The topic is called The End of Switzerland and there's no Lost-in-Broad in sight ? Should we be worried ? Has he actually stopped bashing la Suisse ?

In reality the man is outdated. It lost comparative value when the E.U. and Schengen developed and Switzerland was outside it all and by 51% voted against the EEA. In those times, with a CH passport or identity card, on arrival at London Heathrow, you could see all Italians and Germans and French swiftly get out via the "E.U." counters while you had to get into the queue behind 300 passengers from Pakistan and India. The only exception was France, whose airports had "E.U. + Switzerland" counters !

BUT the Swiss Identity Card (Continental Europeans usually travel on Identity Cards [Personalausweis in Germany] and only when going overseas on passports) has REgained value when Switzerland joined Schengen. Thanks to the hard work of Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey


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No reason to be worried, it just is not in the COMPLAINTS section, his favourite field ! And so, he most certainly has not yet seen the thread

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QUOTE=suissa;712449]Apparently he has, from this line on his CV:

"1980: Policy director, International Metalworkers Federation in Geneva"

.[/QUOTE]


This explains it all, and excuses everything to some extent. He in Britain was used to seeing the trades unions as being influential and powerful, what they in Switzerland are NOT. And being in one of those "international organisations" he in a way was not even really in Geneva and of course not in Switzerland. Many of these "internationals" in Geneva work in their offices, live in apartment blocks owned by their organisations, keep among themselves outside office hours, and keep socially separate. No, it then is clear that he does not know anything at all.

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Should we give him a 'call' in that case ?

I found this list: http://richkao.squarespace.com/home/...ts-to-own.html

The difference between the top 24 countries is negligible. Denmark comes out on top with 157 countries visa-free. Switzerland has 149. (Although according my calculations, my Russian nationality allows me to travel to 8 additional countries visa-free that my Swiss one doesn't, so the two passports combined it's like having the best one. )

If this is the case I can't know it apparently given my age and the fact that I've only been here for less than 1,5 year. I just wanted to add my experience.


Edit: thanks for the link Russkov.

haha, what have guys nibbled?
everybody starts to have weird little surreal colorful dreams.
who is gonna to believe an unimportant article that came out of nowhere?
sure switzerland is gonna end one day, like every body has to die right?
go to sleep and you won't see it happening in this century.

Well, I can agree with the article. We came here with hopes and dreams about a perfect world, but being here near five months it seems it is just an ordinary country, with lack of wide variety of products and services. They are very closed, keeps their distance.. charge for everything, shops full of people (in case they are even open) and the traffic jam on Sunday in Zurich centre reminded me what the hell was we thinking of. But people who can't compare countries will not understand..

LOL, and I guess most of the expats here have only ever lived in one country and never ever lived in two or more countries. Nope, no-siree, defo not, only ever lived in CH me <sigh>



Tip: note word in colour and bold

I buy your rant to certain extent. It all comes in phases and with turn of the season. Every half a year (close to length of your stay) it swings from good to bad mood and vice versa. Been there, done that - and now I am in positive phase of the moon. Hopefully it will sustain this way.

You say it correctly, Switzerland is NOT a perfect world, but simply an ordinary country, and never was anything else. Your "hopes and dreams" were illusions of YOU. There is no country on earth which offers all products and all services. Germanic people are reserved and do keep their distance (why did you not emigrate to Italy, Greece or Egypt ? ) . Most people in the world charge for everything. Shops have to be as full as possible in order to be profitable. And places like Zurich, Basel, Geneva and Lugano have nice traffic jams, as being relatively narrow and rather crowded. Your arrival apparently brought just another car to this place

Next time enroute to downtown, use public transport

Not the case, with living in city centre everything is in walking distance. We do not even have a car. So, we can count as +2 for the big crowds Anyway, I agree with you that hopes and dreams are illusions. But promoting something untrue is faking on big scale in certain cases.. anyway, after some time we either get used to, or not, but the experience of being somewhere else in the world is undoubtedly precious.

..I'm here, I'm here....this thread is below my level...it would be like stealing candies from a kid...or not paying train fares half of the time. Thank you for your concern though.

He's just out of ideas the poor lad!

Switzerland is evolving like everywhere else. Stagnation is true death. I love this country like my own, and it will continue to thrive despite the jealousy towards the life quality and age old cliche banking stories. Of course precautions are a human need, so lets vote for the right people folks!

especially as an "estimated"time of arrival 1701 "precisely...." either estimated or precise ?

How exactly is your comment connected with the quote, please ?.

What will happen here if the Parliment doesn't pass the US(IRS) tax agreement with Switzerland?
What happens if the US pulls UBS's license in the States?
What happens to Switzerland when the pressure to give up their bank secrecy becomes too much.

Just wonderin'

Err, probably little or nothing. Most of the politicians and CEO's and other extremely wealthy people in the US don't really want anyone to know what they are up to even if it isn't technically illegal.

Brian.

I don't understand this

That is a very disappointing article, especially by Newsweek's standards. Granted that Switzerland is not a perfect nation and it should also be acknowledged that we live in a country that is changing. But to say that it's 'dead' is not only ridiculous but unfounded.

Switzerland is based on values unlike any other. A country surrounded by mountains and a history of violence. To come out the way it has is not only something people should accept but also be impressed with.

The past decade has seen the country evolve from one that is no longer what it used to be. But it's important to note that global environment has shifted greatly too. When compared to the likes of the UK or US, Switzerland is far better off both economically and socially. Standards of living are still amongst the highest in the world, crime is extremely low and its values relatively similar to 50 years ago.

What I see when people complain about this country's present state is nothing more than jealousy.