Sanctions

Dazed and Confused

You hurt and abuse,
Tellin' all of your lies
Run 'round, sweet baby, lord, how they hypnotize
Sweet little baby, I don't know where you been
Gonna love you, baby, here I come again

So who is confused about strategy and tactics?

Sanctions have been proposed by President Biden as a strategy for dealing with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  Some in the GOP have complained that sanctions are weak and ineffective.  Those individuals  are confusing strategy with tactics.  Are sanctions an effective tactic? No, but they were never claimed to be.

Those individuals opposing sanctions as ineffective must also be fans of Pyrrhic victories.  In case you have forgotten, a Pyrrhic victory is one where the victory, and the tactics used to achieve that victory, work against a winning strategy.  E.g. you won the battle, but lost the war.  They might make the tacticians who achieved that victory proud of themselves.  But a mid-season sports victory that came at the cost of injuring the team's star player almost always guarantees a losing season.  A gambler who won $100,000 in a game, but has lost $400,000 over the last year is still a loser.  The winner of an auction who paid more than the asset is worth will probably be bankrupt in the long run.  Or particularly germane to current events… the French Invasion of Russia in 1812 and the taking of Moscow.  It should be particularly fitting to listen to Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture today, and everyday, until the Russian invasion of the Ukraine becomes the latest example of a Pyrrhic victory.  Kind of makes you want to listen again on Election day, and when the Truth Social app crashes and burns as well!  I’d rather be weak than dazed and confused!