POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS.(updated)

 

 

 

 By K. P. PASWAN

Recently the US and the EU imposed political and economic sanctions against Russia. What is the offense committed by the former Communist country? The offense is related to alleged poisoning of one Russian Alex Navalny, a dissident of strong man Vladimir Putin.  Navalny is not a big leader, but a habitual economic offender with an impossible dream to head a poor Russia either in the capacity of   PM or President. Navalny was successfully treated in Germany, for suspected poisoning, and the Chancellor Angela Markel lost no time in alleging that the dissident Navalny was poisoned by the Russian government. However, she did not name Putin as a perpetrator of the crime.

 RUSSIA. Russia is already facing several economics sanctions due to its involvement in Ukraine and occupation of Crimea. It must be noted that at the time of Cuba crisis, the than PM of USSR, threaten to bury the West deep into the grave, but situation has changed in favor of the West, and now it was USSR which buried itself,  leaving behind an offspring named Russia.

  By these sanctions, the West hopes that Russia might become normal and that Putin might turn out to be a democrat, but they are wrong. It is true that Russia does not have the old Communist regime’s economic or military might. But Putin’s Russia is more frightening and chaotic.   Russia is a very rich, perhaps richer in every sense except that these natural resources remains untouched. Instead of imposing economic and political sanctions, it might be possible to encourage the Russians to help more with Iran, by pointing out that Iran has no bomb program,  and that it is in the interest on Shia Iran to patch up difference with Israel. Russians are vital for to the West’s efforts over global problems such as climate changes and restraining Iran’s nuclear ambitions.     

 Economic and political sanctions have been weaponized by the Western powers to punish the countries not toeing lines of the US and the EU. But political and economic sanctions are not always effective and in the case of Russia, these are not effective at all, as Russia has nothing to loss. Moreover, such type of sanctions are discretionary and not mandated by International Laws. The US in the past  invaded Vietnam and the Middle East without any reason and there is no international body to indict the US and  impose sanctions’ US is using its heft in the financial system to do some effective bullying.

 IRAN. Iran is badly affected by sanctions. Oil is not the only source of revenue, Iran is manufacturing, on small scale, cars, motor vehicles, garments, and even iron-based articles. Iran is in a position to export these items abroad. By economic sanctions Iran has suffered so much that the present Ayatollah Khamenei declared that for resuming talk with US, all the economic sanctions imposed upon Iran must be abolished. Iran wants diplomatic support for its nuclear programmes in parts of world, where governments are biddable and can be bribed. Iran has concentrated on strengthening Muslims allegiances with offers of oil.  These Muslims countries are in Africa. But by these sanctions it has become hard for Shia Iran to influence Africa’s predominantly Sunni Muslims, who are also receiving regular bribes and aids from Iran’s rivals of Central Asia.  No wonder Iran is forging close trade links with commodity producers in Africa, Latin America and Australia, but economic sanctions have put an end to these overambitious projects. Iran in short has some serious economic problems.

 It is possible that a well-aimed economic sanction persuade the Iranian regime to give up its plan to make nuclear bomb and change its anti Jewish stand. In the long run Iran faces a different type of vulnerability. It is finding it hard to acquire foreign technology to boost productions of its fast depleting oil fields and realize its vast potential as an exporter of natural gas. Iran is angry that Joe Biden has openly acknowledged that the Crown Prince Of Saudi Arabia ordered the killing of his critics Jamal Khasosgi, but refrained from imposing any sanction. Iran is virtually under House Arrest.

 N Korea is perhaps the worst victim of international sanctions. China a great friend of N Korea, is not in a position to help N Korea to recover from economic depression, as China is itself suffering badly from economic sanctions imposed by its formidable rival, the USA. North Korea has only one industry that is manufacturing high quality garments, for which it found vast markets in S Korea and neighboring countries. The small country is famous for another industry, making nuclear arsenals and missiles, but so far, no country has shown any interest in purchasing these weapons, authenticity of which is in doubt. N Korea is half starved and wants economic sanctions must end, if threat of nuking neighboring countries and USA is taken back by a paranoid Kim Jong Un. To feed it self N Korea needs 6 million tones of grain a year, it cannot produce anything like this. North Korea used to depend on World Food Programmer every year,for emergency relief as relentless rain destroys crops, but the sanctions mean closure of such generosity.  So in the case of N Korea even China and Russia have not raised loud voice against  sanctions imposed by US.

 MYANMAR. Nothing is more surprising than the economic and political sanctions against poor Myanmar, which has suffered at the hand of colonial power UK and continues to suffer as the subsequent governments failed to provide basic needs to the people. The latest sanctions against Myanmar was on the basis of China’s support to military takeover. Myanmar was the epicenter of Golden Triangle, but the pendulum has swung to Latin America. The crushing of the popular uprising in the country against the rule of uniformed soldiers is out of question, but it is not the ruling class, but the common people who are going to suffer.  If the military takeover of a civil administration is logic for imposing economic sanctions than Pakistan deserves harsh sanctions, as the entire democratic institutions in Pakistan is being controlled and guided by the military.

 Aung Suui Kye of Myanmar was not succeeding in creating climate compatible with economic growth, and widespread corruption and above all terrorist activities of the so called Rohingya Muslims, who are still dreaming of carving an independent state for them with help from Saudi Arabia. Modern Myanmar may not need the American style of democracy for economic development. Development without security is impossible and the vice versa. For a long time, Myanmar reeled under military, but least development was seen, as there was hardly any day without agitation to restore democracy. Myanmar is very rich in oil and  natural resources, but unfortunately there is no large scale of foreign investment. After coming to power by democratic methods, the Nobel laureate Aung Sue Kyi made cardinal mistake by declaring 'Put the oil money on everyone’s dining table’ she was destined to fail. As the hard-pressed consumers,have listened nearly four decades of the, same slogan and are not easily distracted from worries about jobs and inflation. Latest sanctions are likely to have much impact upon the lives of common people. Along with political and economic sanctions the mighty America is applying financial squeeze separately.The result is going to be very painful for a poor Myanmar.

CHINA. Political and economic sanctions against China, are in the interest of US. These sanctions, have resulted in phenomenal growth of Chinese economy and has benefited American and the German MNCs to keep their investment growing. China favored the former president Donald Trump, who was in the habit of scolding Xi jinping for exporting Wuhan virus.  Xi jinping has allowed neither the cumbersome Communist doctrines nor open democracy to flourish in China.

 FINAL WORDS. Barring exceptions economic and political sanctions must not be used as substitutes of nuclear bombing, or attacking the victims with deadly killing machines. Myanmar is not threatening its neighbors, it has no ambitious programmes of becoming a nuclear power. Rohingya Muslims are not welcomed even in Muslim countries. The EU is shedding crocodile tears for the poverty-stricken Muslims Community. Rich Rohingya Muslims are enjoying luxurious life in Myanmar. There is no logic in imposing sanctions against Myanmar, which is ravaged  by miny civil war, but the mighty US is in the habit of favoring some dictators, while discarding others, not liked by it.