Non-alignment > Neutrality

Neutrality means sending aid—food, water, medicine, doctors—where it’s needed, condemning crimes where they occur, and working diplomatically toward a ceasefire, then peace accords. The only thing neutrality excludes is military participation—sending weapons and/or troops. And yet. there is always a laser-like focus on that part.

Switzerland is a neutral country but no-one can stand it. Each “side” claims that there is no such thing as neutrality, that there is only the side of good, which is always their side.

Non-Aligned MovementI like the term “non-alignment” much better. That means that a country is not neutral vis á vis morality or ethics; it just means not choosing a side in a conflict where probably both parties have ulterior motives and share at least some blame.

When an empire or colonial power is involved, then it is much harder to be non-aligned because the moral case is often clearer. When a country and its people seem to be of one mind—or whatever insurgency exists is obviously manufactured and supported by the invading power—and the empire or colonizer simply wants territory, then how do you side with the colonizer? How do you even stay non-aligned and stay moral? These are not easy questions but, often, you can thread the needle and be of enough use that choosing a team isn’t necessary.

Like, instead of debating whether to finally send tanks to Ukraine, Switzerland should just calmly recognize that Ukraine is a klepto-state run by a leader who has long since cancelled elections and who has no pretensions of ever restarting them, and who has long ago stopped even pretending to run the country in anything approaching the manner that the vast majority of its citizens would like.

Ukraine is the tip of the NATO speak prodding at Russia. Russia, after nearly a decade of diplomatic patience, did finally invade, opening a military operation that has dragged on for years and taken hundreds of thousands of lives. They did this thing.

Did they have a choice? Yes: the alternative was capitulation and assimilation as a vassal in the U.S. empire. Would this have been a lesser evil for the many people that have died? In the short term, yes; in the long-term, probably not. Although there is no reason to believe that Russia rules well or fairly, the U.S. certainly does not either. Neither side deserves to win. Instead, the people should be able to choose. This may mean an adjustment of borders, but what of it? Borders are not immutable. If nation-states can change borders, then why not the people that live there?

This seems like a perfect opportunity to not align with either side, choosing instead to focus resources and aid for the innocents caught in the crossfire. There is much to do in a war zone that does not involve fighting. It would be good for Switzerland to remember that the role of non-aligned diplomat is vital and necessary instead of wasting time trying to figure out which team they think they should be on.

When you hear the reasons Switzerland should suddenly kowtow to empire, they’re almost always lies or based on wildly misinformed fairy tales—we just want to help poor Ukraine!—or they’re nearly entirely principle-free calculations that weigh the economic pros and cons for the Swiss economy, which pretty much translates to what the already super-rich of Switzerland would like to happen in order for their riches to multiply.

So, here we sit, watching Switzerland still trying to figure out how to honor their F35 deal–in which they purchased military hardware from the U.S.!—while trying to wiggle out of crushing tariffs and still crying out “thank you sir may I have another?” instead of responding by starting to extricate itself from its by-now clearly damaging dependency on the U.S. economy.

And, all the while, we watch Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia slide into the role of diplomat, hosting summits and brokering deals—a role that used to be Switzerland’s but which it is seemingly no longer interested in having. The longer this continues, the less believable it is that they could even assume the role again.