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Agence France Presse reports that an activist group has gathered over 100,000 signatures for an initiative to end military conscription in Switzerland. At present, all able-bodied Swiss men between the ages of 20 and 36 must serve 260 days of military service. The proposal from the Group for a Switzerland without an Army (GSoA) will be put to a nationwide vote.
The GSoA, which was founded in 1982, has declared a goal of "civilizing" Swiss society by abolishing its army.
Later on Thursday, meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta is expected to disclose the strategy guiding hundreds of billions of dollars in Pentagon budget cuts. The New York Times reports that Panetta has concluded that the Army should shrink to 490,000 soldiers over the next decade.
Panetta's British counterpart, Philip Hammond, has pinpointed the debt crisis as a driver in moves to scale down military capability in both the U.K. and the U.S., according to a draft speech handed to The Guardian.
"Without strong economies and stable public finances it is impossible to build and sustain, in the long-term, the military capability required to project power and maintain defence," Hammond is expected to tell the Atlantic Council thinktank during a visit to Washington.
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Nothing new in Swiss Land - everyone else has been protecting them forever.
We could maintain a smaller army with the new budget cuts, if only we'd stop involving oursleves in everyone else's fight. We still see ourselves as the World Cop, we just don't have the money anymore. Time to re-think old ideas.
Switzerland has maintained neutrality for the last 500+ years by having a military others didn't want to tangle with and promising to give any invaders hell. There's a REASON Hitler didn't invade his southern neighbors, and it wasn't the banks, though they may have been a bonus. Less than a year of military service doesn't seem like such a bad tradeoff for the security the Swiss enjoy.
It did not hurt that the swiss mined every bridge, tunnel and dam in the country long before Hitler came to power. Blizcread was impossible.
The swiss of old knew a thing or two about kick ass when need be. The new younger ones don't understand evil never dies and while there are no bad guys at the gate today that does not mean they are not going to be there tommorrow.
I agree with the banishment of the TEAM AMERICA WORLD POLICE, we need to protect our borders from our own enemies. However as for the Swiss we have never had to aid them, there is a reason why they have not been messed with for close to 500 years. Everyone serves not like the bunch of wussies we have become here in the US. If the Occupiers want to camp out stick your right hand up in the air we have a nice tent for you in Kandahar. And from the stand point of competitive shooters. You want to have your Butt Handed to you at 200 meters with a center-fire rifle, let anyone from Switzerland in on the competition. Swiss families go to the range like we go to the play park.
this isn't 1920. The reason countries like the U.S., U.K. Russia, china, India, France and etc have big military's or fund them well is due to in today's world you have to protect your borders world wide. You don't have to leave you country now to attack the U.S. if it was china that wanted to start something. Fund the military and get these lazy bum off welfare and give it to people that need it. Not women that have kids to get gov money.
Two reasons Swiss had security - they dont have oil or valuable minerals , nor do they have enough land to want to try to take. With the mountains restricting ground movement a defense in the traditional sense would be possible but the end result is that invaders would not get enough from invasion as to make it worthwhile.
They asked the 1 million man Swiss army what they would do if Hitler's 3 million man army attacked. They said they would all fire 3 shots and go home.
Air Force, actually it was just before WWI the German Kaiser told his Generals to take Switzerland so as to incorporate it into Germany. His Generals went and talked to the Swiss and told them "What are you going to do when twice the number of troops that you have march into Switzerland?" Switzerland's answer was "Shoot twice". The Generals told the Kaiser "You don't understand, the French can hit a target at 50 yards, the English at 100 yards, the Swiss, they can hit a target at 500 yards". It was decided to let the Swiss remain "neutral".
That has been the History of the World. A bunch of nomad barbarians come together to take stuff from other unorganized farmers, ranchers, merchants - city dwellers who have too much stuff and can't defend it. Over time the good living, easy life makes their children soft - in other words they get domesticated by clean sheets, steady diets and access to women. Pretty soon they have too much stuff and the hungry hoards who have nothing start noticing that - since we have so little, we have nothing to lose.
Traditionally, the guy that is the hungriest is going to be the winner.
Happened to Greeks, Romans, Russians - Mayans, Incas, Egyptians, Persians, Indians, Chinese, Ethiopians, Brits, French ... It was easier to pay them off than try to get their kids tough enough to defend what they built.
You notice ... most of our kids today don't want to get dirty, don't want to waste time getting an education and are too lazy, too impatianet to build something from the ground up. It easier to let the other build it - then cheat him out of his stuff with Banking, loans and mergers.
Take the money and run....
You need to get some facts. "Happened to Greeks, Romans, Russians - Mayans, Incas, Egyptians, Persians, Indians, Chinese, Ethiopians, Brits, French ... It was easier to pay them off than try to get their kids tough enough to defend what they built."
take a history class.
Thanks for the advice. I'll get right on it.
In return, I offer you some unsolicited advice, in the same spirit of generosity. I recommend you aspire to take steps to reach a level where Nickelodeon channel doesn't give you headaches when you try to follow the plot changes.
Fools! I'd like to see them abolish their Army, just to see what the future will bring to them. as is they have never been invaded, and have little to no crime, its working fine the way it is and only 8.6 months of service to assure a trained public in case its needed. the best system for them. lets see how not protecting yourself at all works. does this mean they will also collect all the guns as well, that'sproperty of their Army. no training, no army, no guns. sounds tempting. look at it from this point what does Switzerland have that would be of interest to any one, Money Gold and a few items, some goats and stuff. there's nothing there to defend except some of the worlds most prestigious realestate. those kids are right they don't need a military.
I'm curious what else does the (GSoA) have on its agenda? I mean after the Army is gone and the civilian's have all been neutralized, Ive never heard of this group before what motivates them to do this. they have to have a reason for such a action, what could that be, hmmm?
I read the other day that the muslims living in Switzerland are trying to get the Swiss flag changed. They do not want the white cross on the red background anymore and the cross is not what the muslims want. I think there are forces trying to change the Swiss that goes against what most of the Swiss people want.
We need to follow Switzerland's model. Every able-bodied person is drafted, trained, and keeps a registered gun at home. AND then we need to keep the army in our own country, and not go sticking our nose into everyone else's business.
you know people, the swiss have a real opportunity to remove the lice and dead beats in the country. For instance those who will not fight have to give up the citizenship and move out of the country. They would just love some of the african nations. How about nepal, or some small island? There bugets would work great. I hope they get this program started. We in america need to get on with the program also, we have a lot of immigrants that are here for the free lunch.
I feel like conscription is a basic violation of human rights. No one should have to serve the army if they don't want to, and who in Europe would bother to invade Switzerland anyway?