I have a hard time believing that quality of life survey wherein Canada is #2! Especially when the questions surrounding excess death rates are unanswerable, not to mention the rising popularity of euthanasia.
Yes, it'll be interesting to see how long Canada holds that spot. I think it will ultimately come down to economics and the cost of living...which has been rising alarmingly over the past few years.
“Post-National” has all the leaning and newspeak of the World Economjc Forum (WEF) and the Davos types who want to re-engineer the world. Switzerland looks and sounds like a great place, my only concern would be their decision to choose a side in the Russian/Ukraine conflict which has damaged their ability to remain neutral. With the bad leadership throughout what remains of the West. I wonder how economically we will fare over the next decade (I’m an American), my thoughts are to go where you can build community (religious and otherwise) self-sufficiency and expect a bumpy ride.
Certainly there is enormous pressure on Switzerland not just with regard to Ukraine/Russia, but on other fronts as well. How this will unfold over time is hard to tell, but I'm hoping the Swiss will not relinquish their unique character and approach to running their country.
The idea of building a community is, in fact, exactly how Switzerland was made: little community by little community! So it's a good plan.
I love Switzerland! As an American citizen married to a German (and having lived in Germany for a decade and change), visiting Swiss friends near Bern was a fantastic experience.
I accompanied my friend to the local Amt (not sure what you call the citizen services office) for some bureaucratic business he had to attend to, and was actually kind of blown away at how convenient and pleasant the whole experience was compared to the similar process in Germany.
German bureaucracy always works … eventually … but you almost never feel like you are the customer or beneficiary, you generally feel like a slave beholden to a great slave master, to whom you must carefully and respectfully -and in the right place, time, and in the right tone- request a boon.
It was kind of surreal experiencing the Swiss version with all of the paperwork and signage in Hochdeutsch and viscerally expecting a laborious process and then seeing the Swiss reality of Beamter actually being kind and efficient, taking care of what my friend needed quickly, without fuss, and respectfully (there are few scarier things than a German Beamter scorned 😵💫)
Overall, apart from the breathtaking scenery up in the mountains, of course, my experience in the German-speaking cantons in Switzerland was like an alternate reality where Germans formed a real democracy and society that functions and avoids many of the more negative aspects of modern Germany. That, and department store cafeteria hotdogs for 20 euros 😅
Fabulous description of German bureacracy! Made me laugh and shiver in remembrance at the same time. Interesting comparisin with the Swiss equivalent, too. Thank you.
The Swiss can sometimes be reserved on the surface, yet they’ve always felt approachable to me. And I agree with your observations on Swiss efficiency. It works, and it’s friendly (or at least not unfriendly).
Good piece! Especially insofar as it isn't polemical but really appeals to the sense, which I think a lot of us have, that it "doesn't have to be like this". In the north American context at least. Sprawl, centralization, superficially diverse monocultures... etc. That said, how does one become a Swiss citizen? Or any insights beyond what you can get on officao government sites or generic expat type listicles
It's a bit complicated and difficult to become a Swiss citizen. I was able to do it only as I am married to a Swiss. I also had to demonstrate that I had a strong connection to the country (through my many visits through the years), and then also had to do a 1.5 hour interview in one of the official languages (in my case, German -- although my German still isn't all that great). There may be other avenues, which can probably be found via a quick internet search on the Swiss gov't website.
"The question is not whether a country is national versus post-national, but the extent to which its values are determined locally versus centrally."
That Switzerland has outlasted the United States on the world stage is testament to the wisdom of that statement. Had they joined the EU they would have lost their raison d'être and, thus, their identity. Canada has lost theirs as has the USA. England is struggling to regain theirs. It is almost certain that the US will not even try. Biden is the definition of soullessness, and his alternate is only marginally less soulless, as proven in last week's debate(?).
One of the great things about Switzerland politically is that there are 7 presidents, with each rotating into the main role for 1 year (the “Primus inter pares”, or first among equals). These 7 also have to present a united front, whatever decision they ultimately come to (imagine Trump and Biden having to do that, along with 5 other “presidents”?). So, you almost never hear of these presidents, and most people don’t even know their names. Really, the power of the Swiss system is in frequent referendums, making it the most direct democracy in the world. Voting to not join the EU is a striking example of that.
Still, in a world going through rapid change and a lot of upheaval, even the Swiss aren’t immune from change, including potentially unhealthy change. I’m hoping they’ll be robust enough to keep thriving.
It really is beautiful (and orderly and cozy) -- though also a bit expensive. We fortunately have family here, so we can stay with them, which helps to keep costs manageable.
Local is the way forward- agreed.
I have a hard time believing that quality of life survey wherein Canada is #2! Especially when the questions surrounding excess death rates are unanswerable, not to mention the rising popularity of euthanasia.
Yes, it'll be interesting to see how long Canada holds that spot. I think it will ultimately come down to economics and the cost of living...which has been rising alarmingly over the past few years.
“Post-National” has all the leaning and newspeak of the World Economjc Forum (WEF) and the Davos types who want to re-engineer the world. Switzerland looks and sounds like a great place, my only concern would be their decision to choose a side in the Russian/Ukraine conflict which has damaged their ability to remain neutral. With the bad leadership throughout what remains of the West. I wonder how economically we will fare over the next decade (I’m an American), my thoughts are to go where you can build community (religious and otherwise) self-sufficiency and expect a bumpy ride.
For what it's worth, here is the Swiss defense of their response to the conflict: https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/fdfa/fdfa/aktuell/newsuebersicht/2022/03/neutralitaet.html
Certainly there is enormous pressure on Switzerland not just with regard to Ukraine/Russia, but on other fronts as well. How this will unfold over time is hard to tell, but I'm hoping the Swiss will not relinquish their unique character and approach to running their country.
The idea of building a community is, in fact, exactly how Switzerland was made: little community by little community! So it's a good plan.
Awesome to see you guys are doing the Camino! One of mine (I’m a missionary who leads pilgrimages) will be walking at the same time.
Would be great to connect! Are you walking the last 100km or a longer route?
I love Switzerland! As an American citizen married to a German (and having lived in Germany for a decade and change), visiting Swiss friends near Bern was a fantastic experience.
I accompanied my friend to the local Amt (not sure what you call the citizen services office) for some bureaucratic business he had to attend to, and was actually kind of blown away at how convenient and pleasant the whole experience was compared to the similar process in Germany.
German bureaucracy always works … eventually … but you almost never feel like you are the customer or beneficiary, you generally feel like a slave beholden to a great slave master, to whom you must carefully and respectfully -and in the right place, time, and in the right tone- request a boon.
It was kind of surreal experiencing the Swiss version with all of the paperwork and signage in Hochdeutsch and viscerally expecting a laborious process and then seeing the Swiss reality of Beamter actually being kind and efficient, taking care of what my friend needed quickly, without fuss, and respectfully (there are few scarier things than a German Beamter scorned 😵💫)
Overall, apart from the breathtaking scenery up in the mountains, of course, my experience in the German-speaking cantons in Switzerland was like an alternate reality where Germans formed a real democracy and society that functions and avoids many of the more negative aspects of modern Germany. That, and department store cafeteria hotdogs for 20 euros 😅
Fabulous description of German bureacracy! Made me laugh and shiver in remembrance at the same time. Interesting comparisin with the Swiss equivalent, too. Thank you.
The Swiss can sometimes be reserved on the surface, yet they’ve always felt approachable to me. And I agree with your observations on Swiss efficiency. It works, and it’s friendly (or at least not unfriendly).
Good piece! Especially insofar as it isn't polemical but really appeals to the sense, which I think a lot of us have, that it "doesn't have to be like this". In the north American context at least. Sprawl, centralization, superficially diverse monocultures... etc. That said, how does one become a Swiss citizen? Or any insights beyond what you can get on officao government sites or generic expat type listicles
It's a bit complicated and difficult to become a Swiss citizen. I was able to do it only as I am married to a Swiss. I also had to demonstrate that I had a strong connection to the country (through my many visits through the years), and then also had to do a 1.5 hour interview in one of the official languages (in my case, German -- although my German still isn't all that great). There may be other avenues, which can probably be found via a quick internet search on the Swiss gov't website.
"The question is not whether a country is national versus post-national, but the extent to which its values are determined locally versus centrally."
That Switzerland has outlasted the United States on the world stage is testament to the wisdom of that statement. Had they joined the EU they would have lost their raison d'être and, thus, their identity. Canada has lost theirs as has the USA. England is struggling to regain theirs. It is almost certain that the US will not even try. Biden is the definition of soullessness, and his alternate is only marginally less soulless, as proven in last week's debate(?).
One of the great things about Switzerland politically is that there are 7 presidents, with each rotating into the main role for 1 year (the “Primus inter pares”, or first among equals). These 7 also have to present a united front, whatever decision they ultimately come to (imagine Trump and Biden having to do that, along with 5 other “presidents”?). So, you almost never hear of these presidents, and most people don’t even know their names. Really, the power of the Swiss system is in frequent referendums, making it the most direct democracy in the world. Voting to not join the EU is a striking example of that.
Still, in a world going through rapid change and a lot of upheaval, even the Swiss aren’t immune from change, including potentially unhealthy change. I’m hoping they’ll be robust enough to keep thriving.
Looks and sounds stunning! Some day, God willing, I would love to visit Switzerland.
It really is beautiful (and orderly and cozy) -- though also a bit expensive. We fortunately have family here, so we can stay with them, which helps to keep costs manageable.