The Swiss War Machine

March 3rd, 2007 · 19 Comments · Main

Who would have thought there’s a new imperial aggressor roaming the Alps? And who could have predicted the land of more guns per capita than the U.S. would turn into a marauding juggernaut? Turns out all they really needed was not an AK-47 or even one of those cool little red knives, but one of these …

P.S. Thanks Tony.

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19 responses so far ↓

1 Doug Richardson // Mar 5, 2007 at 4:31 pm

http://agonist.org/doug_richardson/20070303/shades_of_peter_sellers
2 Peter Halle // Mar 6, 2007 at 10:46 am

Terry, I have thought alot about this amusing story, and the absurdity of attacking what is essentially the 27th canton. The Swiss military is usually a precise, well-oiled machine. I lived in Switzerland for many years, and am still puzzled by the contradictions of the Swiss, and the contrast with our country. John McPhee wrote a brilliant book about them, La Place de la Concorde Suisse. Most ablebodied men are part of the military, and keep a rifle at home. Yet there are virtually no gun crimes or even gun accidents. The Swiss of course are hardly cowboy types; they are a careful, perhaps slightly paranoid, people. They are sticklers at obeying the law, so never speed on the autoroute or you are toast. That said, they have decriminilized grass. Yet there are (or used to be) plenty of drug addicts in Zurich’s needle park. A small country like that, with ample natural beauty, so well positioned for tourism, must be so much simpler to manage politically. Almost nobody cares who the president is.

There probably are not alot of lessons to be had, and I am way off your topic, but it might be worthwhile for us to study this and other countries that appoach social, military, and political issues differently from the US.
3 Terrence McCarthy // Mar 6, 2007 at 10:40 pm

Your last post was 3 days ago. I think this is a good thing. Suggests you have a life ( Outside of Blogville ) Interesting what happens when this happens. Your readers ( OK, this reader ) anticipates what you might write about next. It’s like when I was an airman stationed in South Carolina during the Peloponnesian War. ( OK, it was Vietnam ) My buddy Jim and I both subscribed to Time. We had this weekely ritual. Tried to guess what would be on the cover of Time next week. Looking back on it all, I see it now for what it probably was. An attempt on our parts to control, or at least perceive it as control, a world spinning out of same. The cover story we dreaded was one that sent this message: Johnson orders ( even more ) troops to war torn southeast Asia.

Which might mean Jim and I would be getting our tans not on the Grand Strand north of Charleston. But somewhere on the coast of the south China sea.

So. What’ll you be writing about next? Hillary, and how she broke into that black woman accent in Selma last weekend? Who did she think she was..

Butterfly McQueen for a Day?

Maybe Libby’s what you’ll write about. Pretty amazing coincidence re: him. Presidential pardons are being talked about again. Last time a prez pardoned a man was back in the 90s when Clinton pardon fugitive financier Mark Rich…

Whose attorney at that time was…

Scooter Libby.

What goes around comes around and all that. I wonder:

What’s gonna be on the cover of Time next week. And what will you write about next?
4 Terry // Mar 6, 2007 at 11:06 pm

Peter,
I’ve always thought Switzerland was a curious paradox. Lots of guns, no crime etc. Thanks for providing the perspective of someone who lived there. And you’re right. We do have lessons to learn (and not learn) from other countries. Imagine living someplace where no one cares who the president is. Even Canada, where I spent almost 5 years, can’t make such a claim.

Terrence,
Thanks for bearing with me for the lack of blogging recently. I have been swamped with assignments for the print edition.
The next topic will be local, which may or not be of interest to you: The Region 1 school budget or the new proposed site for a transfer station for the town of Salisbury. Pretty humdrum stuff, but I made a pledge to myself when I started this blog that at least half the content would be local (or at least regional). Thanks for reading anyway.
5 Paul Bartomioli // Mar 7, 2007 at 3:44 am

Why is lots of guns, little crime a paradox? Are you people really that naieve? IF you think living gun free is so wonderful, I suggest you stop hiding your belief and post signs about your house and businesses: GUN FREE ZONE.

There are studies going back to the late 70s in which the guys with the most to gain from that sign admitted that they feared guns. BTW, we are speaking of criminals that were/are in jail.

An armed society is a polite society. One of the problems here is lack of respect for the law. For some reason, there are apparently rational people that think that criminals will obey the law. I and my firearms are not the problem.
6 Terry // Mar 7, 2007 at 6:19 am

Paul,
Calm down. No one said your guns are causing a problem. And not everyone who disagrees with you is a socialist.

Read my earlier post on Switzerland (linked at the top of this post). The paradox is really for libs who believe guns are the problem and that there is a causal link between the availability of firearms and crime. So if you read that earlier post, you will see that we pretty much agree on the subject of guns (I think!).
7 Terrence McCarthy // Mar 7, 2007 at 1:02 pm

Just had a mind bending flashback as I read about the school budget story you have to tackle. School board meetings were among the assignments I had when I was a reporter for the old Holyoke Trancript-Telegram in western Mass. Arrggh! I don’t envy ya at all, at all. More power to you for doing that work. It’s a dirty wordy job, but someone’s gotta do it.
8 Paul Bartomioli // Mar 7, 2007 at 6:48 pm

Terry, I am calm. I have read everything on every blog I post to. But, the fact still remains that some people still think that guns cause crime. It is a fact that I am not part of the problem, as are the other law abiding gun owners in CT. Interesting you ignore the obvious: Criminals do not obey the law. You also ignore the fact that because one or more of your neighbors MAY own firearms, your life is a bit safer.

Trivia Question: Are CRIMINALS required to obey any “gun control” law? The answer is not trivial.

However, 20+ years in this debate have convinced me that the opposition wants nothing short of any totalitarian state: no guns except for cops and military. It has also convinced me of the fact that I am part of the 5% of the gun owners that care enough to get involved with the 5% of the antis that make the noise. That leaves 90% in the “middle,” not really pro or anti.

BTW, I use the term socialist to apply to any member of the left. There are no democrats at this time in DC. The goal is government control of every facet of our life. As far as the “republicans,” there are no more than 10 that I can name as true republicans. The ruling political class has as its goal to move up the public trough. A failed politician keeps his place for life with no upward mobility. Cynical? You Betcha! Spot On? Hell, yeah.
9 Terry // Mar 7, 2007 at 8:08 pm

Paul,
Here’s a question for you. If I am for restrictions on abortion in the third trimester, against a constitutional amendment to ban flag burning, pro-gay civil unions, pro 2nd amendment and pro private school vouchers, does that make me a socialist? A conservative?
10 Paul Bartomioli // Mar 8, 2007 at 4:37 am

No, that makes you ideologically my twin. I’ll wait until the Paramedics arrive. That makes us direct ideological descendants of the Founding Fathers. Rich, White, Slave Owning Dead Guys that risked everything they had, and in some cases lost everything, including their sanity, family, fortune and lives, to see this country happen.

Personally, government has no business in any of the issues you mention. The 2nd amendment is part of the law in this country; there is a correct process to amend that law. Flag burning is First Amendment. Civil Unions: that’s your own business. Don’t force your belief and lifestyle on me, and I will reciprocate. Since education in this country began as private education, we have precedent.

You’ve been at this long enough to see the camel’s nose in our lives. Why do we need a law against Trans Fat? Is there anyone today, older than 6, that does not know that smoking is bad? I already have a mother. I do not need another 700+ between Hartford and DC. Do you?

Ok. I answered your Trivia Question. What is the answer to mine?
11 Samantha // Mar 8, 2007 at 5:42 pm

So if I read this correctly - our country “happened” because of rich, white, slave owning, men ??? Sounds more like bigotry to me and we can only hope that few share this view of what made this country. I don’t know anyone who would force this belief on to anyone else - you’re safe in that regard but WOW - you certainly have a different prospective on what has made this country from anyone I have ever spoken with, voice or email. Regarding the guns - if all “law abiding” citizens took gun safety serious, this discussion wouldn’t be happening.
12 Samantha // Mar 8, 2007 at 6:21 pm

oops - that should be “perspective” - I guess I was in such a state of bewilderment over the comment I forgot my proper English.
13 Paul Bartomioli // Mar 11, 2007 at 4:01 pm

Wow. No, it did not just happen. Speaking in general terms, this is the current PC description of Washington, et al. of the Founding Fathers. How would you describe them? We are talking the political ideology of these men.

VERY limited government, to the point that the Federal Government should be part time. GREAT personal freedom. Even GREATER PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. Not the current nanny state we have today.

Since I am their ideological descendant, I do not force my views on any one. That is the purview of the socialists, aka Democrat Party. My view has always been your freedom ends when it infringes on my freedom. I don’t care who or what you sleep with. I don’t care if you make your own tofu. Actually, such diverse views are really the point of this country: we all live together for the common good. We unite over important stuff and ignore the rest. Sadly your “state of bewilderment” tips your ideological hand. When I mentioned white slave owning, you went a bit apoplectic and did not read the rest of my post. Typical. Try this “inclusive language:”

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Pretty neat, huh? Written by a dead, rich white slave owner from Virginia. Ambassador to France, President of the United States, financial backer of the American Revolution. Too bad our children are taught only about what he did wrong in his life.

BTW: Law abiding firearm owners do follow the law. you are unaware of the laws in CT, let alone the current US Code. Try this on for size:

The current guesstimate is that there is 1 gun for every 2 people in the US. Do the math: 300 million divided by 2. IF law abiding firearm owners were as guilty as you seem to believe, the streets would run red, permanently. Belief in Urban Legends is bad policy. For an example, see the discussions of any of the 20+ states that have allowed Concealed Carry by private citizens in the last 10 years. The hoplophobes predicted gun battles over everything. The reality is completely different.
14 Samantha // Mar 12, 2007 at 10:28 am

Still bewildered! even more so. Not sure what children these days are learning but my children who are in their 40’s, learned the good things past leaders accomplished, not just the bad. Unfortunately society can not operate as it did in the days of the American Revlution. I am aware of many of the CT laws regarding firearms - are you aware of the number of “law abiding” citizens who own firearms without a legal permit? It took men and women of all shapes, religion and race to build this country - and they continue to build it today. Thank GOD!
15 Paul Bartomioli // Mar 12, 2007 at 9:54 pm

Boy do you need to talk to the children in school today. They are tatught more about what Washington, Adams, Franklin, Jefferson & co. did wrong than what their actions actually achieved. Aren’t you aware that this country is responsible for 99 44/100% of what is wrong in this world? Heck, I still don’t understand why with a country this terrible that more people want to come here to live than want to leave.

BTW, my response to you is limited to the discussion of the political ideology of the WASPs that founded this country. That is a fact that you can parse, but it is still a fact. Name the Black signer of the Declaration of Independence. Name the woman that signed the Constitution. Name the (fill in the blank with a group other than WASP) that served in Congress, on the Supreme Court, local courts, ad infinitum. Revisionist history is just plain wrong, despite your wishes. The other groups you mention came much later. Women didn’t get the vote until the last century, and the women that we know in history were so out of the ordinary to achieve what they did. Freed slaves did not become fully integrated until the early 20th century, and it still took the CRA 64 to codify the legal standing of blacks in the US.

These men, and they were all men, had the same ideological view. Yes, they were white. Yes, some owned slaves. Yes, they all owned land. Yes, they were considered rich. Yes, they had the same mindset concerning the country they wanted to establish. Their political ideology on what they wanted in a country was forged by the colonial expansion of Great Britain and how “the colonies” were treated. Yes, they disagreed on the fine points, to the point of death in one case, but agreed on the big picture. Maybe it was the water in Virginia?

“Legal Permit?” in Connecticut? Another urban legend. Recent changes in the law now require a Concealed Carry Permit to purchase any handgun. Prior to that, passed during the reign of King Lowell, all you needed was a hunting license and a 14 day “cooling off period.” Now, I walk in, show my CCW, pay the money, and walk out the door. The CCW process takes about 90 days, but the guys at Troop L are real nice to talk with. You sound a bit confused on CT Firearms Laws.

Why can’t we operate as they did during the 1700s? A great deal positive can be said for stable 2 parent families, purlic disapproval of divorce and infidelity, fear of God, regular church attendance, the 10 Commandments, and a judicial system that punishes the guilty instead of the current mess. Lots of personal responsibility required; a lot of personal responsibility lacking, today.
16 Paul Bartomioli // Mar 12, 2007 at 9:58 pm

Terry: I need a spell check option!!

From the top: TAUGHT, not tatught.
PUBLIC, not purlic

Sorry.
17 Samantha // Mar 13, 2007 at 5:21 am

No confusion really on firearms - let me rephrase - are you aware of the number of individuals who carry a handgun without a permit?
We aren’t living in the 1700s - times have changed and there is a need for laws and regulations. You don’t think there was infidelity, divorce, single parents and lack of church attendance in the 1700s? You need a new history book. With all due respect, you need to get your head out of the history sandbox and face reality. The leaders of that time lived a simple life and wanted simple government - its not possible today and if you truly believe that, you are not facing the real world. Comparing government in 2007 to 1700’s is impossible. Think about it for a bit.

Life can not be as negative as you make it sound. It sounds more like a large chip on a shoulder. You make your own life, deal with your own problems, face the music when you need to and move on. Blaming the rest of society and government for how your life turned out, is a waste of time. Turn all that negativity into something positive and you will really make some progress.

Answer your own question - if life is as terrible here as you state - why do YOU stay?
18 Paul Bartomioli // Mar 13, 2007 at 6:19 am

An exact number, no. BTW, they are not law abiding, they are criminals.

No, I do not view any time in history as utopia. Yes, the human condition has existed forever. Simple time compared to what? Why do we need so many laws? How many laws do we all break daily? Seatbelt? Childseat? Speeding? Talking on cellphones while driving? and that’s just DMV. Do we recycle everything?

Nice doge on my questions about your revisionist history. My history is grounded in the facts, that many find uncomfortable. My statement about the 99 44/100% problems is a comment on what is presented daily to us. I don’t recall saying that
life is negative. Just making comments on the current scene as I view it. Why do people blame George Bush for everything? Why aren’t the professional trough feeders in Washington, that voted for Iraq as an example, not called to task by us? Are they theat stupid, or are we for beliving their stories?

Nice way to end what I thought was a discussion.
19 Paul Bartomioli // Mar 13, 2007 at 6:21 am

spell check!!

DODGE not doge. I was not referring to Mussolini.

THAT, not theat.

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