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«Civis Romanus sum»
La protezione diplomatica degli investimenti stranieri di Virgilio Ilari
«Quiconque maltraite un citoyen, offense indirectement l’Etat, qui doit protéger le citoyen. Le Souverain de celui doit venger son injure». Vattel, Droit des Gens, 1758, II, VI, §. 71. «Contracts between a nation and private individuals are only binding on the conscience of the sovereign and have no pretension to a compulsive force. They confer no right of action, independent to the sovereign will. To what purpose would it be to authorize suits against States for the debts they owe? How could recoveries be enforced? It is evident, it could not be done without waging war against the contracting State, and to ascribe to the federal courts, by mere implication, and in destruction of a preexisting right of the State governments, a power which would involve such a consequence, would be altogether forced and unwarrantable». Publius [A. Hamilton], Federalist No. 81, 1788 «as the Roman, in days of old, held himself free from indignity, when he could say Civis Romanus sum; so also a British subject, in whatever land he may be, shall feel confident that the watchful eye and the strong arm of England, will protect him against injustice and wrong». Lord Palmerston, The Don Pacifico Speech, House of the Commons, 27 June 1850
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Vattel, Vattel, combien de crimes on commet en ton nom! a «diplomazia delle cannoniere» (gunboat diplomacy) è una forma della «diplomazia coercitiva» o «compellenza» teorizzata nel 1966 da Thomas Schelling (1921-2016). In generale l’espressione si riferisce alla prassi delle potenze liberal-imperialiste di appoggiare i negoziati diplomatici con dimostrazioni – basate principalmente sulle forze aeronavali – della propria capacità di «proiettare» a scala intercontinentale
