Skip to content
chasepost

chasepost

Built General Tough

Primary Menu chasepost

chasepost

  • Technology
  • Home
  • Fashion
  • Education
  • Business
  • Automotive
  • About Us
    • Advertise Here
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Sitemap
  • Home
  • Respectful Disagreement About Sanctioning Russia
  • General

Respectful Disagreement About Sanctioning Russia

Janelle B. Smith March 31, 2022

[ad_1]

I’ve written two blog entries over the last two weeks (here and here) arguing in favour of the business community imposing sanctions on Russia, in response to Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine.

I think the reasons in favour of such sanctions are powerful: Putin is a serious and unique threat both to Eastern Europe and to the world as a whole, and it is essential that every possible step be taken both to denounce him and to hobble him. The international community agrees, and the international business community, in general, agrees too.

But not everyone. Some major brands have resisted pulling out, as have some lesser-known ones. And while I disagree with the conclusions arrived at by the persons responsible for those brands, I have to admit that I think the reasons they put forward in defence of their conclusions merit consideration.

Among those reasons:

“We don’t want to hurt innocent Russians.” Economic sanctions are hurting Russian citizens, including those who hate Putin and who don’t support his war. Myself, I think such collateral damage pales in comparison to the loss of life and limb being suffered by the people of Ukraine. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a good point: innocent people being hurt always matters, even if you think something else matters more.

“We have obligations to our local employees.” For some companies, ceasing to do business in Russia might mean as little as turning off a digital tap, so to speak. For some, it means laying off (permanently?) relatively large numbers of people. Again, we might think that this concern is outweighed, but it’s still a legitimate concern. We generally want corporations to think of themselves as having obligations of this kind to employees.

“Sanctions won’t work.” The point here is that we don’t (do we?) have good historical evidence that sanctions of this kind work. Putin is effectively a dictator, and he really doesn’t have to listen to what the Russian people think, and so squeezing Russians to get them to squeeze Putin is liable to fail. Myself, I’m willing to grasp at options the success of which is unlikely, in the hopes that success is possible. But still, it’s a concern worth listening to.

“Sanctions could backfire.” The worry here is that if we in the West make life difficult for Russian citizens, then they could start to see us as the enemy — certainly Putin will try to make that case. And if that happens, support for Putin and his war could well go up as a result of sanctions.

That’s a few of the reasons. There are others.

On balance, I think the arguments in the other direction are stronger. I think Putin is uniquely dangerous, and we need to use every tool available to us, even those that might not work, and even those that might have unpleasant side-effects.

However — and this is crucial — I don’t think that people who disagree with me are bad, and I don’t think they are foolish, and I refuse automatically to think less of them.

It doesn’t help, of course that the folks making the arguments above are who they are. Some of them are speaking in defence of big companies. The motives of big companies are often thought of as suspect, and so claims of good intentions (“We don’t want to hurt innocent Russians!” or “We must support our employees!”) tend to get written off as self-serving rationalizations. Then there’s the specific case of the Koch brothers, and the companies they own or control. They’ve announced that they’re going to continue doing business in Russia. And the Koch brothers are widely hated by many on the left who think of them as right-wing American plutocrats. (Fewer realize that while the Koch brothers have supported right-wing causes, they’ve also supported prison reform and immigration reform in the US, and are arguably better categorized as libertarians. Anyway…)

My point is this: The fact that you mistrust, or outright dislike, the people making the argument isn’t sufficient grounds for rejecting the argument. That’s called an ad hominem attack. Some people’s track records, of course, are sufficient to ground a certain mistrust, which can be reason to take a careful look at their arguments, but that’s quite different from writing them off out of hand.

We ought, in other words — in this case and in others — to be able to distinguish between points of view we disagree with, on one hand, and points of view that are beyond the pale. Points of view we merely disagree with are ones where we can see and appreciate the other side’s reasoning, and where we can understand how they got to their conclusion, even though that conclusion is not the one we reach ourselves, all things considered. Points of view that are beyond the pale are ones in support of which there could be nothing but self-serving rationalization. Putin’s purported defence of his attack on the Ukraine is one such view. Any excuse he gives for a violent attack on a peaceful neighbour is so incoherent that it can only be thought of as the result either of disordered thinking, or a smokescreen. But not so for companies, or pundits, that think maybe pulling out of Russia isn’t, on balance, the best idea. They have some good reasons on their side, even if, in the end, I think their conclusion is wrong.

Like this:

Like Loading…

[ad_2]

Source link

Post Navigation

Previous Download Windows 11 ISO images (March 2022 update)
Next NY attorney general wants subpoena enforced against Trump, eldest children in civil investigation

More Stories

The News for December 2nd, 2022
  • General

The News for December 2nd, 2022

Janelle B. Smith July 9, 2024 0
How To Learn Japanese For Beginners – Personal Tips! |
  • General

How To Learn Japanese For Beginners – Personal Tips! |

Janelle B. Smith July 8, 2024 0
Si3D Cerabide – A Revolution In Sealant Technology From Nanolex
  • General

Si3D Cerabide – A Revolution In Sealant Technology From Nanolex

Janelle B. Smith July 5, 2024 0
July 2025
M T W T F S S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  
« Jun    

Archives

  • June 2025
  • April 2025
  • February 2025
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • December 2016

Categories

  • Beauty
  • Business & Finance
  • Car & Automotive
  • Computer & Technology
  • Fashion & Shopping
  • Food & Cooking
  • General
  • Health
  • Health & Fitness
  • Home & Improvement
  • Latest News Place
  • Law & Legal
  • Science & Education
  • Travel & Leisure

Recent Posts

  • Do You Really Need Different Cleansers For Day & Night?
  • Creating Digital Spaces That Move Property Forward
  • Henri Alexander Levy: Art Meets Enfants Riches Déprimés
  • The Benefits of Using a Horse Exerciser: Improved Health and Well-being
  • Spring into Love with These Floral-Inspired Ruby Engagement Rings

Fiverr

Fiverr Logo

Tags

American Express Business Cards Att Business Customer Service Att Business Internet Att Business Login Bad Business Codes Bank Of America Small Business Buffalo Business First Business Business Administration Jobs Business Administration Salary Business Analyst Jobs Business Card Dimensions Business Casual Female Business Casual For Women Business Casual Women Outfits Business Ideas 2021 Business Letter Example Business License California Business Name Search Business Process Reengineering Business Proposal Template Buy A Business Card For Business Chase For Business Chase Ink Business Card Columbia Business School Costco Business Center San Jose Emirates Business Class Facebook Business Account Fictitious Business Name Florida Business Entity Search Ga Sos Business Search Georgia Business Search Google Business Email Houston Business Journal Illinois Business Search Instagram Business Account Is Lularoe Still In Business London Business School Marketing Master Of Business Administration Men'S Business Casual Pittsburgh Business Times Qualified Business Income Deduction Sacramento Business Journal
putritransport
cowlingair

You may have missed

Do You Really Need Different Cleansers For Day & Night?
  • Beauty

Do You Really Need Different Cleansers For Day & Night?

Janelle B. Smith June 29, 2025
Creating Digital Spaces That Move Property Forward
  • Fashion & Shopping

Creating Digital Spaces That Move Property Forward

Janelle B. Smith April 9, 2025
Henri Alexander Levy: Art Meets Enfants Riches Déprimés
  • Fashion & Shopping

Henri Alexander Levy: Art Meets Enfants Riches Déprimés

Janelle B. Smith February 11, 2025
The Benefits of Using a Horse Exerciser: Improved Health and Well-being
  • Fashion & Shopping

The Benefits of Using a Horse Exerciser: Improved Health and Well-being

Janelle B. Smith November 26, 2024
Spring into Love with These Floral-Inspired Ruby Engagement Rings
  • Fashion & Shopping

Spring into Love with These Floral-Inspired Ruby Engagement Rings

Janelle B. Smith November 25, 2024
chasepost.net | CoverNews by AF themes.

WhatsApp us