this post was submitted on 22 Jun 2024
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[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago (5 children)

you really shouldn't be shocked. We are one of the few countries that actually doesn't fuck around.

Idk if it's because our neutrality makes us feel morally superior, because our Neutrality makes us feel invincible, because we are so rich we can afford to be moral or just because, and that's my favourite theory, the germanic honor-culture has survived here and we value doing the right/honorable thing more than anything else.

Either way: If you wanna commit crimes, please don't commit them here. Prison Accommodations are expensive and paid by our taxes.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (2 children)

Thanks for sharing.

Although, I abhor your countries neutrality. Take WWII for instance, being neutral kind of says yeah we are cool with both sides.

Also, your banking laws are a cancer on the rest of the world, but I shouldn’t throw stones from my glass house in the UK since we are also very good at offshoring money for deplorable people.

I will say I am fond of your progressive policies on terms of drug use and help for those that want it.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Take WWII for instance, being neutral kind of says yeah we are cool with both sides.

Being literally surrounded by the Third Reich meant their choices were neutrality or actually joining up with Hitler, so they really can't be criticized for choosing neutrality. They can be criticized for their actions during and after the war in helping the Nazi leaders squirrel away the wealth they stole from the Jews, something that was not necessary for a neutral nation to do.

I'd rather rip on Sweden which at least had some possibility of joining the Allies but instead supplied Germany with the high-quality iron ore they absolutely needed to keep their war machine running - the exact same thing they did in WWI. They also supplied Germany with much-needed ball bearings, but at least they sold them to the Allies as well.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

They can be criticized for their actions during and after the war in helping the Nazi leaders squirrel away the wealth they stole from the Jews, something that was not necessary for a neutral nation to do.

It actually was kinda necessary. We were strategically very important as the Gotthardtunnel was the main Link between the Germans and the Italians, the two main Allies. So we had to offer them something that was even more valuable than conquering the Gotthardtunnel. We concluded that the opportunity to turn their "spoils of war" into Money was the one thing that was more valuable to them.

I would also like to break a lance for my Swedish compatriots. The Nazis conquered Norway and Denmark in a few weeks because they were positioned strategically along the trade routes. If Sweden stopped exporting the Iron, it was very obvious, that the Nazis would invade Sweden for the Iron if they ever stopped exporting it.

And: Sweden did cooperate with allied intelligence during the war. So there's that. And before someone comes in: While Switzerland didn't directly cooperate with allied intelligence, we did willfully turn a blind eye to them. Tacit cooperation if you want so.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Side note - I can't wait for AI to fix autocorrect. Shirts getting old

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I just noticed some of the typos in my comment.

I hate iPhone predicative text changing my words and offering silly suggestions.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

Nothing drives me as crazy as my phone constantly putting in "thus" instead of "this". Nobody fucking ever uses the word "thus" in a text message.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 months ago (1 children)

the germanic honor-culture has survived here and we value doing the right/honorable thing more than anything else.

If you were the Swedish kind of neutral I'd accept that, but you're the Swiss kind of neutral. You may have stopped selling weapons to both sides of a conflict, you may have even stopped providing offshore accounts for both sides of the conflict, but the overall attitude of "eh it's not in Switzerland it doesn't matter" is still around. Heck, you still harbour Nestle. At least you had the sense to go after Steinmetz, though.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

Swiss gotta eat!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

the germanic honor-culture has survived here and we value doing the right/honorable thing more than anything else

Hahaha

[Except ](http://www.the.com/ germanic honor-culture has survived here and we value doing the right/honorable thing more than anything else) for when they didn't

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago

that's my favourite theory, the germanic honor-culture has survived here and we value doing the right/honorable thing more than anything else.

i gotta take one look at your banking laws and who is banking in Switzerland to laugh that one out of the room.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

It's my impression that at least in the German-speaking cantoons the Swiss are the most "rules are rules are rules" of the German-speaking people.

Had this happened in Britain, it would've been swept under the rug since over there de facto and probably since forever, the rules apply very differently depending on the "importance" of people. (In fact I wouldn't at all be surprised if this was also happening in Britain and in there it was simply swept under the rug).

I don't think "rules are rules are rules" is a generic "honor" thing, rather it's the more specific norms of "social responsibility" (i.e. responsibility towards others).