BDS, because the international cross-border politically influencial rich and powerfull only REALLY start caring when their pockets start hurting.*

Regardless of where you live, or how much money you have, just remember this:
- You are not going to achieve much by voting in elections.
- You are not going to achieve much by posting on social media.
- You are not going to achieve much by debating on any plattform, real or virtual.
- You are not going to achieve much by making use your "freedom of speech" in any way.
- You are not going to achieve much by protesting in any possible way which will politically make a difference.
*Here is what you can do, easily:*
1) Read Smedley-Butler/War is a Racket, a very short book (should be possible in a few hours)
2) realize that after around a 100 years, NOTHING has changed
3) start unravelling the connections between big business and Washington DC, by boycotting "big brands".
Do not delay. Start today. 👍👋