In there attempt regime change the country the U.S. and the European Union have launched an economic war against the people of Belarus.
First they doubted the results of elections in Belarus which the longtime socialist President Alexander Lukashenko had won against an politically unexperienced English teacher who was backed by a 'western' aligned group with a strong neoliberal program.
Belarus is still a mostly socialist industrialized country with many production assets owned by the state and relatively good social services. The people of Belarus have seen their neighbor countries Russia and the Ukraine go through extreme economic problems and poverty after the Soviet Union broke down. Neoliberalism had ruined those countries. It is thus quite plausible that a majority does not want to experience that in their own country and that Lukashenko has indeed won the votes of that majority.
The U.S. and EU claimed election fraud and supported demonstrations and riots against the results. This was an obvious color revolution attempt directed from the outside by 'western' supported forces.
The demonstrations soon died down. The color revolution attempt had failed. A few sanctions against some Belorussian politicians and functionaries were issued by the U.S. and the EU with claims that they are supporting the people of Belarus. But the effort soon ran out of steam and went no further.
Then a mysterious bomb threat against a plane flying from Greece to Lithuania led to the pilot deciding to land the plane in Minsk. Two passengers on board had outstanding warrants against them and were arrested after passing through passport control. A U.S. paid agitator for the color revolution immediately claimed that plane had been 'hijacked' to arrest the two people.
However the evidence provided so far shows that this was a typical bomb threat as they happen every once a while all over the world and that the pilot's decision to land in Minsk was absolutely normal. The authorities in Belarus reacted to the incident exactly as they are supposed to do.
But the whole western media and its politicians promoted the 'hijacked' propaganda version.
Moon of Alabama has discussed the evidence and laid out the timeline, narrative control and consequences of the incident.
The fake story propagandized by the media reignited the regime change efforts and was used to rush out new sanctions against Belarus. These are no longer directed at only a few persons but aim at the core of the Belorussian economy and thereby at all its people.
As the New York Times headlines:
Belarus Faces Expanded E.U. and U.S. Sanctions, Targeting Economy
European Union foreign ministers, meeting in Luxembourg, also voted on Monday to hit important parts of the Belarus economy — banking, oil and tobacco and, notably, the potash industry — representing an effort to broaden the punishment by penalizing organizations rather than just individuals responsible for repression. Those sectoral sanctions are expected to be confirmed by European heads of state and government who meet later this week.
…
“We didn’t use economic sanctions in the beginning because we know they affect everyone, because they affect the economy,” Mr. Borrell said. But he also said that Brussels was prepared for a fifth round of sanctions if necessary.
…
Asked Monday morning about what these sanctions are expected to accomplish, Mr. Borrell, the bloc’s foreign policy chief, said the new sanctions would increase the pressure for change.“Sanctions are a way of putting pressure on the government of Belarus,” he said. “And these are going to hurt the economy of Belarus, heavily. What do you expect when you punish something? To change their behavior.”
Borrell admits that the new sanctions against the economy of Belarus will hurt all its people.
His 'theory of change' is that the 'sanctions increase the pressure for change'. But there is no evidence that the theory works.
Economic sanctions that hurt all people of a country tend to strengthen the government. Pushed into poverty the people become more reliant on government help. I am not aware of any example where sanctions which pushed people into poverty have then let to the people overthrowing the government they depend on.
Neither will the sanctions change Lukashenko's behavior one bit. They will only confirm his opinion about the 'west'.
Even while the U.S. and EU profess support for the people of Belarus they are punishing them by plunging them into poverty.
As Stephen Gowans noted on Twitter:
With friends like these, enemies are redundant.
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Previous Moon of Alabama post on the Ryanair incident in Belarus:
- Lukashenko's Revenge (Served Cold) – May 24 2021
- Roman Protasevich – Arrested In Belarus – Is A Western Government Financed Neo-Nazi – May 26 2021
- By The Book – What Really Happened With The Ryanair Flight In Belarus – May 27 2021
- Ryanair Incident – Email Warning Received Before Plane Entered Belorussian Airspace – May 28 2021
- How ProtonMail Lost The Public Trust It Needs To Do Business – May 29 2021
- 'Like An Amoral Infant' – How ProtonMail Contributes To False Media Claims About Belarus – May 30
- Ryanair Bomb Threat In Belarus – 'Western' Media Narrative Disagrees With The Facts – May 31
- Timeline, Narrative Control And Consequences Of The Ryanair Incident In Belarus – June 2
- Roman Protasevich, Casualty Of The Ryanair Incident In Belarus, Is Spilling The Beans – June 4
- Putin Teaching A Journalist And Other New Bits Around Ryanair Flight 4978 – June 15
- U.S., UK Information Warfare Behind Regime Change Drive In Belarus by Kit Klarenberg – June 15
They will hurt all people in Belarus. Those people who the U.S. and EU claim to help.
