Tag Archives: Politics

Part II of II, by Claudio Grass, Switzerland Finally, a victory for the State  Central planners and paper pushers of all stripes are not generally known for their acumen or their ability to recognize and successfully seize opportunities in time. They always tend to lag behind more or less every other member of society: from the innovators and entrepreneurs, to the criminal masterminds, which is why all upstanding citizens still...

Part II of II, by Claudio Grass, Switzerland Finally, a victory for the State  Central planners and paper pushers of all stripes are not generally known for their acumen or their ability to recognize and successfully seize opportunities in time. They always tend to lag behind more or less every other member of society: from the innovators and entrepreneurs, to the criminal masterminds, which is why all upstanding citizens still retain a modicum of freedom, but also why we all...

Part I of II, by Claudio Grass, Switzerland For years, I’ve been following very closely all the relevant updates on the State’s war on cash. I’ve read and written a lot about all the direct and indirect efforts to restrict the citizens’ choices and make sure they shift all their transactions and savings to the digital realm, where they can be better monitored, controlled and if need be, confiscated, by central authorities.  For some time now, the...

Part I of II, by Claudio Grass, Switzerland For years, I’ve been following very closely all the relevant updates on the State’s war on cash. I’ve read and written a lot about all the direct and indirect efforts to restrict the citizens’ choices and make sure they shift all their transactions and savings to the digital realm, where they can be better monitored, controlled and if need be, confiscated, by central authorities.  For some time now, the future looked rather grim....

Health doesn’t come cheap: and the Swiss are worried about it. © Keystone / Gaetan Bally Healthcare costs, the pension system and climate change are the top three burning issues for the Swiss, according to a survey published by the Tamedia group. Covid has slipped out of sight and mind. The cost of healthcare was most pressing for over two-thirds (67%) of the 26,000 respondents, while pensions and the climate were cited by 60% and 56% respectively, wrote Tamedia...

In Switzerland, almost 1.7 million people were aged 65 or older at the end of 2021, a figure that makes up 19% of the population, according to data published on 28 August 2022. Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com In 2021, one woman in five and one man in six was aged over 64, according to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). Switzerland’s dependency ratio, which is the percentage of the population over 64 divided by the working age population1, reached 31.1% in 2021,...

It is becoming increasingly clear that UN Nations are realising that it is very difficult to isolate a country that is already a global power. And not just a global power in terms of the military but also in terms of the world’s dependence on its energy exports. However, Russia’s energy exports are not the only thing the West benefits from. One little known fact about Russia is that its highest non-energy export is gold, exporting around $15 billion of gold bullion...

In Switzerland, almost 1.7 million people were aged 65 or older at the end of 2021, a figure that makes up 19% of the population, according to data published on 28 August 2022. Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.comIn 2021, one woman in five and one man in six was aged over 64, according to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). Switzerland’s dependency ratio, which is the percentage of the population over 64 divided by the working age population1, reached 31.1% in 2021, the highest it has...

Electricity pylons and power supply lines in central Switzerland (archive picture) Keystone / Alessandro Della Bella The Swiss government and cantons are aiming to be prepared for “extreme scenarios” in the face of possible energy shortages this winter, a top cantonal security official says. For example, a power grid shutdown or blackout would have far-reaching consequences, Fredy Fässler, the president of the Conference of Cantonal Justice and Police Directors, said...

Yes or No: Swiss voters have the final say on several issues as part of the system of direct democracy. (The picture shows a display ballot box) Keystone/Ennio Leanza Despite leading in latest polls, a proposed ban on factory farming in Switzerland has limited chances of success at the ballot box next month, pollsters say. A reform of the old age pension scheme enjoys more solid backing. The slim margin between supporters and opponents of a factory farming ban in...