Among the panoply of diplomatic punishments, “sanctions” are a feeble reed. Perhaps one step above the tut-tutting “stiff note of protest” as issued by one government to another.
They are more “feel good” exercises than likely correctives by the sanctioning body against the sanctioned. Bluntly, they just do not work—and frequently have rebound consequences damaging others beyond those intended to be sanctioned.
Nevertheless, the United States will impose another round of sanctions against Iran, North Korea, and Russia. Like second marriages, it is a triumph of hope over experience.
We contend Iran continues to violate injunctions against ballistic missile testing. We emphasize North Korea has violated previous sanction measures against their nuclear and ballistic missile programs. We have sanctioned Russia because of its seizure of Crimea and attacks on eastern Ukraine. We also believe Moscow interfered with the 2016 U.S. presidential election by “hacking” e-mails related to Democratic Party organizations and its candidate Hillary Clinton and providing them to the media, ostensibly to assist the Republican candidate.
