i'm a political failure!!!

[Nitram Draw]

Maybe a treaty could be modded that was like a non-intercourse with minimal trade. That way you could have some trade and still protect your systems.
I also hate the fact that once you sign a trade treaty the AI comes in and colonizes all the planets in my system that I can't. Then 50 turns later the decide to attack me and have more bases in my systems than I do! What a pain!