> Violating sanctions isn't exactly the same thing as smuggling.

The actions described in the article is both smuggling and a violation of sanctions.

> It also doesn't seem like it should be a crime to disagree with your state on who deserves what service...

Seems like that's a pretty obvious and straightforward power for a state to have. The state has to make foreign and domestic policy decisions, and to be effective that would have to include trade restrictions. Otherwise you could have situations like businessmen profiting by selling weapons to the enemy to kill his own countrymen--and there are sociopaths who'd do that.

> i never voted for the dingbats who control who is called a terrorist, let alone the people scared of china.

So what?