Resolved: Economic sanctions ought not be used to achieve foreign policy objectives

I affirm the resolution which states, Resolved: Economic sanctions ought not be used to achieve foreign policy objectives. Observation 1: Definitions: I will now clarify the terms of the debate by offering up the following definitions found in Law Legal Dictionary 5th Edition. a)Economic sanctions - Restrictions upon international trade and finance that one country imposes on another for political reasons. Observation 2: Value and Criterion. Value: The supreme value in which to weigh the round is that of protection of human dignity. Author of Human Dignity: Social Autonomy and the Critique of Capitalism, Werner Bonefeld, explains human dignity as "Dignity cannot be sold, quantified or conferred. Dignity is a concrete human value that belongs to each individual. It is an indivisible human value. Human dignity subsists through the mutual recognition of human needs." By imposing an economic sanction, it is an innocent citizen within its country who suffers the most. However, the political leaders who were the original target of an economic sanction do not suffer. Therefore, instead of achieving foreign policy objectives, economic sanctions cause poverty for an innocent people. Then, as Bonefeld explained, lacking human needs is a violation of human dignity. Thus, using economic sanction to achieve foreign policy objects only violates innocent human dignity by causing people to live in poverty. Criterion: The only way to uphold the value of human dignity is the standard of promotion of social welfare. As Bonefeld explains, having all the human needs are the central part of recognizing human dignity. By promoting social welfares, people can achieve what they lack. According to the 3rd Edition of Business dictionary, it explains social welfare as "It is not the same as standard of living but is more like quality of life that includes factors such as the quality of the environment (air, soil, water), level of crime, extent of drug abuse, availability of essential social services. Since human dignity encompasses recognizing human needs, social welfare is directly related to human dignity because social welfare provides all kinds of human needs such as financial stability, religious freedom, and social safety. Furthermore, since the resolution discusses about effect of economic sanction, my criterion of social welfare is pertinent. Furthermore, Santions should not be used to achieve political goals because they ware in violation of the Geneva Protocol for three reason: 1.It targes civilians in breach of Articles 48 and 51. 2.It constitutes indiscriminant attack, in breach of Article 51 3.It employs starvation as a method of warfare, breach of Article 54. Contention 1: United State's Embargo against Cuba Salim Lamrani, author of article "The economic sanctions against Cuba: the Failure of a cruel and Irrational Policy", said, "The economic sanctions have also had a disastrous impact on the food availability of Cubans. In fact, the U.S. strictly limits Cuba's acquisition of foodstuffs. Between May 2006 and April 2007 U.S. measures caused losses valued at $258 million in this sector. The health sector also suffers; losses are evaluated at $30 million. The education, culture, transportation, housing, industrial and agricultural sectors are also seriously affected by the economic sanctions." This quotation illustrates that the true victim of economic sanction was not a political leader but an innocent citizens. Furthermore, economic sanction gave detrimental effect on food availability, education, and transportation, which can be summed up as social welfare. Furthermore, Lamrani said, "For 15 consecutive years, the general assembly of the United Nations has voted in favor of lifting the economic sanctions that seriously harm the Cuban people. The international community is unanimous on this issue, with the majority continually increasing. In 2006, 183 countries condemned the cruel and illegal state of siege that Washington imposes on Cuba." Thus, U.S's embargo against Cuba not only was unable to attain foreign policy objects, but also gave huge harmful effect to normal Cubans. Therefore, embargo against Cuba ultimately lead to United States to violate Cuban's dignity with getting international blames. Impact of this embargo, then, is obvious. United States have violated human dignity which led fall of basic necessity for a Cuban. Then, furthermore, United States did not successfully achieve its foreign policy objects. Contention 2: United State's Economic sanction against Japan Ian Johnson, author of The failure of Economic Sanction, said, "[Before World War II], The Japanese involvement in China had caught the attention of the United States. The U.S. wished to apply pressure to the Japanese in order to stop their war in China. The decision was made to place an embargo on oil imported to Japan. In theory, the embargo on oil imported into Japan was meant to deprive the Japanese war machine of its fuel. Without fuel, the Japanese would be forced to seek a peaceful end to their war in China. However, Japan launched a surprise attack against the Americans at Pearl Harbor in late 1941 meant to knock the American Pacific Fleet out of the war. Thus, although United States aimed for peaceful way to stop Japanese aggression, it led United States into the biggest war in history. Therefore, by imposing an economic sanction to Japan, United States endangered human dignity and social welfare in both United States and Japan by entering into the World War II. Impact of this economic sanction, then, is conspicuous. United States threatened all its citizens to destructive war, and it resulted to kill thousands of innocent citizens by choosing a policy of economic sanction. Contention 3: United State's economic sanction against Myanmar Leon T. Hadar, the author of "U.S Sanctions against Burma: A failure on all fronts", said, "The U.S. policy of imposing unilateral trade and investment sanctions against Burma has proven to be a failure on all fronts. By forcing U.S. firms to disengage from Burma, that policy has done nothing to improve the living conditions or human rights of the people of Burma. Also, United States alienated its allies. Now those allies are legitimately concerned that the United States, having failed to persuade them, will attempt to coerce them to follow its policies against Rangoon." Thus, due to economic sanction against Myanmar, United States not only brutally violated human dignity of innocent Myanmar citizens but also alienated its allies, thus, unable to attain foreign policy objectives. Furthermore, due to economic sanction, HIV rates and crime rates have been increasing. According to Larry A. Niksch, who is the author of "Burma: Economic Sanctions" said, "In Myanmar, among people aged 15-24, or the country's future doctors, bureaucrats, commanders, entrepreneurs and parents, the infection rate is a high 2.2%. One in three sex workers tested positive for HIV in 2007, against one in four in 2004, according to the Department of Health and the National AIDS Program." Then, According to U.N, it said, "The Union of Myanmar is the world's second largest producer of illicit opium, accounting for 8% of global opium production in 2007." Thus, during the economic sanction, which was from 2007 to present, it clearly shows that starting with the economic sanction, crime rate and HIV rate significantly increased. Thus, these increasing issues clearly violate human dignity by ignoring social welfare. Thank you for debating with me