Purchasing power

A few years ago, the Swiss overwhelmingly rejected a minimum wage of SFr 22 per hour, the equivalent of nearly $25. 

To Americans, this dismissal was understandable considering their minimum wage was and still is $7.25, and a proposal to raise it to $10.10 per hour is often debated. Many say a $10.10 minimum wage could push half a million people out of work.

As it turns out, when adjusting for purchasing power parity, that $25 hourly wage translates to $14, according to Bloomberg.

It's still high by American standards, but not unheard-of. As of January 1, 2018,  Seattle adopted a $15.45 per-hour minimum wage.

Voting time again

Now the US congressional elections are over, we can focus on the upcoming Swiss referendum's three questions:

• Should farmers be encouraged to keep their cows' horns intact?

• Should social welfare detectives be given increased power in tracking down fraudsters?

• Should Swiss law have precedence over international law?
  

  I know how I will vote.
  

• Cows with horns are prettier, happier, and give better tasting milk. 

• If you have nothing to hide, then this one is clear.

• Switzerland voted to stay out of the EU.
  

When cities control the countryside

We will most likely lose our hospital due to a recent referendum that resulted in 66% of voters in our canton rejecting an initiative to keep regional hospitals open. And this is despite 80% of voters in our area voting otherwise.

The cities just don't want to subsidize the countrysides. Sadly, these urbanites don't realize what this means. Such a closure will bring us back to the days when people died of minor health complications.

Take my grandfather's brother, for example. He died of a ruptured appendix while attempting to walk the 45 minutes from Lauenen to the Saanen Hospital. It was the 1930's and his parents had both died of the Spanish Flu. His older half-brother--who was now head of household--had refused to give him taxi fare (the only car in the village belonged to the postman).

This means that if you are in our village and break your leg, suffer a rupturing appendix or a stroke, you will have to get yourself to the closest city hospital, which could take you more than an hour by car on windy mountain roads. There will be an increase in surgeries being done on the spot by house physicians. Is this safe? Many say to take a helicopter, but what if there is fog like there has been due to warming temperatures?

This is an example of the cities controlling the countryside.

In contrast, the recent US presidential election is an example of the countrysides (or what is left of them) controlling the cities (California and Northeast).

These two unrelated democratic events show how urban-rural power struggles can end in opposite ways. The 2016 US presidential election resulted in cities (represented in the popular vote) voting for Clinton while the rural areas voted for Trump (thanks to the Electoral College).

Some say this is what happens when you have a democracy with federalism (the Electoral College) and democracy without federalism (a popular vote).

Democracy isn't perfect in either country.

The handshake sucks but not for religious reasons

A recent Facebook post on kisses and hugs led to a discussion on shaking hands in Switzerland. The handshake in Swiss public schools is a requirement that could land you a CHF 5,000-fine if you refuse to do it.

It all started with the image of a young girl and the words:

“I am five. My body is my body. Don’t force me to kiss or hug. I am learning about consent and your support on this will help me keep myself safe for the rest of my life."

This image I shared on Facebook started a discussion on handshakes.

One person wrote that she agreed with the above words but that the same should apply to shaking hands.

"Don’t come to Switzerland then," I replied.

"Woah," she replied.

To illustrate my point, I shared recent news articles regarding two Muslim schoolboys who refused to shake their female teacher's hand. They said that Islam prohibits physical contact with the opposite sex unless with immediate family. At first, the school exempted the students, which caused an uproar, as this exemption was deemed discriminatory against women and a lack of respect for the teachers.

Shaking hands is a sign of respect in Switzerland, and hence a longstanding tradition. Even Justice Minister pipped in saying that "shaking hands is part of Swiss culture and daily life."

A regional authority ruled that any student who refuses to shake a teacher's hand would face a CHF 5,000-fine. The reasons given were that forcing pupils to shake hands did not involve the central tenets of Islam, therefore this intrusion into their religion was justified. And "the public interest concerning gender equality as well as integration of foreigners far outweigh the freedom of belief of students," the decision read.

According to news reports, the naturalization of the two boys' family has been put on hold.

So, the Facebook discussion concluded with the following: The Muslim boys should have used the following reasons for not wanting to shake hands, as they are far more reasonable and pragmatic  than the religious ones.

Abolishing the handshake would:

1. help stop the spread of germs, especially during flu season

2. teach children that their bodies are theirs... hence teaching them consent

3. take away ill-mannered people's possibility to crush your hand in a vice grip

4. open the possibility for more elegant and respectful means of greeting one another, like... say the Japanese bow

No one should be forced to touch another human being against their will. Period. Sometimes, traditions need to be sacrificed to keep up with the times.

Focusing on things that really matter in politics

One of the reasons I love living in Switzerland is that politics here focus on things that really matter. You rarely hear about the sex life of politicians, their emails, or their emotionally disturbed and racist views. Here, the attention is placed on practical and constructive issues, and citizens get to vote on them.

Take one of the 2012 referendums, for example. It focused on music and youth. How cool is it that 73% of the Swiss voters chose to amend their constitution by including an article to promote music education?

This article encourages the cantonal and federal governments to provide music education, of high quality, at all levels in public schools, to ensure access to music education in specialized music schools for all children, regardless of their social or financial background. The article also ensures the financial and educational support of young talented musicians.

The Swiss get it. They focus on what's good for their country. And an educated youth is good for the country. Research has shown that music--specifically actively playing an instrument-- is very good for youth.  It improves their physical, social and academic skills as well as their brains (see TIME article on neurophysiology distinction) of children. It helps with discipline and patience. It boosts self esteem and it introduces children to other cultures.

So, while the USA and the world continue to read and watch about Trump and Hillary, the Swiss are focusing on the referendums coming this month: on creating a green economy, on increasing old-age pension payments by 10%, and on a new federal law on intelligence. Watch this space...

Thoughts on immigration vote

A few weeks have passed since the February 9 vote to reintroduce immigration quotas. I live in a largely conservative German-speaking canton, where 51.1% of voters approved the Swiss People's Party's initiative.

How do I feel about it?

I am glad that my country has exercised its sovereignty as well as its democracy, while standing up to Brussels. We are not a colony of the EU.

Secondly, we haven't voted to end immigration. We have voted to end mass immigration without controls. Every sovereign nation has the right to control the influx of newcomers, as does the USA and Canada. Even Liechtenstein, which is a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) was able to negotiate quotas with the EU. Switzerland as a non-EEA member, should have the right to do the same.

I am quite confident that things will pan out. The cabinet and parliament have three years to come up with a detailed plan. The facts are: one quarter of Switzerland's eight million inhabitants are foreign; there is 3.5% unemployment; and we need foreigners to keep the economy going. In typical Swiss calmness, pros and cons will be weighed and a reasonable solution will fe found. After all, it was the German Swiss who founded Switzerland.

I found the following comment on an article about the subject worthy of consideration: "For the most part, the Swiss gripe is not about poor, distant immigrants but about rich neighbors driving up house prices and clogging up motorways."

Post-election thoughts

Last week's Swiss parliamentary elections resulted in left and right parties losing votes and seats in the Nationalrat or Lower House. Losing the most votes was the Swiss People's Party (SVP), this country's right wing party best known for spreading xenophobia with its provocative posters. Remember the three white sheep kicking one black one out?

Upon reading the voting results, I sighed in relief for my American half and for my foreign friends. Perhaps, the strong Swiss Franc cannot be blamed entirely for the drop in occupancy rates in area hotels.

I have often thought that Switzerland was a land of contradictions. For example, our municipality nearly always votes SVP. But, I've noticed a rash of rich foreigners buying property in our area. How can a region sell property to foreigners and grant them large tax breaks while voting to stop immigration? Money? No! Duh!

Too black and white

Call me apathetic, but I'm not getting out of bed this morning to vote. I just don't like the initiative.

The Swiss should get tougher on crime, but the SVP's black sheep campaign is too xenophobic and radical. I just can't put a child rapist/killer and a petty thief in the same category. Furthermore, I have a problem with the idea of deporting second generation petty thieves. The counter initiative is too weak and won't accomplish anything. So what's the point of voting if I don't like either proposal?

I asked my 11-daughter this morning what she thinks. By the way, I find it strange that this issue has not been discussed in her school and not even in her "Media" class.

"If they do something bad once, give them a warning and make them pay," she said. "If they break the law again, make them leave."

"Even child rapist-killers?" I asked her.

"Oh, no! They have to leave right away!"

She makes a lot of sense. If the SVP initiative passes, I won't be sad.