Switzerland is the world's best model of how a functioning democracy should work. It's the only country I know where politicians are legally bound to do what the people tell them. That the power belongs to the people is enshrined in the law of the land AND respected by all. Politicos ignoring this fact do so at their peril. The unemployment queue awaits those who would disobey the rules governing Swiss politics. In my next life I shall elect to be born in Bern.
When I was in Bern I visited the Paul Klee Museum, the Albert Einstein house, the Einstein Museum and several other attractions. I was impressed with the cleanliness and efficiency of the public transport system. The genuine friendliness and warmth of a contented people was wonderful to experience; railway officials, museum guides, hotel staff, shopkeepers, restaurant staff, the folks at the brewery, the staff at the 5-storey bookshop, the woman who helped me clear snow from a grave, and the helpful people in the street going about their daily business taking time out to assist a stranger. My list of happy memories is long.
The only slight shadow was the terrorist threat. It's seems no country is immune from these religious fanatics nowadays. In Bern a man was seen acting suspiciously in a church. The police were quickly on the scene and the building evacuated. Two suspicious objects were rendered harmless. The culprit was taken away. Good to know the upstanding citizens of Bern are alert to the present danger!
Here in Austria a soldier from Tirol on embassy protection duty in Vienna was stabbed two nights ago by a knife wielding maniac. Only the soldier's protective vest saved him from death, an army spokesman said. A Servus TV news reporter noted that stabbings in Austria "have increased nearly 400%" in recent years. In this incident the assailant was suitably despatched with 4 rounds from a Glock service pistol.
On a brighter note here are some pictures from the Paul Klee exhibition:
Klee Museum - South Entrance |
Main Entrance |
The Drinkers Companion |
E |
A Soldier |
A Graveyard |
A Graveyard (another view) |
Political Parties |
The German Kaiser |
Sailing Away |
The Artist's Grave |
I like the pictures: the graveyard from different views and, the political parties!
ReplyDeleteGreetings Maria x
Grazie Maria! Have you ever been to the Italian speaking part of Switzerland? I have a feeling I'd like to go there - perhaps for a trail run.
DeleteApropos political parties. Do you the Cinque Stelle or the Lega-Forza Group can make a go of it? Or will there have to be another election?
Do you think . . . Etc. should be ;-)
DeletePractically impossible...like the above drawing!
DeleteIf we go for another election, and with this electoral law, we are back to start. A mess.
I haven't been to Switzerland but I go to Tyrol and I love the place.
x
Yes, I like Alto Adige too. I enjoyed my visits to Lago di Caldaro, Dobiaccio, and Sesto. In Osttirol nice times too. I like Lienz. The Albin Egger Lienz museum is very good.
DeleteI enjoyed the post. I like your choice of pictures for us. I am reading the biography of Edmund Burke, Whig MP cum philosopher 1770s. His model for government was much as you describe the Swiss one but he had many enemies and of course it was not adopted. He could have stopped the war with America ever starting with fair policies and handing independence without war but again he was not listened to. Parliament was not so very different then as to what it is now in Great Britain. I hope Theresa May has, if not now because she won't have time, at some point in her political career, studied his philosophy.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
DeleteGreat pictures, Gwil!
ReplyDeleteThe political system of Switzerland is a good one.
Our politicians here are "far from the maddening crowd" - I talk with a lot of people (with very different jobs) who feel ignored, angry and even cheated.
Thanks Brigitta.
DeleteI take your point about people feeling ignored and I think the headline today at Free West Media makes it too and highlights the source and extent of a major problem which that the mainstream media, for example the BBC, is not doing it's job properly. The headline is " Telford: Largest child sex abuse scandal in history ignored by BBC " - and so I checked my BBC App for their latest on, some of their pages, for example "EU Migrant Crisis" page and I found that the news on that page has not been updated for 5 days!!! Nothing about Telford or Shropshire on there. I tried the "UK" page, I tried "Top Stories", "Most Popular" "Europe" etc., etc.. Zilch! I even tried "My News" where they post stories they think will interest me. I went back 6 days. Nothing. Seems nothing happened in Telford.
I wonder how many of 1000 victims feel ignored, angry and cheated.
Just reading this. As I said to you on my blog Gwil, the BBC does not exist for me. They have a political agenda which people do not want to admit exists, but it does.
DeleteMaybe it's one of the reasons Chile is 10 places above us in the Press Freedom League. We've dropped to a miserable 40th place and joined Belize and Burkina Faso. Any lower and we'll be singing Don't Cry for Me Argentina!
DeleteBeeb finally realsed video of an interview with victim. Better late than never I suppose. No doubt the usual platitudes and worthless promises and empty words about making sure it never happens again, as after Rotherham, will be trotted out . . .
DeleteLove the Political Parties one Gwil. Don't you think that Rachel has a touch of the Klee's in her drawing?
ReplyDeleteKlee has always been among my favourites - his drawings say so much.
Thanks Pat. I think she does. I thought of her drawings when I saw the soldier and the graveyard painting.
Delete__ Gwilym, I too like the Political Parties representation; the small, biting the much larger.
ReplyDelete__ Kathy and I are registered Independent voters, and continue our unending search for "Statespeople" that follow... as the populous requests. Politicians are stage actors, that only follow their party's script. _m
Thanks Magyar. An honest politician is an elusive animal. A career politician is generally a disaster. But keep looking, there are a few. You might get lucky.
Delete