In perspective: U.S. nuclear-armed Sanctions v BDS

If the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement is so criminally anti-Semitic as to warrant U.S. congressional legislative action partnered productions of demonization, persecution, prosecution, and containment (imprisonment) — what are U.S. nuclear-powered, clearly malicious, crippling sanctions (embargoes) against world nations and peoples?

A

re the latter not actual crimes, unconscionable injury, unending global threat that, in any sane society, definitely would be reined in and ended entirely?

As of 2017, the United States’ inventory of nuclear warheads reportedly stood at 6,800. Given the multilayered and web-like complexity of the U.S. government together with its secrecy, this figure may or may not be accurate. Nevertheless, any figures close to this would seem to render sanctions overkill and further exemplary of reckless cruelty against peoples and nations.

U.S. citizens may choose to forget but the world can never forget that it was the United States that first manufactured nuclear weapons and “is the only country to have used them in combat.” Unforgettable are U.S. leadership’s (ordered) gratuitous bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; and the thousands of nuclear tests and long-range nuclear weapons delivery systems tests before and during the ensuing Cold War.

C

ombined U.S. Departments of the Treasury, Commerce, and State embargoes against 30 countries or territories:

Afghanistan	Balkans	Belarus
Burundi	Central African Republic	China (PR)
Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)	Crimea Region	Cuba
Cyprus	Democratic Republic of the Congo	Eritrea
Fiji	Haiti	Iran
Iraq	Kyrgyzstan	Laos
Lebanon	Liberia	Libya
Myanmar	North Korea	Palestine
Russia	Rwanda	Somalia
South Sudan	Sri Lanka	Sudan
Syria	Venezuela	Vietnam
Yemen	Zimbabwe

Wikipedia page last updated April 12, 2019 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_embargoes

Against

P

ersons

 

Country Description

Former Yugoslavia[show]

•   Bosnia and Herzegovina

•   Croatia

•   Montenegro

•   Serbia

•   Slovenia

•   Macedonia

Persons who the US government alleges threaten international stabilization in the Western Balkans and some states of the former Yugoslavia

Belarus               Certain persons the US government believes to be undermining democratic processes or institutions in Belarus (including President Alexander Lukashenko and other officials)

Burundi              Persons who the US government claims threaten peace, security, or stability in Burundi

Central African Republic              Persons the US government believes contribute to the conflict in the Central African Republic

Democratic Republic of the Congo          Certain persons the US government believes are contributing to the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Iraq      Specific individuals and entities associated with the former Ba'athist regime of Saddam Hussein, as well as parties the US government believes have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing acts of violence that threaten the peace or stability of Iraq or the Government of Iraq or undermine efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq or make it more difficult for humanitarian workers to operate in Iraq.

Lebanon            Persons the US government believes undermine the sovereignty of Lebanon or its democratic processes and institutions

/  Libya

Persons associated with Muammar Gaddafi's regime

Myanmar           Officials associated with the Rohingya crisis

Nicaragua         Persons associated with contributing to the 2018 Nicaraguan protests

Russia  Persons believed to be responsible for the detention, abuse, and death of Sergei Magnitsky and other reported violations of human rights in Russia (see Magnitsky Act of 2012). Since 2014, International sanctions during the Ukrainian crisis, since 2017 Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act

Somalia              Certain persons the US government believes are contributing to the conflict in Somalia

South Sudan      Persons the US government alleges have contributed to the conflict in South Sudan or committed human rights abuses

Ukraine

Russia

(  Crimea)             Persons the US government believes undermine the peace, security, stability, territorial integrity and the democratic processes and institutions of Ukraine. Also persons administering areas of Ukraine without central government consent, also a number of Russian senior officials who are close to Vladimir Putin.

Yemen Persons who the US government claims threaten peace, security, or stability in Yemen

Zimbabwe         Persons the US government believes undermine democratic processes or institutions in Zimbabwe, including a number of Government Officials

 

C

ountries

Country Year introduced Article   Summary

Iran      1979 (Lifted 1981), Reintroduced 1987     United States sanctions against Iran          Near total economic embargo on all economic activities, including a ban on all Iranian imports, sanctions on Iranian financial institutions as well as restriction on the sale of aircraft and repair parts as well as arms embargoes. This policy began in 1979 as a response to the Iranian Revolution, but has been rapidly expanded over recent years due to the Iranian Nuclear Program and Iran's poor human rights record. Iran and the US have no diplomatic relations. Listed as state sponsor of terrorism.

On May 30, 2013, OFAC issued Iranian General License D, authorizing the exportation or reexportation, directly or indirectly, from the United States or by U.S. persons, wherever located, to persons in Iran of "certain services, software, and hardware incident to personal communications". General License D enumerates certain categories allowed to be exported to Iran. For scope and further details, see General License D and the Annex to General License D.

North Korea      1950      North Korea–United States relations         Severe sanctions justified by extreme human rights abuses by North Korea and the North Korean nuclear program. North Korea and the US currently have no diplomatic relations.

Syria    1986      Syria–United States relations        Reasons cited for sanctions include Syria's poor human rights record, the present Civil War, and being listed as a state sponsor of terrorism. Syria and the US currently have no diplomatic relations as of 2012.

Sudan  1993      Sudan-United States relations      Reasons cited for sanctions include Sudan's poor human rights record, the present War in Darfur, and being listed as a state sponsor of terrorism. Most US sanctions on Sudan were lifted in October 2017 by Executive Order of the President of the United States, Donald Trump.

Cuba    1958      United States embargo against Cuba         Reasons cited for the embargo include Cuba's poor human rights record. Since 1992, the UN General Assembly has passed annual resolutions criticizing the ongoing impact of the embargo imposed by the United States.

Wikipedia page last updated April 12, 2019 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_embargoes

Venezuela         2018      United States-Venezuela relations             Reasons cited for sanctions includes Venezuela's poor human rights record, links with illegal drug trade, high levels of state corruption and electoral rigging.

Since 2019, Venezuela and the United states have no diplomatic relations.

 

W

ords, protests, boycotts may hurt people’s feelings.

They may affect an organization or enterprise’s bottom line.

They will never drive people to starvation or to death by preventable diseases. They will never maim, deform the unborn, or cause birth defects.

Words, protests, boycotts

either by design or consequence

will never kill.

Additional Wikipedia source

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapons_of_the_United_States

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