[Idyllchat] NY Times piece on immigration issues in the upcoming CH elections

[Vance Roy]

What the article says is all true to my knowledge. The far right SVP  
pushed the envelope with the poster, but the far left SP party will  
likely suffer at the polls because of the civil disturbance in Bern.  
The SVP had a legitimate permit for their gathering, and the leftists  
did not. They came across as hoodlums. This may shift things to the  
right even more.

The percentage of foreign nationals in Swiss jails is about 70%. Most  
of these criminals are living in far better conditions than they did  
in their homelands (clean beds, three meals, TVs, et.). Theft is a  
socially acceptable thing in some of their countries. Violent crimes  
are largely nationality on nationality cases, but petty crimes,  
burglary, and auto theft are against all. Signs and announcements  
about petty crimes are all over. This is a new consideration for the  
Swiss, and they don't like it.

One interesting aspect of the coming election is that the Swiss are  
not used to hard nosed campaigns. The SVP is using tactics that would  
be considered mild in other countries. Collegiality, at least as far  
as elections go, is out the window, and the other parties are  
scrambling to learn the other tactics. Don't think that they won't  
use them. Compared to USA election campaigning, this is Sunday school.

On 8. Okt 2007, at 20:43, Jerry Clancy wrote:

> Well, at least CH won't have to build a fence.

Vance Roy
gigli.saw at dplanet.ch
http://homepage.mac.com/fredch
http://www.eyefetch.com/fredch/blog.aspx

Retirement is wonderful. The best part is waking up and not having to  
go to work. In fact, I enjoy it so much that I do it several times  
each day.
AJC Vent