Why Neighboring Countries Do Not Get Along And Why They Should Stop Fighting

Neighboring countries have always been a challenge for those who deal with the external politics of the government. If you look at the global map and history, you will notice that in most cases, hate has been developed between countries with common borders and many similarities. While someone would expect that people of entirely different cultures would have a problem in communication and would therefore be less willing to cooperate, those who are neighbors do not seem to get along. Wanna see some examples? India and Pakistan have had troubles for many years. Greece and Turkey are not just different countries, but they also belong to different continents and represent different cultures and civilizations. Moving to the west, let us not forget the famous example of the United States and Mexico that refuse to get along. Today we will talk about some of the reasons that this phenomenon has dominated around the world and why it is important to overcome it.

The source of the Evil:

They want the same things, and only one can have them.
One of the main reasons neighbors fight is because they have common things they want to have. The geopolitical game is a game of dominance and power. As most countries want to expand their borders, hoping to include more physical resources in their territory, they see neighbors as the obstacle that does not allow them to grow big. No one wants to share their goods, nor do they want to give them to others. Competition grows and greediness as well. Besides, it is easier to be jealous of someone who shares common characteristics with you since you can identify yourself with that person and play the mirror game.

Background history supports this behavior.
In many cases, the story goes a long way back and this has affected the public opinion of each nation regarding the culture of the citizens in the neighboring country. In many cases, propaganda has been used as a tool to increase the hatred between the neighbors, and people have ended up believing that the neighbor is the worst enemy. The fact that, in reality, they have more things in common than with people from countries that are further away geographically makes ordinary people become more possessive. Citizens tend to defend their ”belongings” even when no one is threatening them directly.

The answer to all that:

1. Avoid war
   On the other hand, this culture perhaps does not have much to offer to any sides. In fact, if there is tension created in a particular territory, the possibility of a war is always there. Countries that are far away will take advantage of the situation and will encourage a war as long as they have financial benefits from that. The only one who will lose in the end is the people who live there and who have probably been supporting the war before they realized the sad consequences.
2. Create alliance
   Of course, we can reverse the question? Why should we fight in the first place and not take advantage of the fact that we are close to each other? The policy that the United Kingdom has adopted and developed throughout the centuries is to divide people of foreign territories and enter their place after to take anything that is valuable, whether this was land or physical resources. Other European countries have followed the same example, and eventually, the strategy was spread all over the planet and is now considered to be one of the most popular external policies a government can use. It is, therefore, reasonable to say that instead of fighting with one’s neighbors, you could create alliances to become stronger and more competitive against other nations.
3. Exchange culture
   Finally, let us not forget the cultural aspect of this matter. Neighbors have things in common that they share, and they can further develop and talk about with each other. Being in constant ”war” with each other will not help you see what amazing opportunities a neighbor can show you in order to adapt to them and be beneficiated by this knowledge.

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