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US sanctions on Iran amid COVID - tantamount to mass murder

US President Donald Trump listens as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, at the White House on March 20, 2020, in Washington, DC. (AFP photo)

By Daniel Patrick Welch

Even though it seems like a big bullying campaign, which it is, this constant need to impose sanctions on everybody everywhere for everything--It also to me seems to be a sign of desperation and a sign ultimately of defeat.

In the first place, there's no real way to overstate the cruelty of this kind of siege warfare. It is siege warfare, taken out of the Middle Ages and plunked into the 21st century. The idea of starving populations or limiting access to medicines and stuff like that is a clear act of war. It's a clear violation of the Geneva Conventions. It's just sick. It's vomit inducing that the US continues to do this without any blowback, well, without any repercussions.

They're not taken to task. They're not boycotted. They're not brought to the ICC. They basically feel that they can do whatever they want.

And it, by the way, is completely bipartisan. You know, you can say that this is evil and Trump is evil -- a lot of Democrats will say this, but they've been on board for all of these sanctions. They've been on board for all the coups. It is a united front of imperial nastiness. It just is so inhuman that the rest of the world is starting to take notice.

As to where it's going and what they want from it?

You know, I think they want to see a coup happen in Iran, in Russia, in China if they can. In any place they can stir up trouble -- Venezuela certainly, Bolivia they already did.

But the idea specifically of ratcheting up sanctions on Iran when it's facing this COVID crisis, this massive COVID crisis -- leave aside for the minute the idea that it is an American bio-weapon, which is not without evidence, by the way. But still, you know, assuming there's no validity to that at all -- this is still a murderous escalation of an already sick policy.

The Chinese are coming to the rescue in sending supplies and information and doctors to Iran. They're also doing the same thing with Italy. Cuba is doing the same thing sending doctors and all the West can do is hunker down, try to buy an exclusive patent for the US for its own covert vaccine.

The EU won't give anything to anyone, not an EU country.

It really is telling and it shows the stark difference between the values that are held by the so-called Evil Empire, the countries, you know, like Iran and China and Cuba and what the West calls rugged individualism.

It’s a completely disrupting the economy in the West and because of decades of neoliberal austerity there's no social system left. You know the hospitals will be easily overwhelmed as they are in Italy and people have nothing to fall back on.

And meanwhile the senators are doing things like selling off their stocks before the corona crash-- after having inside information, after they had been briefed on how it will all go down. So they're profiting off of this while the people are waiting to see what their government is going to do for us.

You know these patchwork and band-aid solutions are just scaring people to death. And meanwhile, they are literally profiting off of people's misery. It’s dangerous, and like I said, repulsive.

And what I think it's leading to is a backfire that, like I said, I think ultimately it's a sign of defeat. You can't get away with this forever and they have way overplayed their hand. And I think that this will be part of the continuing decline of US influence in the world.

And that said, you know, it's, it's about time, I can't argue against that. Look at what that influence has done over the past decades. So if you want a silver lining, I guess that's it.

Daniel Patrick Welch is a writer of political commentary and analysis. Also a singer and songwriter, he lives and writes in Salem, Salem, Massachusetts with his wife. Together they run The Greenhouse School. He has traveled widely, speaks five languages and studied Russian History and Literature at Harvard University.

Welch has also appeared as a guest on several TV and radio channels to speak on topics of foreign affairs and political analysis--around his day job. He can be available for interview requests as time and scheduling permit.

Despite the price of being outspoken against US foreign policy and military adventurism -- which can be steep in today's circumstances -- he believes firmly as did Rosa Luxemburg that "It will always be the most revolutionary act to tell the truth out loud."

Welch recorded this article for Press TV website.


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