[geezerjay]

Refusing to do business with totalitarian regimes dedicated to violate their citizen's human rights is in itself a way to leverage soft power.

[true_religion]

That is a cold war if you do it at the national level. It is basically a trade embargo.

When you refuse to do business, and "encourage" your allies to do the same, then the other side begins to think that perhaps it may just be easier to take your resources by force.