Hemisphere isolationism

Hemisphere isolationism or regionalist isolationism, also commonly called hemisphere autarky, the Maqaro Doctrine, Maqaroism, or neo-Maqaroism, is a political and ideological philosophy that developed in Riyata during and after its unification in the mid-19th century. It has been the most fundamental and persistent part of Riyatian foreign policy over the two centuries of Riyata's existence, and has since spread to other parts of Vatupaya and Vidina. It remains an influential force in modern-day politics.

The most basic tenets of hemisphere isolationism are regionalism, isolationism, autarky, and multilateralism. It is not an isolationist ideology in the traditional sense, as it does not oppose cooperation with nations considered to be a part of the same "sphere," and it also does not oppose foreign intervention to advance the nation's interests. Rather, the "isolationist" aspect of the ideology can more accurately be described as "indifference," where little care is given to the events of the wider world unless it affects the home region in some way. Proponents of hemisphere isolationism have a tendency to divide the world into "us" and "them," and political scientists have described the ideology as "isolationist nationalism with a very large in-group."

Background
Despite Riyata's beginnings as an outward-looking country that quickly became one of the world's foremost powers, the circumstances of its unification had effectively antagonized it against all other world powers, except for Gladomyr, but that empire was on the decline. Neighboring states such as Ta'aroha were either hostile or ambivalent, at least initially, so Riyata found itself rather isolated in its early history. As a result, its foreign policy initially emphasized self-sufficiency, both economically and militarily; Riyata was to be able to provide for itself and defend itself without reliance on any foreign nation. According to Arturi Karhu, initial Riyatian isolationism was driven by necessity, not a genuine desire for isolation, making it easily malleable once the circumstances had changed. He says that "eventually, as the Riyatian nation drove the imperial powers from Vidina, the thought that 'Riyata does not need any other nation' transformed into 'Vidina does not need any other continent'." By the start of the 20th century, it had become the keystone of Riyata's foreign policy as a great power. Arturi goes on to say that "such an ideology was powerful and allowed Riyata to simultaneously be international and insular, capable of wreaking careless and great destruction on the world while offering the highest loyalty and benevolence to those countries it considered friends."

Amuhiy Maqaro first articulated the doctrine in his declaration of war against Salia leading to the Riyatian-Salian War. At the time, Riyata was the only industrialized nation on the Vidinan continent, and most of the Vidinan coast was controlled directly or indirectly by Alutran powers. The only major region of the continent to have avoided colonization was Vatupaya. Maqaro asserted that the newly-united Riyatian Empire, as the first and most powerful modern Vidinan nation, was both capable and morally obligated to expel foreign influence from its neighboring nations. Furthermore, he believed it was imperative for a system of interdependent and allied Vidinan nations to develop, both to deter foreign threats and to distance the region from the wider world's affairs.