The US blockades have been carried out by presidential decree, with almost no public debate and no systematic oversight by Congress. This has been a one-man show, even more so than in the case of president-led wars, which trigger vastly more public scrutiny. Trump realizes that he can impose crippling sanctions abroad with almost no direct costs to the US public or budget, and with virtually no political accountability.
Military blockades are acts of war, and therefore subject to international law, including UN Security Council oversight. America’s economic blockades are similar in function and outcome to military blockades, with devastating consequences for civilian populations, and risk provoking war. It is time for the Security Council to take up the US sanctions regimes and weigh them against the requirements of international law and peacekeeping.
Jeffrey D. Sachs, professor of sustainable development, professor of health policy and management, and director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, is also director of the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network. His books include "The End of Poverty, Common Wealth," and, most recently, "The Age of Sustainable Development."