Sanctions Are Not Enough
Category: News & Politics
Via: moose-knuckle • 2 years ago • 32 commentsBy: Matthew Continetti (Washington Free Beacon)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Ever since last year, when Vladimir Putin began preparing for an invasion of Ukraine, President Biden has tried to deter him. Biden tried to reason with the Russian autocrat. He released declassified intelligence to rally the world against the imminent threat. He supported French president Emmanuel Macron's last-ditch attempt at diplomacy. He warned Russia that a war would be met with harsh economic sanctions.
Nothing worked. Negotiations failed. So-called "deterrence through disclosure" had no effect. The threat of punishment carried no weight. The invasion began in the early hours of February 24. The largest military action undertaken on the continent of Europe since World War II is underway. Anyone who pretends to know what will happen next is kidding themselves.
President Biden and America's allies in Europe have prepared a program of sanctions to punish Putin, his inner circle, and the Russian security and military services for this unprovoked assault on an independent nation of some 40 million people. Biden is right to do so. Free societies have an obligation to demonstrate their revulsion toward despotism. Any cost imposed on Putin is worthwhile.
Yet sanctions aren't enough. The record is clear: Sanctions make a point, but they rarely achieve their goals. The American president can no longer pretend that economic coercion alone will do the trick. A grand strategy is required to make Putin's invasion and possible occupation of Ukraine as painful for him as possible, to stop him from expanding the war, and to reestablish deterrence.
America's economic, military, technological, and cultural power must be aligned toward shielding democracy in Europe and undermining the Russian war machine. Limiting ourselves to sanctions and diplomacy won't make Putin think twice before demanding more of the West. Quite the opposite: He will brush his shoulder off. He will look for another target.
The first task is to assist Ukraine in its existential conflict. The flip side of sanctioning Russia ought to be providing additional financial aid to the elected government of Ukraine. Weapons should follow the money.
The president can declare that America will not recognize, nor will international organizations seat, a Russian-backed Ukrainian regime. He can prepare to support a Ukrainian government in exile and to supply anti-Russian partisans in occupied territory. Abandoning Ukraine to fight unassisted would be worse than a betrayal. It would make Putin's life easier. It would enhance his personal rule. That is exactly what we do not want.
Second, Biden must abandon his energy strategy. Nothing less than a total reversal of his approach is necessary. Certain times require a reevaluation of priorities and a reorganization of values. The global crisis that Putin has set in motion is such a moment.
Putin tends to lash out when gas prices are high. Lowering these costs will not be easy. It will take time. And the only effective means of lowering the price of energy is increasing its supply.
Biden must embrace oil and gas exploration. America was energy independent just a few years ago. The American president must do everything he can to make us independent again. While he's at it, he needs to blanket Europe with liquid natural gas (LNG) facilities, call on the German government to reevaluate its attitude toward nuclear power, and ask the U.S. Congress to subsidize new nuclear plants here at home.
Soliciting OPEC is a crutch. The green-energy transition must wait. Turn on the spigot of American oil and gas to drown out Putin's energy weapon. Failure to do so would be another self-inflicted wound.
Third, Biden needs to ask Congress not only to pass the authorized defense budget, but to send him an emergency supplemental appropriations bill that dramatically ramps up military spending. Biden's idea that he could minimize the role of the Defense Department and conduct foreign policy through the State Department and—God help us—John Kerry was always delusional. Now it's dangerous.
Congress authorized, but hasn't passed, a defense budget greater than the one Biden requested. Even this increase, however, amounts to a net cut thanks to inflation. America needs to spend more on defense—much more. This additional spending ought to include enhanced research and development as well as updating and expanding America's nuclear arsenal.
America needs more of everything—more troops, more tanks, more planes, more ships, more drones, more UAVs and USVs, more ABM systems, more chips, and more connectivity. And we need it soon. Ronald Reagan grabbed the Kremlin's attention with his defense budgets. Biden has not. He needs to mimic Reagan, not Barack Obama, if he wants to stop his presidency from sliding entirely into chaos.
Finally, Biden has an opportunity to reassert himself as leader of the Free World. Biden has sounded the right notes on democracy, but his actions have not supported his rhetoric. He is responsible for the extinction of democracy in Afghanistan. He could not stop Putin from attacking Ukraine. If he does not change his approach, he probably will watch China take Taiwan before his term is over.
Supplementing economic sanctions against Russia with military aid to Ukraine, a liberalized energy policy, and massive defense spending will help anchor Biden amid the authoritarian riptide. To press forward, however, he needs to make a robust case for democracy in multiple venues. He needs to rush reinforcements to NATO members such as Poland and Romania, the Baltic States, and Croatia, Albania, and Montenegro. And he needs to live up to his rhetoric of national unity by nominating a Supreme Court justice who will attract GOP votes and inviting national security officials who have worked for Republicans to join his team.
One of the reasons that the West misjudged Putin was our minimization of ideology in world affairs. We tend to believe that everyone is, in the end, like us—they think like us, they want the same things as us. But we are wrong. Putin and Xi Jinping have different belief systems, different values. And these divergent ideas motivate them to pursue horrific ends.
Every American president has a responsibility to stand for, speak for, and support the values of political and religious liberty at the heart of our experiment in self-government. The most recent occupants of the Oval Office have not quite lived up to the job. The egregious acts of Vladimir Putin offer President Biden a chance to turn things around. Pray that he seizes this opportunity.
Published under:Energy Policy, Feature, Joe Biden, NATO, Ukraine Invasion, Vladimir Putin
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Biden killed our energy independence to appease a few retarded environmental extremists, all while fully knowing US energy is cleaner than Russian energy. So much for environmentalism.
War breaks out in Ukraine and John Kerry hopes Russia stays committed to reducing their carbon footprint?
This administration and their party are a complete clown show.
The American electorate is going to chunk them away like trash at the midterms and 2024.
I am confident Vlad Putin endorses that comment...
Are you not paying attention? The guy you voted for begged the Saudis to increase oil production after curbing domestic oil production, they said no. So he drops to his knees and and begs Putin who pulled out his pipeline and said yes, as much as you want. The leader of your party is funding this despicable war and it sounds like you support it.
Your comment is a total fail, you know it, I know it and according to recent polling, most Americans know it.
Good luck with that.
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What did Biden do to curb domestic oil production?
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Trying to BS your way, typical.
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I'm trying to be polite here. I saw plenty of other articles for people with a variety of interests.
It's obvious that you have no idea of what is going on or what you're talking about.
Carry on.
Wow, looks like you plagiarized my reply to you. Hey, you got it, you figured it out.
Well done.
You should understand what plagiarized means.
Keep spinning, it's entertaining.
In other words, this is another right-wing screed subtly elevating MAGA, deflecting for Trump and bringing Putin's style autocracy through the back door into America.
Least one could do is shout it out loud and proud. Conservatism has no memory, honor or soul. Guts either.
I see, you are ok buying oil from Putin and funding this war. It's a fact you cannot argue with, nor can you explain the administration's energy policy so we get a comment that means absolutely nothing?
Speaking of clown world. Since when is the US dependent on Russian oil?
Russia started a war. Get used to it. Besides, Trump said Putin was 'smart and savvy' so your problem would be--------what?
After Saudis told Biden to kick rocks, the us now buys 12 million barrels a day. Biden has us dependent on oil from the enemy.
If you don't know what is going on, stay on the sidelines.
The U.S. is now energy independent
To the left, our biggest threat is global warming
1 threat = Russian aggression towards Ukraine.
2nd threat = Earth becoming inhospitable to human life.
Which is more serious?
The only thing Biden has done is screw things up so badly there's no way to fix it.
I heard Biden was going to unfollow Putin on Twitter.
I hear blaming Biden for Ukraine is backfiring!
One must have to live in a basement to miss the fact this administration has succeeded at absolutely not one thing since taking office.
Polling shows America blames themselves for this. They overwhelmingly have buyers remorse for voting for Biden.
There are exceptions of course, 4 people on twitter and a few here. Soon news will arrive at a small South Pacific Island that the war is over and the Japanese lost the war.
Maybe in some rightwing bubble butt not with the rest of America and the free people of the world. A world united in condemnation of Vlad Putin and united behind President Biden and the rest of the free world. On the other hand, the Russian propaganda machine is running tapes of Trump and Fox News gushing about how much they admire Putin, his brilliance in Ukraine and blaming America and President Biden first. That part is not playing well anywhere outside of radical rightwing circles. Notes are being taken...
Yeah, Biden is the victim. That's plays well with certain fringe factions of the US electorate.
It is all Putin's fault and Ukrainians the victims!
Again, just like the other day when you posted that bullshit, prove it.
Except it is true.
Okay since you butted in, you prove it.................
What makes you think Putin's 'journalists'' would not?
Didn't say they would not. He's stating it as fact. And, due to the lack of response, can't prove it because it isn't happening.
Don't shoot the messenger ...