NationStates Jolt Archive

Costa Rica is a nation that has not had an army since 1949 - this level of pacificism is clearly a deliberate insult to arms manufacturers around the world. Their foreign policy is focused on raising human rights issues. They are sitting on large tracts of pristine rain forest that could be cut for timber and turned over to beef production for hamburgers. They have a literacy rate of 96% which is tantamount to communism.

How has this been allowed to happen?

Sarcasm aside what is Costa Rica doing right that so many other countries are getting wrong?

96% huh? Fuck, that's impressive.

If coffee and great surf ever come onto Western government agendas, you can be sure unrest will follow.

Sitting around on a warm, white sand beach waiting for breakers leads to a lot of reading, hence the literacy. Export some coffee for cash and then sit around on the beach drinking pina coladas.

Not a lot of nations have these options.

Remember, this is the nation where sloths live - they're a great role model for life.

Sarcasm aside what is Costa Rica doing right that so many other countries are getting wrong?Very likely something that a lot of other countries can't do right.
For example if neighbouring countries have a tendency to be uppity, and you can't count on allies to protect you, then you can't afford to abolish your army.
If Costa Rica was invaded by a neighbour, they could probably count on the eventual support of the UN, and possibly some earlier support from the US (who despite all their faults tend to be a bit quicker on the bat about these things). Now if e.g. the US were to abolish it's army, then even the whole UN combined probably couldn't help them if it were needed (not without help from the then non-existent US army).

Very likely something that a lot of other countries can't do right.
For example if neighbouring countries have a tendency to be uppity, and you can't count on allies to protect you, then you can't afford to abolish your army.
If Costa Rica was invaded by a neighbour, they could probably count on the eventual support of the UN, and possibly some earlier support from the US (who despite all their faults tend to be a bit quicker on the bat about these things). Now if e.g. the US were to abolish it's army, then even the whole UN combined probably couldn't help them if it were needed (not without help from the then non-existent US army).

Panama and Nicaragua have probably not been the most stable neighbours a country could have.

Panama and Nicaragua have probably not been the most stable neighbours a country could have.I don't think other nations would stand for it if either (or both) of those invaded Costa Rica, though. Besides, isn't panama a US puppet state?
And Nicaragua has always had enough problems without going beyond their borders.

Does Costa Rica even have anything anyone would want to invade it for, really? Maybe that plays a part as well.

I don't think other nations would stand for it if either (or both) of those invaded Costa Rica, though. Besides, isn't panama a US puppet state?
And Nicaragua has always had enough problems without going beyond their borders.

Does Costa Rica even have anything anyone would want to invade it for, really? Maybe that plays a part as well.

I hear they have some cool butterflies.

They've got a currency named colon (http://aes.iupui.edu/rwise/banknotes/costa_rica/costaricap190-1Colon-1943-donated_f.jpg), and they've got them up to ten thousand in a single bank note (http://aes.iupui.edu/rwise/banknotes/costa_rica/CostaRicaP267-10000Colones-1997-donatedsrb_f.jpg). That's so much potential shit being worked over there that no one dares invade them. :p

The more I look at info on the country the more I want to live there.

Sarcasm aside what is Costa Rica doing right that so many other countries are getting wrong?

Smart economic policies, national reconciliation, free trade, specialization and infrastructure development.

It is also one of the few Latin American countries where the European settlers worked the land themselves, and stayed there, as opposed to colonial masters in Spain running slave plantations from abroad. In that respect, it was more like North America. This helped shield it from many of the negative impacts of colonialism.

The United Nations University for Peace is also located there. I hope to study there someday. Truly a wonderful country.

As mentioned before, it's pretty nice being in a position where having an army would in fact be detrimental to them. Tanks and APC's need fuel, and troops need to be fed and paid for. There's no reason for anyone to invade Costa Rica at all. No important resources, or even symbolic gains to recieve, as far as I know.

So, no. No need for anyone to invade Costa Rica.

Of course that's what I thought about Grenada when I visited, before I found out it had been invaded by... Oh!

The United States of America.

Not that that wasn't justified at all. It's just strange to think that such a small island created such a curfuffle.

So, no. No need for anyone to invade Costa Rica.

Of course that's what I thought about Grenada when I visited, before I found out it had been invaded by... Oh!

The United States of America.Like if having an army will discourage an US invasion. :rolleyes:

Any Latin American Army.. they cannot stop an US invasion.

Like if having an army will discourage an US invasion. :rolleyes:

Any Latin American Army.. they cannot stop an US invasion.

Never said they could.

Never said they could.I am not countering your post.

I can see nothing wrong with you post.

I am just posting a small follow-up. my 2 cents.

Oh okay, sure. Sorry OD2, but you do have a reputation of being argumentative after all. ;)

Oh okay, sure. Sorry OD2, but you do have a reputation of being argumentative after all. ;)yeah.. and this is not the first time I get that kind of feedback.

maybe I need a code word.. a safe word or something.. a code saying "I am not going to hurt you, this is just a friendly comment" :cool:

why do you think, they could not stop an US invasion? An invasion, a d-day or whatever implies that a country is controled by controlling a war front. Today you can invade anywhere you can kill the government or at least arrest it and you can set up on every important place, palace... But if the population does not agree with the need to be occupied to free from a dictator or concentration camps or comparable you will get an guerilla war. You only destabilze a country then but that is in fact no control. Hence army undertaking is with this intend generally destructive. Why having an army then?
And finally the US invaded Costa Rica and some other American countries anyway using the dollar strength and economic power. Lots of nations over there produce goods not for their own usage but for export into the US. That is in fact control.

They've got a currency named colon (http://aes.iupui.edu/rwise/banknotes/costa_rica/costaricap190-1Colon-1943-donated_f.jpg), and they've got them up to ten thousand in a single bank note (http://aes.iupui.edu/rwise/banknotes/costa_rica/CostaRicaP267-10000Colones-1997-donatedsrb_f.jpg). That's so much potential shit being worked over there that no one dares invade them. :p
"Colón" is actually the Spanish name for Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colón).

"Colón" is actually the Spanish name for Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colón).

And you're assuming that I didn't know that? Guess again... :p