Why do you think the power of "sanction" works? American foreign policy towards every country we couldn't invade was to destabilize them by strangling their economy and then "wait for their citizens to revolt".

You know why that was our policy?

Because it works.

9 out of 10 "revolutions" collapse within ten years. Under the best of circumstances.

It they make it past the first hurdle, 4 out 5 crash at the second. When the "founders" start dying off. Think Tito, Franco, Washington, Pinochet, Stalin, and Mao.

Remember "Tiananmen Square"? The American intelligence community was wetting itself with glee at the thought that China was about to collapse.

Because, the American policy towards handling China for most of the 20th century was to "contain them" and wait for them to collapse on their own. It's what we do, because it works.

Unless it doesn't. At which point you are really fucked.