Posted on 10/08/2012 5:35:18 PM PDT by Kartographer
Do the Swiss know something the rest of us don’t?
Ueli Maurer, the Swiss defense minister, has been making coy statements about the European crisis getting ugly – as in really ugly, like needing armed troops to deal with it. This sounds more like Greece, where the rioting is regular and increasingly scary, than anything in Central Europe, but where the whole EU furball is headed does seem less than clear of late.
The Swiss are famous for preparing for everything and having an absolutely huge army, relative to their population, to deal with any eventuality. They maintain their special military system, based on training for nearly the whole male population but a very small active duty cadre (plus a few, tiny UN peacekeeping-type missions abroad, since the Swiss have an actually defensive defense force): the Swiss can call up over 200,000 trained troops, which is but one-third of what was on-call twenty years ago – like everyone, they have downsized as the threat has receded since the fall of the Soviet bloc – but that’s still pretty huge in Swiss terms. In America, that would mean a mobilization strength of nearly 8,000,000 for the U.S. military (it’s a hair under three million, in case you were wondering).
(Excerpt) Read more at zerohedge.com ...
Preppers’ PING!!
cheese
How to make hot chocolate?
I don’t know Switzerland’s looking better and better all the time especially if Obamanation is allowed to stay on and finish his abomination the creates desolation.
I’ve been scoping Iceland.
I hear ya....folks are preppin'...I'm studying how to get a Visa into the Confoederatio Helvetica...
Icelandic is hard to learn.
True. I think they almost all speak English a second language. Citizenship takes 7 years or 4 if you marry an Icelandic chick. Plenty of time to learn. I hope they need electrical engineers...
English a second = English as a second
FYI, Islandic singles http://www.metrodate.com/is/ GUILTY!
This one is a LOT BETTER! http://www.doulike.com/locals/Iceland_single_Women.html
Very GUILTY!
I’ve been to Switzerland.
Zurich is a typical big dirty city. But where I stayed, in Bern, it was absolutely beautiful. People swim in the river that goes around the city. In July, the water temp. was 50deg F. Quite chilly. But I did it half a doz. times. The river flows really fast. And there are many sets of steps on the side along the river. So you go upstream and jump in and the river carries you really fast. I saw little girls doing it so I said what the heck I can do this. What a blast that was. But if you miss the last set of steps, you hit the dam where they get hydroelectric power! Not while I was visiting, but someone did die that way.
Swiss, on the other hand, is easy to learn.
I know Switzerland is made up of Cantons. What did they primarily speak in the one you were located in?
I love Switzerland. My home away from home. Every household is armed. The food is good, the people are nice.
The Swiss could teach us a lot of things. About healthcare, about the presidency (rotated there among canton leaders), about serving alcohol in coffee houses, about dogs in restaurants, about the ability of citizens to organize referendums and wipe out any laws, about how to make cheese and watches.
I’m one quarter Swiss and go there every now and then...
Yes, they are prepared but most are smug and rude...
They’d rather sell their oldest child than get involved in anything that doesn’t directly benefit them....
Just sayin’ ......
They are more federal than we are. The cantons are fully autonomous within reason, different holidays,etc. they speak German French or Italian and usually by the name you can figure out which language. Oh, yeah — they don’t exactly speak “high German” but a delightful Ebonics style dialect known as Schwiizerduuetch, in which somehow I became fluent.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.