Neutral or not neutral — that is the question

“The Switzerland is a damn small country!” he said.
“Geographically yes, but it’s still a country that has produced great things,” I replied.
“Oh? And what are you thinking of? William Tell, perhaps? He never existed in real life!”
“Perhaps not as a figure, but surely someone existed who was just as courageous.”
“That may be.”
“In any case, the greatness of a country should not be measured only by its size or population, but by its history.”
“Still, Switzerland is damn small! Its neutrality, however, is a really big thing. Remarkable. Although—it’s no great achievement to act neutral when you’re such a small country! Imagine America and the USA suddenly insisting on neutrality in every respect. People would hold that against them!”
“So it proves that being small also has its advantages.”
“Not exclusively. One could be quickly occupied in a war! Didn’t the Libyans once want to annex Switzerland?”
“Ridiculous, if you think of the distance. But to clarify: It wasn’t quite like that, and it wasn’t ‘the Libyans’ wanting to demonstrate power, but Gaddafi! That’s not the same.”
“That’s true.”
“In essence, war is nothing more than the instrumentalization of propaganda for the sake of personal gain. That’s why it’s always better to stay away from troublemakers rather than get involved and have your own eye pecked out!”
“Do you seriously think the great and powerful nations of the world should have done nothing about the Gaddafi regime and simply held back? If you just watch the roosters peck each other, you’re complicit in their death, because the tragic end is foreseeable. Looking away is cowardly!”
“Neutrality doesn’t mean looking away — it means preserving and safeguarding one’s own independence.”
“Well, you can argue it that way too.”
“Oh, world peace is a great wish of humanity. But let’s be honest: achieving such a paradisiacal state is unrealistic. There will always be people and regimes who believe they can enforce their rights — or what they think are their rights — through violence. This attitude triggers war, or at least accepts the risk of one! That’s why I believe it is necessary, whenever possible, to hold back and not, through collective violence, plunge the whole world into misery! In the 20th century, we witnessed several times what that looks like and what it leads to. That’s why I think politicians at home must first ensure that people in their own country are protected.”
“Then election ballots should include the note: ‘Choose carefully whom you bind yourself to (presumably) forever!’”
“Not a bad suggestion! And yes, Switzerland is damn small. But that’s a good thing too."

A Dream for Life

My greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream,

my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream,

my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream,

my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream,

my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream,

my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream,

my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream,

my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream,

my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream,

my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream,

my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream,

my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream,

my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream,

my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream,

my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream,

my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream,

my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream,

my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream,

my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream, my greatest dream,

is to be able to say at the end of my life: My greatest dream truly came true,

because all my decisions were right,

all my actions were thoughtful,

all my experiences meaningful,

and in the end, money is insignificant.