In Reply to: This is a pretty cool story posted by mh on February 17, 2026 at 12:17:57
I guess it depends on what your goal is, but I think their success record is pretty spotty. They have inflicted lots of pain on citizens, but I don't know of any case where they led to regime change.
Here are some examples:
It appears that US sanctions on Japan played a major role in Japan's decision to attack Pearl Harbor. Depending on you beliefs about Roosevelt, this may or may not have been the outcome he was hoping for.
Our sanctions on Russia haven't changed their course in the Ukraine war. It may have hurt their ability to prosecute the war a littl.
Decades-long sanctions on Cuba have not led to regime change or any real change in the regime.
Long-term sanctions on Iran haven't led to regime change. They have played a role in the Obama nuclear agreement, and they may be bringing them back to the table for a new one. Most likely, Trump will agree to essentially the same deal as Obama made and claim it is a masssive improvement.
I am sure there are a ton of other examples, but overall I don't think sanctions have been very effective in changing governments or government policies. They have led to a lot of suffering for the population.
Also, there is a moral argument that doing business with bad people is wrong.
But sanctions seem like a way to appear you are taking strong steps, when they are not terribly effective.