I shall truly miss the excitement of getting the mail each day; surely it will never again be so entertaining or enlightening. In today's mail, a flyer against the proposed increase in value-added tax and a petition to keep banking secrecy in the Swiss constitution remind me that "Ticino is in danger!" Warning well taken, UDC – these foreigners are outie!
I was going to comment on the Swiss health care system one of these days, in light of the ferocious debate going on in the US, but Paul Krugman beat me to it. As most of our past visitors know, we are big fans of the Swiss system and have long thought it would make a smart model for the US. To summarize it in short: every resident is required to have a minimum level of coverage, insurance companies (all private) have to make certain plans available and must accept all applicants, and the government provides assistance to families who need it. Finding a reasonable health care plan was surprisingly one of the easiest things to do here (considerably easier than getting access to the laundry). There were many companies from which to choose, even at the lowest level of coverage, and the policies were easy to compare. We chose the cheapest option possible and have received excellent (and, I might add, very high-tech) care. We have not one complaint (though my teeth are annoyed we did not add dental). Just my two francs' worth.
The Swiss rapper Stress is not very amused by the antics of the Swiss SVP/UDC party (that's the right-wing party that brought us the infamous sheep ad, the crow ad, and the eminently tasteful grabby hands ad). Upon discovering his music, I was initially just entertained by the idea of Swiss rap. But after watching a few videos, I stopped thinking of Weird Al and wondering about the wardrobe, and began to contemplate his anger. Its apparent earnestness helped me realize how seriously un-funny the SVP's political positions really are. It occurs to me now that I would editorialize much differently if I had to live with this party prominent in my own country. After much consideration, then, I hereby declare, in homage to Stress, the SVP to be a bunch of dirty rotten bastards.
Here's something no one mentions very often: Switzerland is a country that is very open to foreigners. Seriously, I've read it many times and it's true; the facts support it. As you can see below, Switzerland and Austria (another country not exactly known for its warm embrace of diversity) are at the top when it comes to percentage of foreign-born:
The high profile of controversial right-wing political groups (especially here in Ticino) almost certainly contribute to misconceptions of the whole. Lately, the SVP/UDC has been trying out some new imagery around town. It's not as controversial as the black sheep ad, but the point is still clear....
I was recently reading through a summary of the responses and congratulations sent to Barack Obama by various European leaders after Tuesday's election. They were saying things like "it was a brilliant victory" (Sarkozy), offering "sincere congratulations" (Brown), and expressing desire "to work together in search of opportunities and solutions to address common challenges" (Zapatero). Prime Minister Berlusconi rounded them out: "I can give him advice because I am older," a sentiment only slightly improved by its conclusion, "but I'll give the advice while I embrace him."
Later this week he told President Medvedev of Russia that Barack Obama "has all the qualities to get along well with you: he’s young, handsome and suntanned, so I think you can develop a good working relationship" (video at Corriere della Sera, via NYTimes). Berlusconi, himself not one to miss a tanning session, responded to criticism of his remark, "Are there really people who don’t understand it was a cute thing to say? God save us from the imbeciles. How can you take such a great compliment negatively?"
I imagine the tanned joke did not go over so well in Russia, either.
As I have heretofore diligently and occasionally bitterly chronicled, we Americans abroad often find ourselves on the defensive, easy targets for disgruntled Europeans looking for somewhere to direct their frustration with American policy and the irrepressible forces of globalization. Our unimaginably huge size, inward focus, and frequent complacency only exacerbate their sense of powerlessness and irrelevance. And, I think, they are weary and sober and disenchanted by history in a way most Americans can't really understand. A friend recently observed, more elegantly than I remember here, "Europe is tired of wars. We have been fighting each other for centuries and we are ready to move on, try different things."
We abroad here usually serve as whipping boy and scapegoat quietly, polite guests at another's dinner party. We nod and listen and explain and mediate. We concede points. We apologize. We laugh. Sometimes we, I, do not maintain the dignity of our country, but it is not without personal cost.
Today, though, Europe celebrates with us. Europeans know our history and they see the grand significance of this moment. The blame has morphed into (literal) personal thanks and congratulations. For better or worse, we take all the blame and all the credit for our huge, amazing, perplexing nation.
Getting Swiss citizenship, by the way, is a difficult endeavor. Not only must you have lived in the country for twelve years (no matter if you were born here), you must also take a test in a Swiss language, pay fees, and be approved by your local community. But on the bright side, even Paul Klee couldn't get citizenship while he was alive, so you're in good company.
Image: from the Swiss People's Party's (failed) summer '08 campaign to pass a referendum reestablishing the secret ballot system for local votes on citizenship requests.
This interesting little cartoon was included on a flyer from the local Partito Socialista for a conference entitled "Adolescents: A problem or a resource for the collective?"
In what will no doubt further prove my so-called "strange relationship with cased meats," I must share some disturbing news: Cervelas, the national sausage of Switzerland, is on the brink of demise.
the EU's hunger is unbridled!
“The Indians aren’t able to stop immigration – today they live on reservations.”
Sunday was election day for the Swiss parliament and it seems the country's heading right. The Lega dei Ticinesi did fairly well in our canton of Ticino and the UDC/SVP Swiss People’s Party was also successful (their sheep ad was recently deemed racist by the UN, but they maintain it’s just a figure of speech which refers to the “criminal foreigners” they want to deport). They received about 27% of the vote, enough to cause a bit of an upset in the usually balanced Parliament. Support for the Swiss People’s Party comes mostly from those who want less government control and nothing to do with the EU.
So, although Swiss Mr. enjoys spending a good amount of time suggesting ways we can disrupt the social order while we are here, as foreigners, I believe we’ll have to be on our best behavior – especially after we “announce” our presence at our local government building, as we have been instructed to do. We’ve been putting that off, not really knowing what is involved. I think we get health insurance and they put our names on a local bulletin board for all to see (for civilian watchdog groups, no doubt). The churches already know we are here – bulletins in the mailbox makes it feel just like home!
A Swiss political party's recent campaign ad for national “security” caused a big stir, especially around the rest of Europe, where, as far as I can tell, Switzerland is frequently given the eyebrow, if not viewed with outright suspicion. A friend had mentioned the ad prior to our departure, but somehow I was still surprised to see it on our second day in Lugano. Regrettably without a camera, I had to wait a week or so to return and furtively snap a shot. In the meantime, riots had broken out in Bern at a political rally, and nearby in Lugano, someone had added a bit of commentary to the poster!
I’ve been enjoying the creative graffiti around town, especially on the political billboards – a well-placed Hitler mustache, I must admit, really gives me a giggle (even if maybe it shouldn’t). Until I can read newspapers and/or get regular Internet access, I don’t suppose I’ll be able to learn much more about the political situation except through these billboards, so I’ve been reading carefully.
