Political impotence does not arise out of nowhere. It is the inevitable consequence of allowing commercial greed to dominate political principles. All politicians are a bit like traders, but not all traders are politicians.
When political leaders turn a blind eye to human rights violations in the pursuit of profit, the short-term gains may seem worthwhile - like Frau Merkel with Russian gas, Sarkozy's deals in Georgia, or Obama's hands-off approach to Ukraine and Crimea. But in the long run, appeasement always brings both shame and war.
