4 Comments

Just read your paper in the PDF and thought it was excellent. We all are familiar with one action or event leading to another and another leading to some pretty intense not always anticipated outcomes. As regards the sanctions on Russia after its second invasion of Ukraine, many people around the world, many leaders said WOW. They just kicked Russia off of SWIFT and seized $100’s of Billions of their reserves around the world that were part of the U.S. led international financial and banking system. If they can and are willing to do that, then can I trust this U.S. system? Or do I need the hedge and diversify?

Deterrence like MAD with nukes is predicated on not actually pressing the button and firing a nuke.

As despicable as Russia’s actions were it will be interesting how those sanctions reverberate

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“You will have to read the whole thing (pages 64-80 of this .pdf) to see my reasoning.”

Are there any of the other articles you’d recommend in particular?

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I lived through the Cuban missile crisis, which led me to read books on it, including Essence of Power by Graham Allison, which impressed me (retired bureaucrat) by his analysis of the different levels of power.. I wonder whether there's any work by you or others on the implicit or explicit theory of power embodied in sanctions. I can understand sanctions targeted at individuals which might aim to convince them to change their ways, or perhaps to exert influence on decision-makers (i.e., Pu6in) to change their policy.

Without knowing more than what the Times and Post provide, i assume there a different varieties of sanctions which would have different targets.

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The growth in US sanctions, and their biased support for US hegemonic interets and oligarchy has pushed the global south to BRICS. It certainty looks like G7 is losing in all metrics including the moral high ground. Blind support for Israel's genocide in Gaza has exposed me and many others in 'the West' to decades of US warmongering and racist colonial history.

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