Do sanctions work?

Mugabe, 10 years of the start of the land clearances and two years into an illegal (and undemocratic) government is still in power, Cuba, fifty years on, is still officially a communist state within 40 miles of the US, and North Korea is still closed off from the rest of the world, hoarding and testing weapons. Which begs the questions - do sanctions actually work?

Arguably, the alternatives are too tough - war and assassinations of uncooperative leaders pose too many problems, moral and financial. Discussion is not always a viable option - there have been many overtures by US administrations towards North Korea, but a country that wants to remain aloof and pursue its own course will, if determined enough. Popular dissent (as we have seen with Iran over the last few years) is not always strong enough to bring down an oppressive regime, as often a regime will do anything to survive.

Part of my job is to enforce sanctions, and to help prevent my employer and its employees from breaching them. However, I am becoming increasingly disillusioned with them, wondering whether or not they are actually worth the trouble and if not, exploring the alternatives. So, in this blog I am (hopefully) going to explore the various sanctions regimes, how they are enforced, failures in enforcement and whether or not they are actually working.