Blimey the Swiss

[JP_]

Cukoo clocks and dodgy banking

That's the answer always given, but not really true today and not a big factor in their success. British banks, and banks in Britain, have also done a lot of dodgy deals - the one my wife worked for 20 odd years closed down after dodgy investments with dodgy politicians were discovered.

Their main benefit from the war and post war period was from not getting massively into debt through financing 6 years of war.

The Swiss export more than they import. The export luxury items all over the world, and manufacture much of what they need. There education systems ensures that they just don't become a post-industrial / service economy (which GB has become) by putting kids through apprenticeships that actually lead to well paid jobs and long careers, that also helps to keep them more self-sufficient. This is all down to careful and sensible planning by government, rather than the idiotic system we have where politics has become a fun career for rich kids who can't run businesses.

I think they have energy well sorted - almost all energy is either hydroelectric (which also goes some way to explain why they can all afford electric cars) and nuclear.

I am sure we could learn a lot from them. But we don't need to leave the EU to do that, we just need to change how our country is run. And that ain't gonna happen anytime soon.

 

[crystal ball]

You can ski from Ischgl (Austria) into Swizerland down the 'smugglers run'. We did it a couple of years back and ended up having lunch in a bar being served by tanned long legged serving wenches wearing tiny leather shorts.
We feasted on Grostl - a hearty Alpine dish with potatoes, fried egg, meat and onions.

Got any photos?

 

[JP_]

down the 'smugglers run'

When I visited my mate, we hired a car and meant to drive to some castle on a lake, but accidentally drove into Germany. He was driving, and suddenly said "****!", I said "what?", "just saw a sign to Switzerland!". Me: "Huh?. I didn't have my passport on me, much to my mate's shock (why would I take a passport with me???). We tried to find the same road back, but every road led us towards a check point. Luckily we were stopped - German hire car, two blond guys, guess we didn't look too suspect!

 

[fillyboy]

We did it a couple of years back and ended up having lunch in a bar being served by tanned long legged serving wenches wearing tiny leather shorts.

Why were you wearing tiny leather shorts?

 

[noseall]

Got any photos?

Sadly no. Not of that bar. In many of the bars, young fit lasses stand on the bar and dance wearing skimpy outfits. In one bar they even rotate their pitches so you get to see all the different ones.

 

[noseall]

Why were you wearing tiny leather shorts?

Lol. It was a bit bizarre in the middle of winter, but sex sells. I'm sure they were lederhosen type outfits with braces etc.

 

[Mottie]

Maybe I went to the wrong part but when we passed through Switzerland on one of our motorcycle trips, I honestly found it the most dirtiest and industrialised places I’ve ever been to. We also found that unlike the French, Italians, Germans, Spanish and Austrians, they do not like motorcyclists and they actively tried to run us off the road on several occasions. To top it off, when trying to find somewhere to stay, my Tom Tom directed us to a hotel, way off of the beaten track by the side of a river which turned out to be a brothel! It must have been linen changing day as the car park was full of crates of dirty bedsheets. Yuk.

 

[noseall]

I honestly found it the most dirtiest and industrialised places I’ve ever been to

Austria like Switzerland have the Alpine side of things sussed. The difference between say a French resort and Swiss/Austro is like night and day. Lots of modern chrome and glass, elevators and travelators everywhere, clean efficient, heated seats, enclosed swift lifts.

The French don't clean up their dog mess either.

 

[Deleted member 18243]

Sounds a great place but I would prefer Britain any day. The problem with Britain, though, is the infiltration of almost everything by the loony left.

 

[JP_]

Sounds a great place but I would prefer Britain any day. The problem with Britain, though, is the infiltration of almost everything by the loony left.

What, like the NHS and the minimum wage.... ?

 

[ReganAndCarter]

I guess guns are OK, so long as the people are not driven to violence through enforced poverty by government policy.

What a load of pc claptrap. My old man grew up in the 30s, orphaned by 10 years old and literally had nothing. WW2 raging, not much to eat and ice on the inside of the windows in the slum where he lived. Poverty like people can't imagine now, but most were in the same boat. By your reckoning, everyone would have descended into savagery. They didn't because they were taught right from wrong and if they didn't pick up that lesson pretty quickly they knew that the law would come down hard on them. That's the difference. Murder was big news then, it's just another news story now.

 

[JP_]

What a load of pc claptrap. My old man grew up in the 30s, orphaned by 10 years old and literally had nothing. WW2 raging, not much to eat and ice on the inside of the windows in the slum where he lived. Poverty like people can't imagine now, but most were in the same boat. By your reckoning, everyone would have descended into savagery. They didn't because they were taught right from wrong and if they didn't pick up that lesson pretty quickly they knew that the law would come down hard on them. That's the difference. Murder was big news then, it's just another news story now.

Are you suggesting that poverty and crime are not linked?

 

[ReganAndCarter]

Are you suggesting that poverty and crime are not linked?

It's crime and criminal justice that's not linked any more.

Poverty is often just a convenient excuse. Otherwise how do you explain much lower levels of violent crime in times when poverty was much worse?

 

[noseall]

Sounds a great place but I would prefer Britain any day

Me too. But we don't have The Alps.
Travelling and holidays are great for you (and the sprogs). They can be educational. You do meet more witty intelligent foreign people on a skiing holiday than say when you do to Benidorm.

When we skied down to the swiss restaurant we got chatting to a couple of gerries. Both spoke perfect English. In a moment of humour (by them) as we bade our farewells and taking a pun from Fawlty Towers one of the gerries said .."and don't mention ze...Brexit!...."

 

[festive]

My mate was shocked when he first arrived at seeing a young military guy, I think, or policeman, sitting on a tram with an assault rifle casually sitting on his lap.
I guess guns are OK, so long as the people are not driven to violence through enforced poverty by government policy.

Yep guns legal out there, but as your friend may well have witnessed the level of sensibility out there, definitely a strong Germanic influence (although don't mention that there!). Everyone knows, stick to the rules and everything is good.

This is a good summary.. especially about local communes and the mentality it breeds against just taking all you can off the government.

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/swiss-welfare-runs-like-clockwork