Iranian sanctions

[Sarmatian]

That's quite a stretch. I'm saying that refusing to do business with a rogue state is a valid strategy, in that eventually its citizens will move for change on their own in order to alleviate the suffering that is being directly caused by their government's policies.


Is it your position that murdering civilians who live in countries with democratically elected governments is a valid strategy, in that eventually the fear of being murdered will prompt them to get rid of their democratically elected governments and install shariah law?

I don't think I quite follow you.

Refusing to do business hurts the population rather than the clique in charge. They're not deprived of just commercial goods that we're so accustomed to but they're deprived of basic stuff, like food, medicines, heat, roof and so on, and those who set up the sanctions are very much aware of that. They're purposefully depriving the population of that stuff so they would rise against their rulers and depose them or force them to change their policy, acutely aware that the sanctions may cause severe hardships to ordinary people and even deaths.

Terrorist attacks also target ordinary people with the idea it would force people to change their governments or at least force them to change their policy.

The basic concept is the same. In fact, people in dictatorships are completely innocent. They didn't elect Saddam or the Ayatollah. No one asked their opinion or approval, it was forced upon them unlike in democracies where citizens directly give the mandate to a certain government. It could be argued that citizens in democracies are more legitimate targets than those in dictatorships.