In this case, the situation itself is not very positive. Tensions have arisen between Russia and Ukraine, with implications for the United States and the rest of the world. Although the situation itself is complex, one of the main reason's behind the conflict is the Ukrainian president's rejection of an EU economics deal, favoring instead a deal with Russia. The president's actions lead to Ukrainian protests and, in February, the president's flight to Russia. Today, Russia annexed the Crimea, an ethnically Russian part of the Ukraine. The rest of the world needs to decide what to do in response.
Interestingly, Americans are not overwhelmingly in support of most of Obama's proposed actions regarding Russia. They do support sanctions being placed upon Russia. However, in this inter-connected world, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Do the benefits of sanctions outweigh the costs? According to the Huffington Post article, sanctions may actually have more of a negative affect on Germany and Italy than on Russia. Sanctions would decrease the supply of oil, increasing the price (supply curve shifting to the left!).
So what do you think? Is the real issue here more of an economic or a political one? Should America sanction Russia? And why do you think Americans are so much more in favor of sanctions than they are in favor of other alternatives?
Links:
Russian Annexation of Ukraine
Background of Ukraine Conflict
Survey on Americans' opinions on Obama's proposed actions:
Washington Post Article
CNN Poll
2 comments:
I think Americans are in favor of sanctions because they feel safe. I mean, in contrast to a military or more direct and aggressive approach, a sanction appears forceful enough to make an impact and be considered taking action but not so offensive or hostile as to risk jeopardizing relations with other country.
Also, I feel that the "real issue" here can't really be separated into either a distinct economic problem or a political one. While ideally the moral problems in politics should be unrelated or above the influence of money and supplies, the fact remains that resources, especially scarce ones such as oil, cannot afford to be ignored and must be addressed when deciding policies with other countries.
Since the Onion is such a legitimate news source, I cannot resist posting their article on this topic: http://www.theonion.com/articles/ukrainianrussian-tensions-dividing-us-citizens-alo,35428/
Although the Onion is satire, their description of America's apathy on this subject may contain some truth. It is difficult to be fully informed about every political topic, but perhaps Americans should make more effort to be informed. What do you think?
Post a Comment