English Learning for Curious Minds
#428 | Sanctions: Do They Even Work?
Dec 14, 2023
Explore the effectiveness of sanctions in achieving their intended goals, with a focus on different types of sanctions throughout history. Discuss the case of US sanctions on Cuba and the success of sanctions on South Africa. Examine contemporary examples like sanctions on Russia and the challenges in assessing their efficacy. Highlight the human impact through Siavash's wife's personal story, emphasizing the need to consider the human aspect in international relations.
23:33
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Quick takeaways
- Sanctions can have unintended consequences on innocent individuals and smaller countries, as highlighted by the story of Siavash and his wife who faced the devastating effects of sanctions when they were unable to complete a PhD program in Australia due to Iranian sanctions imposed by Australia.
- The effectiveness of sanctions in achieving their goals is a matter of debate, with varying opinions among scholars. While some estimate the success rate of sanctions to be as low as 4%, others argue that they change the behavior of targeted countries around 13% of the time.
Deep dives
The Impact of Sanctions on Smaller Countries
Sanctions can have unintended consequences on innocent individuals and smaller countries. The podcast episode discusses the story of Siavash and his wife, who faced the devastating effects of sanctions when they were unable to complete a PhD program in Australia due to Iranian sanctions imposed by Australia. Despite Siavash's wife not being involved in the areas targeted by the sanctions, the university still rejected her application to avoid any risk. This highlights how sanctions can impact individual lives, even when their objectives are geopolitical.
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