First, a little history lesson: In the 1600s, Europe suffered through decades of war over the spread of unwelcome religious philosophies from one country to another.
Recognizing the futility of decades of hostilities, in 1648 the combatants entered into a series of treaties, commonly referred to as the Treaty of Westphalia, in which today’s modern theories of sovereignty of nations were born. Today, the core principals of modern day sovereignty remain the same — the authority to control individuals and businesses within their borders from the unwanted intrusion of outsiders with sights on conducting commerce within its borders, or who threaten the sovereign’s ability to control and protect its population.
