Abolish Switzerland it sucks, Get rid of Switzerland

[TurkeyWithaSunburn]

Libyan Leader Gaddafi's Oddest Idea: Abolish Switzerland - TIME

From everybody's "favorite" (sarcasm) North African dictator. Divide the country linguistically among Germany, France, and Italy. As it stands now the Swiss I'm sure will have to deal with more putdowns since the Presidency of the UN Gen. Assembly is currently held by Libya. It lasts one year and the term just began on Sept. 15th.

It must be nice to be a dictator and come up with flamboyant ideas on a whim with no dissent!

No I really don't think Switzerland should be divided. But I am curious if any Swiss would like to voice an opinion on it. :redface:

 

[B_Nick8]

I wonder what the learned Mr. Gaddafi would suggest they do with Grisons and the other cantons where they speak Romansch?

 

[vince]

I've always felt that I should double check that I've flushed and turned out the lights every time I leave Switzerland.

 

[798686]

Dunno how they can justify giving the UN Presidency to Libya. :/

 

[eurotop40]

This is one of the reasons why Switzerland did not joint the UN until a few years ago (was it 2002?). If you look, real democracies in the UN make about 1/4 of the member countries. What do you expect from the other ones?

 

[Drifterwood]

Return Cyrene to Greece.

 

[deleted213967]

Didn't the IRS just abolish Switzerland as we knew it?

The bastards!

 

[lipollo]

If you look at his comment from a nation-state perspective its actually very intelligent. You only need to look at another of the multi-linguistic nation-states to see the potential troubles that could ensue a civil war - Belgium.

No wars in Europe since Europe became polarised by the 'purity' of the homogenous nation state.

 

[2322]

Return Cyrene to Greece.

Return Gaul to the Romans!


or Gibraltar to Spain :wall:

 

[Bbucko]

Viva las Malvinas! :biggrin1:

 

[eurotop40]

No wars in Europe since Europe became polarised by the 'purity' of the homogenous nation state.

???

 

[lipollo]

name the european wars since world war 2.

 

[2322]

The Cold War (and I'll let you have that one), Chechnya, Yugoslavia, Russia-Georgia War, South Ossetia War, War of Transnistria, and those are just off the top of my head.

Given what happened in the Balkans and other places where ethnicities are so highly mixed, Switzerland's stability is a model of cooperation.

That's because they're all Borg.

 

[lipollo]

Checnya - Ethnic/Religious Conflict.
Russia-Georgia War - Ethnic Conflict.
South Ossetia War - Ethnic Conflict.
War of Transnitria - Ethnic Conflict.

- All stemming from the insufficiently organised (or perhaps that was the purpose) break up of the USSR.

And lets not forget Yugoslavia which has to be the worst and thus perfect example of my theory. The fact that they still have not realised that there needs to be ethnic partition is beyond reasonable comprehension.

The reason I bring Switzerland into the equation is because look at Belgium. From the exterior a very stable country but as you delve deeper and crises rise up, the two halves are at logger heads about to split the country in two.

 

[798686]

But if you ask Belgians (and I have) they'll tell you they'd prefer Belgium to stay as a nation-state. I think it's likely the Swiss would feel the same way about Switzerland.

Just because there are people of different ethnic backgrounds in the same country, doesn't mean they don't identify with their nationality.

The only people to benefit from Switzerland would likely be Germany, Italy and France - presumably at the expense of what the Swiss themselves want.

 

[SilverTrain]

Checnya - Ethnic/Religious Conflict.
Russia-Georgia War - Ethnic Conflict.
South Ossetia War - Ethnic Conflict.
War of Transnitria - Ethnic Conflict.

- All stemming from the insufficiently organised (or perhaps that was the purpose) break up of the USSR.

And lets not forget Yugoslavia which has to be the worst and thus perfect example of my theory. The fact that they still have not realised that there needs to be ethnic partition is beyond reasonable comprehension.

The reason I bring Switzerland into the equation is because look at Belgium. From the exterior a very stable country but as you delve deeper and crises rise up, the two halves are at logger heads about to split the country in two.

Ethnic conflict = war

 

[eurotop40]

Switzerland defines itself as a "will-nation", i.e. people from different ethnic background want to stay together because they share common ideals of freedom, tolerance etc...
Historically, at least the southern part (italian speaking) was conquered by the original german speaking cantons about 5 centuries ago. Only about 200 years ago they obtained the same rights as the other parts. One of the basis of Switzerland is the great respect of minorities that are usually politically overrepresented.

European national states have historically oppressed their minorities: think of the norhtern French that have imposed their "langue d'oil" to the "langue d'oc" guys, the English that have imposed English to Scotland, Wales and Ireland, the Spaniards that have imposed Castilian to the Catalons etc... Nowadays you will tell me that there is a revival of minorities (now that they are agonizing), but maybe it is too late.

Anyway, I think one should disconnect a language or an ethnicity from a political organization such as a state. The world is not divided into nations, but rather into other values, e.g. education and intelligence.

 

[Gl3nn]

Thank you joll. Indeed...if you ask belgians then they would say the prefer Belgium to stay as it is now.

And what is that about a civil war? A lot of people who are not from Belgium seem to think there is a civil war at hand. Although there might be some differences, there are no fights or a possible civil war to happen.

 

[D_Deceptivus Wrongpeter]

How long is it before Brussels becomes a Muslim-majority city? Holy Sharia, that's gonna be fun, fun fun. Dhimmitude for everybody!

 

[D_Jared Padalicki]

The reason I bring Switzerland into the equation is because look at Belgium. From the exterior a very stable country but as you delve deeper and crises rise up, the two halves are at logger heads about to split the country in two.

You are quite well informed man. Yes Belgium is dealing with a lot of foreigners and the fact it wants to split.
There has been suggestions to split Belgium in to: Wallony (that will belong to France maybe), Brussels (on it's own) and Flanders (The Netherlands wants us to join, but Flanders is quite independant). But that are pure politics. If you ask the people who live here, in the end most of them just want to keep Belgium as it is... but with less diversity in ethnicities...