It works for Switzerland

[USAF Vet Dan]

Last night, Bill O'Reilly of Faux News hammered on Ron Paul's "isolationist" position - especially on the issue of bringing all of our military home. We've also all heard the "Rudyesque" statements that attempt to refute that our military presence abroad pisses off the inhabitants of those countries, causing "blowback".

There is a simple reply to this "bass-ackward" position and that is: Neutrality works for Switzerland, why wouldn't it work for us? Switzerland's neutrality kept Hitler from invading it. You never hear of Islamofascist terrorism there. The Swiss mind their own business and are far better for it. THIS IS IRREFUTABLE. I think all of us - Ron Paul included - should use this as a standard response to the war-mongering imperialistic statements.

[johngr]

The Swiss also have the right idea regarding the "invite the world" half of the neocon strategy (the other half is "invade the world". They gave the SVP (Swiss People's Party) the ruling majority in the last election.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1002/1339641587_43216466d1.jpg?v=0

[USAF Vet Dan]

Those who really know their history know that my comment about "Hitler not invading Switzerland because they were neutral" is not entirely accurate but is the most accepted explanation. In reality, Hitler's bankers were located in Switzerland ...you don't bomb your bankers.

But, since neutrality is the most commonly accepted reason, why not use it to our advantage? Again, I cannot see how the Bill O'Reilly's of the world could possibly refute the argument.

[xd9fan]

"isolationist" position is the rights shrill word
like the dems use "tax cuts for the rich"
both are full of $%#@

people are starting to graduate from this crap logic

[USAF Vet Dan]

people are starting to graduate from this crap logic

Yes, and thank God for that... but soon enough? Time will tell.

[constituent]

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1002/1339641587_43216466d1.jpg?v=0

love it. sublime.

[deehrler]

It has also worked more dramatically in Costa Rica. The most stable nation in Hispanic America has no military.

[USAF Vet Dan]

It has also worked more dramatically in Costa Rica. The most stable nation in Hispanic America has no military.

Contrary to Costa Rica, Switzerland requires all males 18 years of age and over to keep a military issued firearm (last I heard, anyway). It goes back to Teddy Roosevelt's policy of "walk softly, and carry a big stick". Playing globo-cop is hardly the way to "walk softly" and having our military spread so thinly in over 170 countries and giving three tours of duty in Iraq (thereby killing troop morale) is hardly the way to keep "a big stick".

What bugs me about this is it is SO OBVIOUS!!! How can the MSM sell their line of crap? I'll answer my own question.


1.) Not everyone (us) buys their line of BS
2.) Some don't care as they shut out everything but own their selfish priorities (i.e., how to swing the purchase of that new big screen, Hi Def TV)
3.) For some, the truth is too hard to accept because "there isn't anything you can do about it"
4.) And finally there are a lot of really stupid people in this world.

Ultimately, the masses get the government they deserve. The trouble is, we get stuck with it as well.

[Antonius Stone]

in both World Wars the Swiss had four very distinct advantages that kept them out- their foreign policy tends to be neutral & humble, they were pretty much everyone's secret banker, they live in a mountainous and very easy to defend region and they are also very well armed with some pretty deep and powerful militias run by the Cantons.

3 our of 4 of those advantages can be translated into American Politics (only we are defended by our oceans, not mountains and I highly doubt we can take the market of secret banking from the Swiss) and the only way we can win a "War on Terrorism" is to make sure that our VITAL infrastructure is protected! How can we go about fighting al Qaeda in Iraq when our border is wide open? How can we defend against terrorism when aqueducts that give water to millions of our citizens are unprotected? The military needs to come home and defend these vulnerable points