Do sanctions work?

Clearly the age of war is in the past. The issues facing us are global and require us to work together. Vladimir Putin doesn’t understand that, and the people of Ukraine don’t see an alternative to defending themselves.

How about incentives rather than sanctions? Or call them “reverse sanctions.” What do Putin and the oligarchs want, and then how do we package that in a way that they can’t refuse?

The problem with sanctions is that they are the same as war, only those imposing the sanctions are not being fired on, which is good but not enough. A reverse sanction would be something the enemy wants, something the oligarchs would value and Putin couldn’t refuse.

Using one’s power to kill is a bad idea, an antiquated idea. Let’s offer them a different way to use the vast powers they have. Why not?

James Tierney
Brownfield