Economic Sanctions ought not be used to achieve foreign policy objectives

I hope that we can have a very constructive debate. Oh, and sources will be posted in the comments. I affirm, Resolved: Economic Sanctions ought not be used to achieve foreign policy objectives. For purposes of clarification, I offer the following definitions from Business Dictionary, and Webster's Dictionary 2009. Economic Sanctions: Economic penalties, such as stoppage of trade and financial transactions, imposed upon a country to force compliance with another country's or demands. (Business Dictionary) Ought: to be bound in duty or by moral obligation. (Webster's Dictionary) I would like to offer the value of Justice. Justice, which is defined as the quality of being just and right, is the core value of this round. Justice makes sure that we look deep into the moral and ethical issues of our actions before starting to carry them out. If justice is lost in the society, the society will not able to last any longer. To accompany my value I offer the criterion of governmental legitimacy. A legitimate government is one that makes sure that the citizens of its own country are safe, providing them protection to their life and liberty. A legitimate government is also one that is just, and will also make sure that its own actions won't negatively affect the lives of the citizens of other countries. C1: Economic sanctions do not adequately punish corrupt leaders. Instead, the full brunt of the "punishment" falls on to the shoulders of the weak. ï¿½ The sanctionsï¿½againstï¿½Iraq,ï¿½andï¿½theï¿½massive,ï¿½long- term human suffering the have inflicted, have undermined this common view of sanctions. Since 1991, international agencies have documented Iraq's explosion in child mortality rates, ï¿½water-ï¿½‐borne diseasesï¿½fromï¿½untreatedï¿½waterï¿½supplies,ï¿½malnutritionï¿½in largeï¿½sectorsï¿½ofï¿½the population,ï¿½andï¿½onï¿½andï¿½on. Theï¿½mostï¿½reliableï¿½estimateï¿½holdsï¿½thatï¿½237,000ï¿½Iraqi childrenï¿½underï¿½fiveï¿½areï¿½dead asï¿½aï¿½resultï¿½ofï¿½sanctions,ï¿½withï¿½otherï¿½estimatesï¿½goingï¿½as highï¿½asï¿½oneï¿½million. ï¿½The deathsï¿½fromï¿½sanctionsï¿½areï¿½farï¿½greaterï¿½thanï¿½theï¿½numberï¿½ofï¿½Iraqisï¿½directlyï¿½killedï¿½in theï¿½Persianï¿½Gulfï¿½Warï¿½-ï¿½‐-ï¿½‐ï¿½anï¿½estimatedï¿½40,000ï¿½casualties,ï¿½bothï¿½militaryï¿½andï¿½civilian. But theï¿½sanctionsï¿½areï¿½shockingï¿½notï¿½onlyï¿½becauseï¿½ofï¿½theï¿½extentï¿½ofï¿½the humanï¿½damage, butï¿½alsoï¿½becauseï¿½theï¿½sufferingï¿½hasï¿½beenï¿½borneï¿½primarilyï¿½by women,ï¿½children,ï¿½the elderly,ï¿½theï¿½sick,ï¿½andï¿½theï¿½poor;ï¿½theï¿½stateï¿½andï¿½theï¿½wealthy classes seem to be inconvenienced,ï¿½butï¿½areï¿½otherwiseï¿½exemptï¿½fromï¿½extreme hardship. The impact is that sanctions are not adequately "punishing" the corrupt leader, instead, the leader can push the brunt of the blow onto the civillians, thus economic sanctions should not be used to achieve forein policy objectives. C2 Economic Sanctions have only been effective about 5% of the time The major empirical study of sanctions episodes in the twentieth century is Economic Sanctionsï¿½Reconsidered7,ï¿½which looked at over a hundred sanctions episodesï¿½sinceï¿½theï¿½endï¿½ofï¿½Worldï¿½Warï¿½I. ï¿½Theï¿½authorsï¿½concludedï¿½thatï¿½inï¿½aboutï¿½one-ï¿½‐thirdï¿½ofï¿½theï¿½cases,ï¿½theï¿½sanctionsï¿½hadï¿½someï¿½successï¿½inï¿½achievingï¿½theirï¿½statedï¿½goals. However,ï¿½aï¿½criticï¿½ofï¿½thoseï¿½studies,ï¿½Robert Pape,ï¿½arguedï¿½thatï¿½manyï¿½ofï¿½thoseï¿½cases wereï¿½overdetermined:ï¿½theï¿½state'sï¿½conductï¿½did change,ï¿½butï¿½thereï¿½wereï¿½otherï¿½factors besidesï¿½sanctions,ï¿½suchï¿½asï¿½military intervention,ï¿½toï¿½whichï¿½thisï¿½couldï¿½haveï¿½been attributed. Ifï¿½weï¿½considerï¿½onlyï¿½thoseï¿½casesï¿½whereï¿½thereï¿½wasï¿½someï¿½success,ï¿½and whereï¿½thatï¿½successï¿½couldï¿½withï¿½some certaintyï¿½beï¿½attributedï¿½toï¿½sanctions,ï¿½weï¿½are leftï¿½withï¿½lessï¿½than 5%ï¿½ofï¿½theï¿½cases. ï¿½Thus,ï¿½byï¿½theï¿½mostï¿½optimisticï¿½evaluation, sanctions areï¿½likelyï¿½toï¿½beï¿½ineffectualï¿½inï¿½twoï¿½outï¿½of threeï¿½cases; andï¿½thoseï¿½more criticalï¿½would sayï¿½thatï¿½weï¿½cannotï¿½attributeï¿½any effectiveness to sanctions 95% of the time. The impact of this argument is that sanctions clearly are extremely ineffective. So why should we continue using them when they dont' "punish" the corrupt regime, inflict suffering onto citizens, and are pretty much ineffective all together? Other alternatives to sanctions such as treaty talks and even war will be more effective at achieving foreign policy objetives. Thank you, and I look forward to my opponent's NC! ï¿½