Is it a family squabble or is it a matter of "Toe the line or else . . .?"

When your neighbours, who are deemed to be family members, decide to isolate you from their circle and from the rest of the world, is it just a family dispute, or is it like holding a gun to your head and forcing you to think and behave like them?

That's the dilemma in which Qatar has found itself in the past two weeks. Led by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates have started tightening the noose around Qatar, and plan to continue unless it meets a list of 13 demands. The US government is in an awkward position, because it is friendly with all the countries involved, and desperately wants to see a quick resolution.

After looking at the list of demands, one might agree with some, if not all, but can a sovereign state give in to such demands? If you had to make those decisions for Qatar, what would they be?

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