Political Neutrality

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

What requirements must be met for a nation to be in complete political neutrality?

 

[BobbieDog]

What conditions must be met, to allow gravity to be opted out of?
Dive towards the earth, from a great height, in a suitably modified aircraft, while acclerating at 32ft/sec/sec (I think): or, alternately, leave earth and its gravity behind, by taking spacecraft outa here.
The first is not sustainable, and the second not an earthed option.
Somewhat similar in regard to the matter of political neutrality. Its momentarily possible, under unusual and contrived conditions. And, it is not consistent with earth conditions.
To be a nation, is to have exercised political elections of great power, and to outcome of complex social arrangement. Political neutrality would be akin to a bodily relaxation, that saw all natural functions cease, or move into autonomous action.
So the question becomes: just what have people got in mind, and heart; when they ask this question of what is involved in political neutrality.
None the less, you raise a central matter, for an international political forum, in its early days, of only having four topics.

 

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

But what if the nation has no "allies," army, and has the full support of the people in this? Does it change anything?

 

[BobbieDog]

But what if the nation has no "allies," army, and has the full support of the people in this? Does it change anything?

I think that might be what was called at one time, "non-aligned". No nation could become under such conditions: becoming a nation has always involved massive choice in some direction; which means dealing with others who wish to compete in that matter of choice.
Politics is involved, as matter of comission or omission, in everyhting that sustains a social entity: so obtaining any and all of the inputs of social existence, involves politics in every moment; where nowadays we have our own versions of resource wars, and versions of controlling the global economy to secure our raw materials..
I think that a people might choose to aspire to political neutrality, and that that might inevitably reduce to some operational aspiration to pursuing conditions of universal equitable inclusion. Where, in pursuing this, any notion of being a nation would fade away: to be displaced by becoming global citizens, within some sub collective.

 

[Chilufya]

I might be wrong (but I don't think I am), but Costa Rica is neutral, and doesn't have an Army. They did have an Army, which consisted of a military band a few years ago, but even that has been disbanded.

Jeff

 

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

I think that a people might choose to aspire to political neutrality, and that that might inevitably reduce to some operational aspiration to pursuing conditions of universal equitable inclusion. Where, in pursuing this, any notion of being a nation would fade away: to be displaced by becoming global citizens, within some sub collective.

I think this more closely follows along with what I am saying. For all intents and purposes, the "nation" I am describing probably would not be a nation at all

 

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

I might be wrong (but I don't think I am), but Costa Rica is neutral, and doesn't have an Army. They did have an Army, which consisted of a military band a few years ago, but even that has been disbanded.

Jeff

That is similar to the situation I am describing, but still somewhat different.

 

[BobbieDog]

A communion under Jesus, could put itself forward for consideration as politically neutral.
It fufills the two conditions of the gravity parallel. That is it acts through faith: to countervail the exigencies of earthly being, it is the zero gravity plane; and it leaves the earth critically behind, by being in it but not off it.
Much of current Christianity is far from being politically neutral.

 

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

A communion under Jesus, could put itself forward for consideration as politically neutral.
It fufills the two conditions of the gravity parallel. That is it acts through faith: to countervail the exigencies of earthly being, it is the zero gravity plane; and it leaves the earth critically behind, by being in it but not off it.
Much of current Christianity is far from being politically neutral.

That is almost exactly what I am talking about! Are there any "do and don't" lists for this kind of entity?

 

[BobbieDog]

That is almost exactly what I am talking about! Are there any "do and don't" lists for this kind of entity?

Do love your neighbour as your self, and both only in God.
Do remember that your only foundation is in God; and you only instrument is faith.
Do rely on law that is grounded in truth
Such communion is a faith sustained entity. Alpha to Omega, and all points in between.
Don't try to cut it with Caesar: stay out of politics; concern yourselves with the meek and the weak, the oppressed and the poor, the innocents and the unjustly treated.

 

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

Do love your neighbour as your self, and both only in God.
Do remember that your only foundation is in God; and you only instrument is faith.
Do rely on law that is grounded in truth
Such communion is a faith sustained entity. Alpha to Omega, and all points in between.
Don't try to cut it with Caesar: stay out of politics; concern yourselves with the meek and the weak, the oppressed and the poor, the innocents and the unjustly treated.

Thanks a lot

 

[BobbieDog]

You're welcome
To bed for me now.
The chores of tomorrow loom.
Goodnight.

 

[Cjwinnit]

If a country has no allies or enemies, either militarily or diplomatically, then it could be said to be neutral.

 

[ThePhoenix]

What requirements must be met for a nation to be in complete political neutrality?

To not care about any non-internal issues.

 

[gop_ryan]

Being a member of the UN ends neutrality according to Switzerland. When Switzerland joined the UN a few years ago, its government declared its centuries of neutrality over because it joined an international organization. Now for a nation to be neutral, it must seal itself off from the outside world in regards to alliances and agreements.

 

[Cjwinnit]

Being a member of the UN ends neutrality according to Switzerland. When Switzerland joined the UN a few years ago, its government declared its centuries of neutrality over because it joined an international organization. Now for a nation to be neutral, it must seal itself off from the outside world in regards to alliances and agreements.

Yep. Essentially you have to pretend the outside world does not exist. Any trade from and to a country will mean the buyer and seller can influence each other politically, so in theory trade should be banned too. In practice that's not generally necessary.

The downside to neutrality is that you are generally more vulnerable to invasion because no-one can come to your aid without becoming an ally and hence losing your neutrality. Neutrals have no enemies and no friends. When someone becomes your enemy, you have no friend to turn to for help. Look at what happened to Finland and Belgium in World War II as a classic example.

 

[kurabrhm]

What requirements must be met for a nation to be in complete political neutrality?

Switzerland during WW2 comes to mind!
I presume that you equate political nuetrality with non militarism? I dont think its enough for a nation to just say that its politically neutral, it has to back this up with action such as dissolving the army; i.e. - relieve the forces of their duties.

 

[Bizzlebin Imperatoris]

Switzerland during WW2 comes to mind!
I presume that you equate political nuetrality with non militarism? I dont think its enough for a nation to just say that its politically neutral, it has to back this up with action such as dissolving the army; i.e. - relieve the forces of their duties.

Indeed. I am talking about no army, not even a defense force.

 

[BobbieDog]

Indeed. I am talking about no army, not even a defense force.

You're moving on to high planes here Bizzle: where the parameter being dealt with, is continuing to exist within a context driven by projects other than your own.

I think it was Stalin was associated with a book and philosophy called "Socialism in One Country": and Christianity has its own resolving paradigm, of "being in but not of" an earthly realm.

Which can take us to a consideration of just where some political neutrality becomes possible: I was thinking about the USA, as I read your post. In relation to the Constitution, and its enabling mechanisms: each State of the Union should be politically neutral; where to have otherwise, would precipitate some constitutional crisis. Clearly, in practice, the political neutrality can become ragged edged: where we have just that, in regards the furor over "gay marriage"; where the focus of language and perspective, is on what is, and is not constitutional. What we are discovering is, for example, that in relation to the constitution and its process, much Christianity is not politically neutral: where to satisfy a Christian conviction that is seen as primary and fundamental, we see a willingness to alter details of constitutional ruling, and even a considering of the very architecture of constitution and its process.

So, a political neutrality can be in place, say for American Christianity and the Constitution in the 1950's: and have disappeared, for the same constituency, half a century later.

So, what's changed? Big question, and big answers.

In many ways, activism amongst American Christians is some parallel of reinstating defense forces. The whole of which they are a part, is no longer seen as delivering what they, as a sub-collective require: where this can be in part a matter of coming to feel threatened by contextual change; and in part a progression to fresh aspirations. In any case, the neutrality has gone.

Can any sub-collective, who feel threatened, or who have putative aspiration, be or remain neutral?

Is it only possible to be neutral and that perhaps fleetingly: when everything contextual is going your way? Slight down hill road, and you can knock into neutral: until you come to a halt, or have to go up hill, or have to accelerate.

What else could neutrality be?

 

[ThePhoenix]

Indeed. I am talking about no army, not even a defense force.

Well that seems strange. Switzerland (#23 in per-capita defense spending) is usually considered neutral, whereas India (#121) rarely is.