>>Unless you hold a mortgage over his house, and want his property. <<
Yes, but that only works if you can force him off his property. That is where the analogy breaks down.
Countries are like a bunch of houses in a neighborhood where there is no central government at all. No police, no 911 - full anarchy between neighbors. So the neighbors try to “self govern” their relationships. Sometimes it still leads to Hatfields and McCoys situations.
Countries are sovereign. People are not.
Actually, it strengthens the analogy.
How's Tibet these days?
Do you really think that same China is afraid of upsetting the Kenyan crypto-homo in the White House, or his bought and paid for Feinsteins, Schumers, and Boxers?
We're about to be evicted from the lands our forefathers died to preserve, and it's at the hand of quisling traitors like the aforementioned reptiles who got 30 pieces of silver from China etc.