Zoner RP Solutions

[pbrione]

That would certainly be one workable solution - effectively genuine political neutrality. The problem with neutrality which many people seem to have failed to realise is that, as you rightly say, it is not simply a matter of doing nothing when conflicts arise. In practice a genuinely neutral position when there are wars raging around you is an extremely difficult position to maintain and requires constant work to balance various interests. Just saying, "alright, anyone can land on GC as long as they don't shoot each other, we don't care" is not an active way of maintaining neutrality and would deteriorate pretty quickly.

Also, if anything the zoner position is made more difficult by the fact that they are not simply trying to be neutral between lawful nations in conflict, they are trying to be neutral between lawful nations and groups who act to all extents as petty criminals and terrorists. Trying to conduct official diplomacy with House Governments as their equals whilst harbouring criminals openly is a hard gulf to bridge.

My suggestion would be to adopt a more isolationist stance; this, after all, is supposedly what the Zoners were founded on - they wanted to escape from the Houses more than be neutral to them. So, yes, banning warships from their bases would be one option. More interestingly, I might suggest allowing various Zoner holdings more autonomy (as this is in keeping with the Zoner principle of decentralisation) - have different Freeports adopt different positions. Perhaps appoint governors to each Freeport and Gran Canaria who can arbitrate local conflicts without the imposition of central rules, and do so in the interests of the regional powers. So, Freeport 1 might be more friendly towards the Bretonians than the corsairs, whilst Freeports closer to the corsair home systems might adopt more openly pro-corsair policies. Whilst none would neccessarily go so far as banning anyone from using the Freeports altogether, they could try to prevent anyone using the Freeports, or Gran Canaria, to base attacks from against whichever was the nearest major power.

Switzerland is a poor example, not least because the Swiss are in practice not all that neutral, especially between other nations and criminals and terrorists. The real world offers no examples of perfect neutrality in this manner, becuase perfect neutrality does not exist. It is an impossibility and the Zoners would do well to learn this. Instead, they should try to prevent any major power becoming too influential over them and also prevent any major power becoming too hostile to them, by taking pragmatic steps in individual circumstances. Do whatever neccssary to prevent any war from breaking out or any group from forming alliances with you. If that requires that you occasionally favour one group a bit more than another, or arrest and sacrifice a few individuals from a minor group in a gesture of goodwill to a more powerful neighbour then so be it. And remember, always, that political neutrality by your government does NOT in any way correspond to diplomatic immunity for your individual citizens. They can be pirated and they can be arrested in the same way as anyone else. Neutrality =/= special treatment for traders. Swiss citizens don't have get out of jail free cards for use in other countries.

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Sir Stanley Nelson




<span style="color:#000066">Charles Canning </span><span style="color:#000066"> Foreign Secretary</span>