The dumbest sanction ever

[mendeleyev]

Included in the dumbest sanctions:

- The "reverse sanctions" against importing Western goods. President Putin, by executive order, continues to fuel inflation and restrict access to food for his own citizens. Very dumb.

- Russian police officers are banned from traveling anywhere outside Russia or the CIS (former Soviet) countries. Source: state news agency RIA Novosti. Who is banning who? This ban was ordered by the Russian Interior Ministry.

[Doll]

Included in the dumbest sanctions:

- The "reverse sanctions" against importing Western goods. President Putin, by executive order, continues to fuel inflation and restrict access to food for his own citizens. Very dumb.

-

Putin had to respond. What are you suggesting? Obey? Come on- he is Russian President.
As for "access to food"- stores are full of food. Everything is more expensive of course but it is not Putin's fault.
My older is there, I talked to him, offered help. He says that food is not a problem, they can buy anything they need.

[sleepycat]

Putin had to respond. What are you suggesting? Obey? Come on- he is Russian President.

A complete halt to the export of petroleum to EU countries would have been a good retaliation measure.

Oh but wait! Russia is too poor and can't afford to do this can it? 

[Doll]

don't know about "poor" but Russia is not crazy this is for sure.
Plus embargo hit Europe.
Just wait- Russia will stop export of gas to Ukraine soon.

[ghost of moon goddess]

Dmitry Kiselyov, indeed.

Free speech has nothing to do with sanctions against him. His position as head of the expanded Russia Today, appointed by President Putin, means as the Kremlin consolidated most media under the RT umbrella last year, he directs most Russian news organizations, and that makes him one of the most powerful individuals in Russia. His sanctions are not new, they've been around since March of last year.
...

Mendy, did you watch the video footage of the then young and promising journalist, named D. Kiselyov, speaking of journalism standards and ethics? I guess it was taken back in the 90s


Here is what he said:
Ethics cannot be separated from other aspects of journalism, however, often some people shown on TV screens can't be called journalists ---  they are agitators. Being agitators, authors of pamphlets or writers, they have the right to do so, just as artists have the right to have their pictures painted in red  --- it's called artist's vision of the world, the way they choose to reflect the face of the world.
When it comes to journalism, IMO, we have no right to abandon ethics, because the obligation of every journalist is to present multiple perspectives on complex issues and paint true pictures of reality.
Where the issue lies, IMO, is that our viewers must make their own assessment of information, so it is up to them to decide who is a journalist and who is an agitator.
We are talking professional journalism. If the rules that govern journalism were gone, if the tools of responsibility were dismissed in favor of the 'crowd eat it up' principle then we would get the media constantly lowering the bar of  morality and ethics, with the crowd eating it up. One day we would find ourselves in the mud, we would be like pigs in some way, pigs bathing in mud. And that is what our society would look like. 'Praying' on each other and 'devouring' our victims with ferocity, we would hit bottom and there would be nowhere lower to fall.

[Doll]

then young and promising journalist, named D. Kiselyov

Young and promising is 60 years old 

[Изумруд]

Canada has issued fresh sanctions against Russia, including Rosneft on the list:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ukraine-conflict-canada-issues-new-sanctions-1.2961110

[mendeleyev]

Thank you for sharing that, Ghost of Moon Goddess. I had not seen that before. My, how the mighty have fallen. I can only surmise that those were easier times for him to be idealistic. When it came time for him to gain status, he must of had a change of heart.

[Boethius]

If he was a Soviet journalist, I am not in the least bit surprised that his "idealism" was tied to what the state wants.

[fathertime]

While browsing the internet today I found an article talking about US sanctions, and how they haven't 'exhausted their tool kit'.   I've come to realize that the  US sanctions could well be a stalling tactic by the US...in lieu of doing something more significant.  Each time Russia does something we don't like, we impose a new 'layer of sanctions'...some of which seem quite silly/without great significance.     


In another part of the article it mentioned we are working with (pressuring) Asian buyers to discontinue buying oil from Iran.  I'd like to be a fly on the wall to hear exactly how we are 'working with' them.  Having financial levers to push can be a deterrent in many circumstances, but it doesn't appear to be the enough to dissuade a determined opponent. 


[size=78%]http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/18/us-usa-russia-sanctions-idUSKBN0LM1PR20150218[/size]


Fathertime! 

[Boethius]

Each time Russia does something we don't like, we impose a new 'layer of sanctions'...some of which seem quite silly/without great significance.   

The US is coordinating with the EU.  It is allowing the EU to announce, and decide, which sanctions to apply.

[The Natural]

Speaking of Dmitry Kiselov. Here he's interviewed for an episode of a series regarding small Norway and it's relationship to big Powers like Russia, USA, China, EU.
Here they talked about him being included in the list of People sanctioned and not permitted to get a Schengen visa. From about 34 minutes.

http://tv.nrk.no/serie/lille-norge-og-stormaktene/KMTE30004212/sesong-1/episode-2

[Boethius]

My heart bleeds for this former KGB officer, so called "journalist".