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The Idiocy of the EU Sanctions on Russia

There doesn’t seem to be a day go by that there isn’t an idiotic decision made by somebody who should know better, and today is no different. The European Union in all of it’s infinite wisdom has decided to compensate fruit and vegetable producers for loss of earnings due to the EU wide ban on interacting with certain key Russian economic sectors (energy, finance etc.).

So, who is actually paying the producers the compensation? Go on, actually think about it.

The European Union is funded through member states, member states receive their income in the form of taxes from citizens and businesses. When you break it down and look at it properly the producers - and citizens - are paying themselves compensation for loss of earnings.

It’s like Design Pixel suddenly deciding not to host websites for any business in France and then paying itself out of it’s own capital for the loss of that business based on a decision it made itself. Yes, it would be madness.

So what makes the recent EU decision any different? Nothing, that’s what. They could have just cut to the chase and banned the export of fruit and veg to Russia and not gone through all the hassle of sanctions. The nett result whichever way you look at it is a strain on the EU member state economies.

Did the EU really think that Russia would not react?

In fact, this actually reminds me of one of the great Laurel and Hardy sketches which you can see below.

Jokes aside there is also a serious consequence for EU citizens. The longer the sanctions and bans are in place, the more chance that prices inside of the EU will rise. Producers will have no choice but to pass increased costs - due to reduced sales - onto consumers in the form of price hikes. This will ultimately increase prices elsewhere as the cost of living rises putting an even great strain on already faltering economies.

It really does sadden us that once great countries are under the influence of such idiocy.