Switzerland's quiet defiance of Europe

Via The Young Fogey

The aggressive German nationalism which terrified other Europeans between 1870 and 1945 seems to be rising from the dead. But where old-fashioned jingoism was the political right’s domain, modern chauvinism is a leftist cause. Today’s nationalists are politically correct: The word Deutsch has been replaced with europäisch. The European Union is similar to the German Kaiserreich which depicted France and England as enemies to convince Bavarians, Saxonians, and Württembergers to join the Prussian-dominated empire. Likewise, the EU needs adversaries to create a European feeling among her constituents.

Every German leftist’s favorite opponent is the United States, but for now they place their hopes on destroying lesser nations. Switzerland is the European would-be empire’s ideal enemy: a small country in Europe’s heart which wants to go its own way and stubbornly refuses to become a small part of the great European project.

Every time the Swiss vote contrary to how European bien-pensants would like them to, Western Europe’s oldest democracy offers its neighbors an opportunity to attack. First, these anti-European madmen and hillbillies voted to ban minarets. In late November, they also voted to expel foreigners who have committed serious crimes such as murder, rape, robbery, and human trafficking.

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