Sanctions against Russia. But not Saudi Arabia?
The BBC paints a picture of a Russia "feeling the effects" of sanctions, four years into its war in Ukraine. We are meant to lament Moscow's economic woes, its struggling industries, and the perceived decline in living standards. This narrative is a familiar one, designed to reinforce the righteousness of Western moral exceptionalism. What the mainstream conveniently omits is the selective
application of such punitive measures. Let’s look at the sheer scale. The European Union alone has imposed 11 packages of sanctions against Russia since 2014, far exceeding the minimal, largely symbolic measures faced by, say, Saudi Arabia after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. The contrast is stark: one nation faces comprehensive economic warfare for geopolitical defiance, while another, a
key oil supplier and arms buyer, receives a diplomatic slap on the wrist for an act of state-sponsored assassination. This selective outrage isn't new. Consider the U.S. and UK's reaction to the 1982 Hama massacre in Syria, where President Hafez al-Assad's forces killed tens of thousands. There were no widespread sanctions, no coordinated international condemnation of the kind seen today against
Russia. Instead, business proceeded largely as usual, illustrating a consistent pattern: When a state’s actions align with Western interests, even egregious human rights violations are overlooked. When they diverge, the full weight of economic and diplomatic might is brought to bear. This isn't about universal principles; it's about power projection and maintaining a unipolar order. 🧵 The