Switzerland forum < Why is it so hard to make friends in Switzerland??

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    half the country?

    posted by  Roger B in Switzerland forum 

    Sorry, but saying that 50% of the Swiss are "known to be racist" strikes me as a very extravagant position. I know you cited a study, but how did Benjamin Disraeli say "there are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics". One statistic says A the other says B, again I'm not saying there is no racism, I'm far from that, but accusing half the population to be racist and xenophobic based on one study you trust, well, that's a toughie...

    Look, our conversation currently centers around one of those epic debates in public choice. Your take on it, at least that's what I derive from your statement, so please feel free to correct me, is that campaigns as the one from SVP/UDC should be banned if they go too far on certain topics... my take on it is that freedom of speech is also valid for the ignorant. I think the risk of shutting right wingers' mouths by banning their campaigns out of subjective judgments (which in the end they are), would pose a greater risk to our society as a whole then letting them speak. Look, what I constantly remind myself of is that it is neither always very pleasant nor easy to live in a liberal democracy guaranteeing certain inalienable rights, rights that accrue to the incinarating and ignorant too. That's a point valid for both right and left, requiring if not tolerance so at least acceptance of the others rights. There are certain things that clearly go too far, if for instance there is a call for violence on a certain group, or where there are attempts to use direct democracy to chip away at certain rights (as has happened with the anti-minaret thing). Under this circumstance the state should act through its coercive means and courts. It's a free country, so what I do is talking, debating and launching comprehensive challenges to the right wingers instead of appealing to court and state.

    The truth is, people are nervous, they hear talk about imminent doom, about how many challenges face Switzerland. They witnessed the pressure excerted by the EU and the US on Switzerland. In short, thereare problems associated to our foreing relations and immigration. Ridiculing these anxieties, not taking them seriously is exactly the thing that brought us into the situation in the first place. What do you think is the feeling of an accountant that first gets a German boss who then swiftly appoints fellow country men to any position vacating in the next monts? I've witnessed that several times, and it's hard to believe that there are no able Swiss wanting to do those kinds of jobs. Or what about Universities attracting a flood of German students, costing 500 MCHF a year with the tab being picked up not by any kind of European clearing house (of which I'd be a great fan by the way) but entirely by the cantons? Why is juvenile criminality on the rise, why are foreigners far more significantly present among the criminals? The truth is there are issues surrounding immigration, there are pressure points, there probably will always be, but not addressing them or even ridiculing them will only play in the hands of those who want to exploit it.

    What we need is not political correctness, but to address those issues heads on. We need to do something about those pressure points, lest the right wing will gain ever more importance. The right wing was succesfull to exploit those fears, fears that do exist and I would say not even illegitimately. The mainstream parties where just too insensitive to hear that there were dark clouds forming, only now to engage in something similar to rearguard action.

    As stated now time after time, post after post, the Swiss are a reserved people, cherrishing privacy but fiercly proud of the "special case" Switzerland (we might not brag about that but it's the way it is, that's also why we don't like to be ridiculed btw) however, saying that generally speaking foreigneres were not welcome in our country is betrayed by our long history of immigration and openness, the success stories of "secondos" living in Switzerland and the general fact that 20-30% of our population is foreign born. While the latter may cause some of the anxiety, I would say that the persistant high level of foreign born population and level of immigration should serve as a reminder that Switzerland, while not being the paradise on earth, still is very welcoming to foreigners and offers lots of advantages. And, while I am of the strong conviction that the pressure points require a comprehensive solution, I will fight the right wingers and their agenda wherever possible.

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