Switzerland: An Initiative to Establish Basic Income for All

[Sbane]

If this comes to a vote, this will be voted down just like the recent popular initiative that demanded 6 weeks holidays a year for every employee. The Swiss electorate is very careful - and mature I think - when it comes to voting on economic proposals. Any proposal that will lead to a massive rise of public expenditures or harm the country's productivity and international competitiveness has usually no chance.

Switzerland is like the US, except it functions properly. Wow. I am in awe of the Swiss voter right now. Democracy can certainly work there.

Yeah, Swiss voters are great:

You are right!

LOL you are in favor of banning minarets? So ridiculous....

[Sbane]

Thanks for your response, I do appreciate it. To me banning minarets just seems like a way of pissing off/antagonizing a minority group for racist or xenophobic reasons. And how is a minaret symbolic of a form of Islam that is at odds with western society? This means you are saying that all of Islam is at odds with western society? Which means you are sending a not so friendly message to a minority community within your nation......

[Sbane]

I read that article and I still don't see how a minaret in itself is an expression of political Islam. The article does point out one thing correctly, and that is that minarets and other more expensive structures will only be built if there is enough of a population to sustain it. If there were not that many Muslims in Switzerland, a non-descript rented building would have to do. As the population grows larger, a bigger building with a minaret becomes feasible. If it's a symbol of anything, it is the growing Muslim population. I wonder, is that what the Swiss people really have a problem with?

[Sbane]

... there is no muezzin who calls people to prayer.

Really?  Why wouldn't there be? I would assume once they got a minarette, they'd put that guy atop it.  Which would be incredibly annoying.

It would be annoying so I would hope they wouldn't put a guy up there. Or even worse, a stereo system. They do that in India and its beyond annoying. They have built a minaret in the bay area iirc but there is no call to prayer from it afaik.

[Sbane]

Yeah I would hate that just as much. I haven't ever heard church bells in Anerica before come to think of it....odd.

[Sbane]

... there is no muezzin who calls people to prayer.

Really?  Why wouldn't there be? I would assume once they got a minarette, they'd put that guy atop it.  Which would be incredibly annoying.

It would be annoying so I would hope they wouldn't put a guy up there. Or even worse, a stereo system. They do that in India and its beyond annoying. They have built a minaret in the bay area iirc but there is no call to prayer from it afaik.

It's ridiculous, since it's not ever going to be used. It's a waste of money.

It makes the Silicon Valley "skyline" a little more interesting.