ECONOMIC SANCTIONS
Introduction
This essay main is to conduct a critically, and logically analyze of both the economic and ethical consequences that emanate from imposed economic sanctions. The first section of the essay will also deeply appreciate on the definition of an economic sanction and also clearly and logically evaluate whether it is a good strategy to make the other nations honor and respect their demands. This is mostly with an aim to avoid any form of generalization that is done by most people who assume it’s a good practice and also a form of defensive mechanism to coerce the other nation consider on its ultimatums by delivering and basing my argument on a critical analysis point of view. The second paragraph will mainly constitute and analyze the effects of an imposed economic sanction as well as it’s political, ethical, and economic impact on the nations involved. On the conclusion bit, I will give an opinion putting into consideration both the positive and the negative effects of the economic sanctions and also assess on their viability and applicability.
Main body Ethics or morality, rather than being general, are highly diversified according to different times, spaces, and groups. As Nardin argued, “ethics involves principles, but it also involves the interpretation and application of these principles by particular persons in particular circumstances” (1992: 2).
Economic sanctions are a form of domestic fines and even penalties that are imposed by one mainly country to another one or even a group of countries altogether, which may not necessarily be for economic reasons but mostly for political patronage (Blanchard et al, p.24). If two countries for instance are in a conflict with each other about a certain issue, and then the conflict goes unresolved one of the country may decide to impose an economic sanction to the other nation in an effort to make their demands recognized and even respected. Economic sanction bears some solemn impacts that are of ultimate ethical significance. Since the adoption of the various sanctions in the last 20 years, its impact is not of a small magnitude, and its effects, therefore, cannot be underrated. These sanctions have seen the growth of humanitarianism that is practices that are aimed at promoting human welfare in an effort to reduce and also prevent wars from arising. Imposing economic pressure and sanctions to a target nation that you are not in good terms with is seen as a rather more acceptable and also a non-violent approach that prevents any kind of conflicts between nations that could cause a lot of suffering and even deaths of the civilians. Sanctions are also necessary for some situations because they aim at enhancing the legitimacy of the state issuing the sanction and also keenly look into the possible causes of the problems (Haass et al., p.126). Sanctions can be viewed as more logical, and ethical strategies aimed and maintaining peace. Professionals argue that a sanction is good way and method to make its demands known and respected by the target country instead of creating a war that that may end up causing a lot of citizens to lose their lives, be internally displaced and also waste the government resources that would have been channeled to other meaningful projects of improving people's livelihoods. However, not all sanctions are good, and for the case of an imposed comprehensive sanction it have totally proved otherwise. This type of sanctions is more of a dictatorial methodology, and it tends to create a lot of fear, suffering and even loss of life among the population of the targeted economy. A critical example was the sanction policy that was introduced in IRAQ between the years 1990 to 2003. The sanction highly affected the robust population of over 31 million civilians where the prices of basic commodities such as floor, cooking fats, sugar, and salt were hiked as high as 1000 percent per year in Iraq (Blanchard et al, p.37). The sanction had a tremendous impact because it totally crippled the country’s infrastructure and financed even become an immense problem. The sanction also created a lot of unemployment among the young people with the unemployment rate rising to over 30 percent. The impact did not stop there because the prevailing unemployment conditions in the country caused massive crime rates to be reported as well as drug and substance abuse was reported to be on the pick. Over 200,000 children who were below the age five years also died due to malnutrition and other innocent civilians died in the process. From the above case analysis it is clear that some sanctions do not have the humanitarian welfare in mind but are only aimed and targeted towards the selfish gains of a few individuals in the quest for power and leadership (Cortright et al, p.75). Financial sanctions may also tend to become ethically problematic. This occurs when certain states decides to sanction and also to blacklist the various banking and financial institutions to its target states as this may come with a lot negative ethical issues. Freeing of wealth is the most probable outcome that usually restricts the wealth among the rich people. Average working citizens who have most of their savings in those banks may not get a return on their investment. Ordinary citizens are also unable to acquire loans that boosts on their financial conditions and also strict and harsh measures are adopted by the host nation to anyone found not to abide by the blacklisting laws.
Recent sanctions that we are witnessing now are applied to Russia in connection with Ukrainian crisis. The United States and the European Union have now enacted a substantial range of sanctions on Russia, cutting off credit, banning arms exports and limiting the transfer of so-called sensitive technology, as well as targeting a number of highly placed individuals. On 6 August 2014, Putin signed a decree "On the use of specific economic measures", which mandated an effective embargo for a one-year period on imports of most of the agricultural products whose country of origin had either "adopted the decision on introduction of economic sanctions in respect of Russian legal and physical entities, or joined same". In my opinion, in that case sanctions are harming both of the parties economically. From the ethical standpoint, these sanctions are affecting middle and low class of population, as they are the ones who are losing their jobs. Sanctions that are imposed on Russia does not bring the effect that US and EU though it would, but only back fires on them.
Conclusion
Smart sanctions are necessary and of benefit if they are well implemented by the involved countries. They help to curb conflicts and also promote a peaceful coexistence. However, I think that some nation go a step further and interpolate the whole idea of sanctions to suite their own needs which raises ethical questions that need to well addressed to avoid suffering among people wrongly. Considering the diversity and conflict in today’s world, whether these international sanctions that carry these liberal ethic norms can be universally accepted by all mankind is unclear.

REFERENCES
Blanchard., Mansfield, E. & Ripsman, N. (2014). Power and the Purse Economic Statecraft, Interdependence and National Security. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.
Cortright, D., & Lopez, G. A. (1995). Economic sanctions: Panacea or peacebuilding in a post-cold war world?. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Druckman, D., & Stern, P. C. (2000). International conflict resolution after the Cold War. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Haass, R., & Council on Foreign Relations. (1998). Economic sanctions and American diplomacy. New York: Council on Foreign Relations.