The Secret of Switzerland

I like to think of Switzerland as Europe’s Tibet—not just because of its mountains, but because itisina true sense terra incognita. Everybody has been there, but nobody knows anything about it, except for the obvious superficialities—it is clean and well organized, has banks with well-guarded secrets, and makes superb chocolate and cheese. Even some of the things foreigners think they know are false (for example, the cuckoo clock was invented not in Switzerland but in the Black Forest of Germany).

Actually, Switzerland is a most unusual entity that merits extensive study. First, how has it survived, maintaining its neutrality for centuries, on our restless Continent? The answer is very simple: Switzerland is a military democracy. (Stalin called Switzerland “fascist,” but whatever the Left calls fascist tends to have positive qualities.) Its military expenses at times amount to more than one-third of the federal budget (only Israel ranks higher in this respect). It is not the portrait of the president that adorns public offices, but a portrait of the commanding colonel or general. Swiss men have to serve in the army for two or three weeks every year until the age of fifty for regular soldiers, 55 for officers. The Swiss soldier returning from duty brings home his rifle, ammunition, and steel helmet, which are to be kept in his house, ready for use. He must also belong to a local rifle club and must practice regularly; his score is checked once a year. Indeed, the reason why female suffrage was so long in coming (it was instituted for federal elections in 1971; and in some local elections women still cannot vote) was that only persons bearing arms were considered to be full citizens.

EK

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Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn

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I like to think of Switzerland as Europe’s Tibet—not just because of its mountains, but because itisina true sense terra incognita. Everybody has been there, but nobody knows anything about it, except for the obvious superficialities—it is clean and well organized, has banks with well-guarded secrets, and makes superb chocolate and cheese. Even some of the things foreigners think they know are false (for example, the cuckoo clock was invented not in Switzerland but in the Black Forest of Germany).

Actually, Switzerland is a most unusual entity that merits extensive study. First, how has it survived, maintaining its neutrality for centuries, on our restless Continent? The answer is very simple: Switzerland is a military democracy. (Stalin called Switzerland “fascist,” but whatever the Left calls fascist tends to have positive qualities.) Its military expenses at times amount to more than one-third of the federal budget (only Israel ranks higher in this respect). It is not the portrait of the president that adorns public offices, but a portrait of the commanding colonel or general. Swiss men have to serve in the army for two or three weeks every year until the age of fifty for regular soldiers, 55 for officers. The Swiss soldier returning from duty brings home his rifle, ammunition, and steel helmet, which are to be kept in his house, ready for use. He must also belong to a local rifle club and must practice regularly; his score is checked once a year. Indeed, the reason why female suffrage was so long in coming (it was instituted for federal elections in 1971; and in some local elections women still cannot vote) was that only persons bearing arms were considered to be full citizens.