Op-ed:
Sanctions...For Better or Worse
By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right
Side Patriots on American Political Radio
“
By limiting the Executive’s flexibility, this bill makes
it harder for the United States to strike good deals for the American
people, and will drive China, Russia, and North Korea much closer
together.” - President Donald Trump
He signed H.R. 3364, the 'Countering America's Adversaries Through
Sanctions Act'...an act that he called
"seriously flawed” as
he felt it put American companies at a disadvantage and hurt the
interests of our European allies...but he did so for the sake
of
“national unity.” He signed it even though he believed
it to be
“unconstitutional” as it infringed upon his right
as president to set policy in regards to foreign affairs. Was it the
right thing to do...no. Was it the only thing he could do as all
things 'Russia' continue to hoover over everything he does,
everything he says, and everything he dare think...yes...for
unfortunately the votes were there to override his veto if need
be...and he knew it.
And he is President Donald J. Trump...the man who won the
presidency against a woman who truly belongs not just in jail but in
federal prison for life...or worse.
And so just two days ago President Trump signed the very act that
imposes new sanctions on North Korea, Iran, and Russia, laying to
rest his hoped for true 'reset' with Vladimir Putin's Russia. Sold
out by both the Republican held House and Senate...this act passed in
the House 419-3 and in the Senate 98-2...and did so in a misplaced
and misguided kumbaya show of bi-partisanship with RINO sellouts and
Republican obstructionists joining with Democrats to overrule Trump's
rightful opposition to the act's provisions that place limits on his
executive power...limits that include the imposing of a 30-day review
period to give Congress a chance to vote down any of his proposed
changes to Russian sanctions before they can be implemented.
Basically this act severely limits President Trump's ability to
negotiate sanctions without congressional approval no matter that the
Constitution calls for the president and the president alone to be
the setter of foreign policy...specifically this act undermines
President Trump's ability to unilaterally lift sanctions against
Russia when and if he deems it the time to do so.
And with a number of 'supposed' constitutional law 'experts' claiming that
Congress has a right to
“assert its own constitutional powers”...as in to serve as a
"check" on the executive branch...what this in reality is, is
sadly but yet another case of the Constitution be damned...and this time
those 'supposedly' on our side joined in to damn the very document
that is the law of our land.
In response to this act President Trump issued a signed statement
to let it be known that he could selectively enforce or ignore parts
of bills or acts passed by Congress...which is his legal right to do
and has been done in the past by both Presidents George W. Bush and
Obama. Saying that,
“My Administration will give careful and
respectful consideration to the preferences expressed by the Congress
in these various provisions and will implement them in a manner
consistent with the President's constitutional authority to conduct
foreign relations,” Trump showed all who really is boss.
And while to some degree sanctions are both needed and justified
against North Korea and Iran...the sanctions placed upon Russia were nothing but
payback by the Democrats and the Republican sellouts for self-perceived election tampering that never
happened... and to think otherwise is more than a bit naive.
But why naive...because these new sanctions expand on already in
place so-called
“measures” taken by none other than Barack
HUSSEIN Obama in the waning days of his presidency...
“measures”
to
“punish” his chosen scapegoat...the Russians...for
he blamed them for not getting his third term in office.
And sellouts do abound...and who should be especially ashamed of
himself for selling our president out as he cheered the act being
signed...none other than Speaker of the House Paul Ryan who
said of the new sanctions placed on North Korea, Iran, and Russia,
“Today, the United
States sent a powerful message to our adversaries that they will be
held accountable for their actions,” completely ignoring the
fact that for the most part sanctions simply do not work... at least
not always work in our favor that is...for most times those punished are the innocent people of said countries sanctioned and not their governments as intended.
And when all is said and done, the only message this sanctions act sends is
that the enemy...both foreign and domestic...'trumped' Trump and they
did not have to lift a finger to do it...our Congress did it for
them.
Now let's briefly break this act down by each country sanctioned especially as to why it is being sanctioned. Starting with North Korea, who we have had sanctions on since the Korean
War, previous
sanctions have proven only to hurt the North Korean people
themselves as the delusional man-child Kim Jong-un thumbs his nose at them as he continues
launching his missiles, testing his bombs, and defying all who demand
he stop.
For North Korea these new sanctions add just another layer to the already in place
financial sanctions, and impose a few new sanctions that target
“entities” that give North Korea access to much needed
military materials... materials like certain metals and rocket and jet
fuels...all in an attempt to reign in the man-child's quest for
nuclear weapons and to do so by cutting off his access to cash needed
to bring his plans to fruition. And this is critical as just last
week U.S. intelligence revised previous estimates to say that
Pyongyang could develop the capability to deliver a nuclear weapon to
the continental U.S. within a year, and that some believe that their
newest ICBM test could already put a number of major U.S. cities at
serious risk of an attack.
Also in this act is language regarding the prohibiting of ships
owned by North Korea or by countries that refuse to comply with U.N.
resolutions against them from operating in American waters or docking
at U.S. ports; and there is language stating that goods produced in North
Korea through forced labor would be prohibited from entering the U.S.
In regards to
“Death to America” Iran, the new
sanctions act requires our government to create yet another strategy
for countering Iranian threats in the region in addition to imposing
sanctions on any
“entity” that helps Iran develop its
ballistic missile program along with anyone who does business with
them. And the act also blocks access to Iranian property in the U.S.,
calls for another arms embargo, and imposes specific sanctions on the
Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force...their tentacle of the
Revolutionary Guard that carries out efforts to support terrorist acts.
And it is interesting to note that while previous sanctions placed
upon Iran...sanctions like cutting off their access to global markets
and investments as well as freezing $56 billion in assets...did have
somewhat of an impact and has shown some results because Iran, who still remains
a small enough country to isolate to some degree, actually wants both
economic and political ties with the rest of the world...especially
oil ties no matter that oil prices are plummeting even in light of
increased demand.
But the bottom line in regards to these new sanctions placed upon
both North Korea and Iran is that there really is nothing terribly new in
them except for a bit of 'belt tightening' so to speak on what is
already in place.
Now as for the what President Trump called the
“shoring up of
existing sanctions on Russia”...sanctions we have had in place
against Russia since their 2014 invasion of Ukraine and annexation of
Crimea...sanctions which Putin has already responded to with his
ordering the U.S. Embassy to reduce its staff by 755 people by
September 1st (which is almost half of our diplomatic and technical
personnel and would bring our presence in Russia to 455 persons...the
same number they now have in the U.S.); with his ordering the closing down of
the embassy's recreational retreat on the outskirts of Moscow as well
as the closing of warehouse facilities; and with his allowing for the
seizing of U.S. diplomatic properties.
Simply, this new sanctions act in regards to Russia...besides
playing tit-for-tat...does nothing but codify sanctions already in
place under existing Executive Orders that relate to blocking
property owned by people who contributed to Russia's move on Ukraine;
that punish Russia for their actual military aggression in Ukraine
and Syria; and slap them on the wrist for what's being called
"malicious cyber-enabled activities," human rights
abuses, and
“corruption” in Russia... “
corruption”
in Moscow.
Corruption in Russia...I wonder if Russia will sanction the U.S.
for 'corruption' within our own country...especially within
Washington D.C...just saying.
But specifically in regards to blocking Russian property, some
European leaders are already worried that parts of the sanctions that do target Russia's
energy sector would harm the businesses already involved in piping
Russian natural gas into Europe. In fact, Germany's foreign minister
said his country would not accept U.S. sanctions against Russia being
applied to European companies... and know it is his right to do so.
And if some European leaders are worried about this one provision
other European leaders...and leaders of non-European
countries...could well be worried about other provisions or about
this entire new sanctions act itself.
And a fact that must be accepted as truth no matter naysayers to
the contrary is that sanctions take years to have full effect...if
they even work at all...meaning when first enacted sanctions are just
a warning to those countries sanctioned to either stop what they are
doing or else face the consequences. And in the case of North Korea
those consequences have further ramifications than just having to
deal with U.S. sanctions.
How so...in a word, China. Remember, more
than 90% of North Korea’s trade is with China, including its
importing of food and energy. And with North Korea using Chinese
banks to fund whatever transactions it has with the rest of the
world, and with recent rounds of U.S. sanctions targeting those very
Chinese banks and companies, that translates into whatever is
minimally hurting China maximally hurts North Korea...more hardships
they can ill-afford.
And in the case of Russia...who yesterday saw Russian Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev saying that the U.S. establishment had
“outwitted” President Trump and the U.S. and has
"declared a fully-fledged economic war” with Russia....has us placing even more sanctions on Russia for something they did not do. But know that no economic sanctions we place on Russia can make worse their own well-known economic shortcomings...as in their unsuccessful quest for economic
power that monetary stability (which they do not have) would afford one...and they continue that quest no matter what it costs
them on the world's political stage...a stage where they continue to
try to become super power #1 while trying to shove us down to #2.
So, with North Korea being sanctioned by us since the Korea War
and yet still existing to be a real and tangible threat to the world's
safety; with Iran still remaining the world's leading sponsor of terrorism;
and with Vladimir Putin laser focused on rebuilding the once great Russian
Empire...and succeeding to some degree; it can be seen that while
sanctions in time might slow down for a while a country's nefarious
goals, they simply do not work in the all-important long haul for
what are sanctions but unilateral deals made with oneself.
And here I think President Trump's words say it all.
“As
President, I can make far better deals with foreign countries than
Congress”...and you know what...I think he can if Congress
would only get out of his way to do what he does best...make deals. I
cannot say it any plainer than that...can you.
Copyright
© 2017 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor
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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!
Today, Friday, August 4th from 7 to 9pm on
American Political Radio,
RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori
discuss the new sanctions placed on North Korea, Iran, and Russia; Craig's take on government waste; and important news of the day.
Hope you can tune in at:
http://listen.samcloud.com/w/73891/American-Political-Radio…
