The world seems to be in a state of disintegration, lurching from one terrible crisis to the next. Not to mention the hidden disasters that the press doesn't even cover like the tragedy of Yemen, famine in Madagascar, and the Rohingya genocide--just to name a few off the top of my head.
The troubles in the Ukraine are the newest disaster. And as is the case with most of these horrors, those of us who care about people who are being harmed feel helpless as there seems to be nothing of significance that an individuals like us can do to help out.
Finally, it seems that something is happening, at least in this case: governments and corporations are taking action that will have an impact on Russia and isolate that nation and perhaps motivate it to behave differently. Already aviation and banking in Russia are two industries that are taking a serious hit. These sanctions are like a sword cutting through the economy.
Sadly, this weapon which appears to be our most effective response to the Ukranian crisis, is actually a double-edged sword that cuts in two directions. Perhaps the oligarchs and the powerful, and maybe even Putin, might suffer from these measures but the powerful have the resources needed to survive; however, it is also quite apparent that this sword has an unintended impact that is devastating those who should not be asked to suffer, including people who don't even live in Russia.
I think about Tajikistan which gets about 20% of its GDP from citizens who work abroad and send their money back to families in their home country--most of these international workers are in Russia. Not only is the flow of that money threatened, but the jobs that these expats hold are threatened too. Tajikistan relies heavily on this income and assuming it dries up, the negative impact on the people of Tajikistan, who hold no responsibility for the Russian aggression in the Ukraine, could very well suffer far more deeply than Putin from this double-edged sword.
I also know many people in Kyrgyzstan who have moved to Russia to find work and to gain economically. They too are being harmed. I also know an average Russian, no different than you or than me, who has been living with his family in Kyrgyzstan, working for the past six years, not at all affiliated with Putin's evil. He has been sending money these years to build his own business in Russia, and because of the situation and sanctions that business is basically gone--six years of investments evaporated in a matter of days.
There are also people in other nations who rely on the export of Russian wheat and sunflower oil and other foodstuffs in order to eat--with that food supply disappearing, so will their secure food supply. And the reduced supplies of food they will have access to will most likely cost quite a bit more. Children with empty stomachs are a bi-product of our actions as well.
I am not saying we shouldn't take these actions against the Russian government. It's really one of the few things we can do, in an attempt to pressure Putin to stop his aggression. We could engage in full warfare, but that certainly is not an option at all. I don't believe World War III would be a benefit to anyone on the planet.
What I am saying is that we should always remember that any time we engage in economic warfare, there is collateral damage, just as there is in traditional military warfare. We should be mindful of this and we should do everything we can to assist those who are slashed by the other side of the sword. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the U.S. and the E.U. could take action to provide substantial assistance to the nations of Central Asia, for example, to help keep things afloat in those countries (perhaps not through government channels as we know what often happens to aid that goes down these paths). Perhaps fortifying the food supplies of nations with sudden new shortfalls of food would be useful too.
There are no magic bullets to solve any of the crises in the world. And sometimes the sword is required. But, let us make sure we attempt to assist those who suffer unintended harm, whose lives are in the path of any swords that are wielded.
Comments
Post a Comment