Joe Biden was on The View today and the possibility of imposing sanctions on Iran over their nuclear activities was discussed. Biden, however, could not stop saying "Iraq" instead of "Iran," which pointed to the similarities between the two situations.

Although the situations are, naturally, extremely complex and very different, Biden's slips are surprisingly apt. After the Gulf War, sanctions were imposed on Iraq for numerous reasons, one of which being the possible existence of 'weapons of mass destruction.' The effects of these sanctions on the Iraqi people were extremely drastic, the availability of medication and food within the country fell to such low levels that mortality rates rose at an alarming speed. The entire world seems to be worried about the situation which is taking place in Iran, but Biden's slips serve to remind us that sanctions can often punish citizens of a country to a larger degree than those in power.