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Offlinewilshire
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Registered: 05/11/05
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some thoughts on neutrality and national security
    #5812632 - 07/02/06 02:32 PM (17 years, 10 months ago)

the past century saw the three largest armed conflicts in human history. tens of millions of people, civilians and soldiers alike, were killed in warfare. billions of dollars worth of property was destroyed. enormous fortunes were spent on military budgets.

the people of switzerland, despite being in the middle of all of this, and with no standing army, managed to avoid nearly all of it by remaining neutral and avoiding "entangling alliances". switzerland, moreso than most of the rest of europe and the u.s., is not threatened by terrorism, invasion, crime, or attacks from other countries. international neutrality, widespead gun ownership and military training, and tight immigration policies make switzerland one of the safest places in the world.

should the united states become more like switzerland in its defense and policy, and if so, how much? could such an approach even work for the united states? the united states has troops deployed all around the world, and provides large amounts of military aid, defending american interests. usually this means stability. it means the stability of the world economy and the prevention of the expansion of hostile powers.

is this a necessary job that the united states, as the world's only superpower, has no choice but to do? do the neoconservatives have a point? are neutral countries like switzerland essentially "free riders" benefiting from the security and stability that other countries provide? if the nazis had conquered their enemies in europe and made peace with the allies, how long until they would have invaded, and most likely conquered, switzerland too?

my opinion is that the united states does a lot more policing than is wise or justified. i also think that total neutrality is unecessary, and that preemptivism can be a valid policy. i think that the swiss military is an excellent model to follow. a large force of military trained and equipped civilian soldiers is a great defense against foreign attack, but it's also good for responding to emergencies and i think it greatly reduces crime. i was until very recently an avid supported of very free immigration policies, but i think that for reasons of security and crime prevention, it should be limited.

what are your thoughts on this?


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