why have some nations managed to steer clear of hostilities for most of their recent history?

Question

is it superior political leadership? geography? blind luck? declared neutrality?

examples: sweden, australia, portugal. do they have something in common? what might the rest of us learn from them?

Answer 1

We've learned from countries that remain out of conflicts ( Greenland, Iceland, Finland, Denmark, many South American countries, many island countries, and for the most part Canada -except when Britian sort of ropes them in- )
......that aside from neutrality (which is not the mark of the devil however some fellow respondants might portray it) these countries are also on the peripherary. They are the kid standing off to one side, watching the school yard bully pound the heck out the small weak kids for their milk money. And while they may not bravely step in and take the blows of aggression on themselves, there are making note of what happens, and they just might pass on that information. Or if they are truly disgusted, they might encourage all the small kids to band together and stop being picked off individually.
I don't think any country in this day and age is going to sit back and let complete and utter genocide happen to their neighbor. If they don't jump in and try and assist, they will atleast scream bloody murder until sufficient forces are gathered to stop the predator.

Is it always a good idea to go rushing into another's conflict?

Maybe you came late to the scene? Maybe you missed how earlier- the one who is getting the poo kicked out of them, was actually the one who threw the first punch, was the one that taunted and chased and drew the other party into the scuffle?

Maybe the woman you see beating the snot out of a man lying on the ground bleeding from his head, is the wife who has been beaten for fifteen years and finally couldn't take it anymore.
If you jumped in to save the bleeding grounded man, have you saved the party that needed saving?

Things are not always as they seem.....

And I think it is a good idea to stand back, and observe, to remain neutral until there is a clear/definite- good and justifiable party to assist.

Don't let adrenaline rule your mind and actions, consider first and then act... and you will do so effectively.

Answer 2

The prototype of a neutral country is Switzerland.
I dont have an answer, but i have a doubt.
during WW2 the neutral Switzeland hosted and sheltered many Jews who fled from the nazist Germany. Swiss Bank system also sheltered (secure place) money and belongings of the german jews.
All that money has never been returned to the legitimate owners, or owners families. They tried to repair to the fact only in 2004,when a jew family won a legal cause against the UBS Union of swiss banks, to have its money back.
No moral qualities to be searched in neutrality.

Answer 3

No. many of the Founding Fathers were Deists, no longer Christians. Deists believe that a larger skill created the universe, then stepped away. In different words, there are not any guidelines exceeded out by technique of the perfect being, and there is no Bible. Deism is a a procedures cry from Christianity. the recent international became all about non secular freedom, meaning there is no reputable faith. era.

Answer 4

I would have to say their success in their lack of hostilities would have to be accredited to the fact that they tend to remain neutral when crisis erupts across the globe, (e.g. WW1, WW2, Cold War). I think America could definitely learn from these types of countries as we're pretty deep in hostility in Iraq right now. But then again, if we weren't so intrusive, we wouldn't be a superpower today. {If you'll notice, none of the countries you mentioned are superpowers today}

Answer 5

Actually, hasn't Australia commited troops to Iraq?

Answer 6

NATO alliance provides military security for the mentioned countries.

Answer 7

neutrality...cut themselves off from the rest of the world...no foreign policies.

Answer 8

They have no practical military, for one thing. They also have no way of defending themselves if attacked, which means we will have to go save them.

Answer 9

They all have one thing in common. They have never stood for anything. They dont believe in anything.

Answer 10

clear stance on neutrality? they just stay out of it