re: WTF--House votes 419-3 on new Russia sanctions bill???

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It isn't appeasement, it's political reality. What do sanctions accomplish? Seriously, our politicians say we look weak if we do nothing, but do we not understand the world simultaneously laughs at us and loses what miniscule credibility we have left because of our hypocrisy? I would argue that imposing and enforcing sanctions against an enemy for something that we ourselves blithely do damages our credibility worse than doing nothing.

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It is appeasement. I asked you before what the distinction between advocating inaction toward Russian aggressions, hostilities, and human rights violations is from appeasement. You still haven't answered.

The thing you aren't grasping is that this entire cyber attack has motivations from the sanctions. Which in fact signals they did their job of inflicting harm.

Do you know why adoptions is the cover? Because that was the Russians weak counter to try and look strong at home and inflict harm toward us. Why the Magnitsky Act was talked about in that meeting with a Kremlin tied, oligarch lawyer? Because the sanctions have in fact hurt Russia. Not just economically but their oligarchs are not happy. Which is really important for someone like Putin who's power is deeply intertwined with the oligarchic elite and their criminal enterprises.

They don't like having their assets frozen, their corrupt businesses harmed, access to critical markets shut off, blocked from traveling to places in the first world. They don't like looking weak to their domestic audience and failing to make good on promises like a booming economy Putin promised them in exchange for his power and isn't happening.

The difference between us and Russia is that we have a democratic form of government. Which is a step much further then Russia. We have also earned our allies by being the better actor on the world stage compared to the alternatives. But unless you are advocating some powerful international government, the hegemonic arrangement will always necessitate and allow ugly actions. But that doesnt mean you let an even worse actor, doing even worse actions, with even worse motives, go unchecked.

Inaction has consequences just like action does, you can't run away from that fact. And inaction toward Russia on these actions would only embolden further ones.