> What's the real difference between the west's economic retaliation versus a military retaliation?
It is considerably easier to reestablish SWIFT transaction processing than it is to return the dead to life.
> Seems to me totally isolating Russia from the world financial system means they have nothing left to lose and might lead to the war expanding.
As a dictator Putin might place zero value on Russian life, as you've done in your comment, but it is unlikely that everyone on the Russian side will see it that way.
It is considerably easier to reestablish SWIFT transaction processing than it is to return the dead to life.
> Seems to me totally isolating Russia from the world financial system means they have nothing left to lose and might lead to the war expanding.
As a dictator Putin might place zero value on Russian life, as you've done in your comment, but it is unlikely that everyone on the Russian side will see it that way.