Pacifism, police protection, and armed neutrality

The argument for armed neutrality distinguishes an individual's security from a state's. An individual can practice pacifism while relying on the police to deter or restrain an attacker. That protection depends on an institution which retains the capacity to use force. A state that disarms completely cannot assume equivalent protection from its neighbors. Switzerland and Sweden illustrate the alternative proposed here: a peaceful posture supported by enough military strength to discourage attack.