Reply #16: It depends on the purpose-boycotts helped end Apartheid [View All]

[noonwitch]

Not only did the US government place sanctions on South Africa in the 80s, but many consumers boycotted Coca-cola, Ford, DeBeers (a lifetime boycott, for me), etc. to force change. The state of Michigan and other states allowed no investments in SA, something that a Michigan bank (First of America) and my alma mater (Western Michigan University) were much chagrined about, as they had lots of money invested there.
The sanctions and the boycott did cause de Klerk to rethink the wisdom of apartheid, and he let Mandela out of prison. The nation was able to start rebuilding a democracy (and are still in the process of doing so) without a bloody revolution and without becoming a communist nation.

Reagan/BushI fought against sanctions and boycotts all the way.