US should consider alternative to economic sanctions against authoritarian regimes

HERE we go again: Western governments condemn the actions of an authoritarian regime and decide that the best way to force it to change its conduct and push the country to move towards democracy is by targeting it with economic sanctions.

In the latest case of using sanctions to punish authoritarian leaders and promote democracy, the United States and other Western governments responded to the seizure of power by the military in Myanmar - from Aung San Kyi's elected government - and the continuing crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators, by applying "targeted" sanctions against members of the military junta.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has called on all countries to consider measures such as arms embargoes and ending commercial cooperation with military-owned entities. And in the most recent move, the European Union (EU) and Britain recently announced new sanctions targeting individuals and entities linked to the Myanmar military regime.