Economic Sanctions ever work on an oil rich nation?

Reader comment on: Can Sanctions Deter Iran?

Submitted by Bob Fitzsimmons (United States), Nov 30, 2009 23:06

I would agree that economic sanctions failed to significantly influence Iran. The bigger question is whether any dictator led country with oil resources or partners with deep pockets such as the USSR or China would ever bow to economic sanctions. Cuba, North Korea, Libya and many others come to mind as countries who refused to bow to Western economic pressures. Perhaps Egypt/South Africa represented the minority cases where sanctions actually influenced a specifc country. Repressive governments merely transfer the economic consequences onto their populace while maintaining suffiient resources for the governing elite. As long as the governed populace is incapable or unwilling of overthrowing the dictatorship it seems unlikely that economic sanctions persuade the dictatorship of doing anything except feign marginal compliance. Sometimes the dictatorship successfully convinces the populace that resisting outside pressure is even nationalistic or religious righteousness. Islamic nations in particular will masquerade the economic sanctions as a tool of Israel's influence on the West. It seems new ideas are sorely needed to adequately convince dictatorships that freedom loving nations are serious about terrorist and nuclear threats. It will also be difficult if not impossible for the Western bloc to maintain a steadfast united purpose as long as oil needs trump all other considerations. Like children of a mother who continually says no, but eventually gives in, Iran merely has to continue to annoy the West and stall to acheive all their goals.

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