Comments | belenustenebrae: Sometimes my country sucks.

belenustenebrae

Sometimes my country sucks.

Feb 06, 2009 15:07

I just read White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh which was enlightening and perplexing.

I don't remember exactly how I got to that link, but my starting point was the up-coming elections. We have to vote against or for the modification of the Bilateral Accords with the EU. The modification is for the inclusion of ( Read more... )

politics, rant

Comments 59

moeshas February 6 2009, 14:13:11 UTC

Hmm... while I do think that their methods are sometimes (well, mostly) a bit extreme, I must say that I do agree on some points with them. But let's not get into that.
So, spray can, hu? ;o) Isn't that illegal? :oP Seems like you're a rebel...

belenustenebrae February 6 2009, 14:34:14 UTC

It's Blocherists and their methods I have a problem with, not UDC arguments.
And I don't find them just "a bit" extreme, I find them extreme point blank.

Yes, it's illegal. *shifty eyes* But I find the posters repulsive, and if I do end up in jail at least it'll be for political protest and not shoplifting. Every cloud has a silver lining, eh?

belenustenebrae February 6 2009, 14:40:37 UTC

I actually know someone who ended up in jail because he did something like that on one of the last posters.
Granted, he did it in front of the press, his political allies, and his political enemies. Kinda didn't help his case that their were so many witnesses.
Must of taken guts. I don't think I'm capable of that. I'm more likely to do it in the dark.

moeshas February 6 2009, 14:43:43 UTC

With a mask which has cut-out eye slits? :o) Would be classical. But better not risk it. Just reminden me of Wednesday. In our neighbor village, there was an armed post robbery during over an hour with one hostage. It all turned out fine in the end, but it was like in the tv shows or movies...

Thread 53

imperatorzlarp February 6 2009, 14:29:21 UTC

I always wondered the same thing about those posters.But then, it makes sense. Americans might have that lingering sort of racism inherent in their system, but Switzerland is not used to people of different color and race at all. This is a (fairly, not completely) recent development, so of course the kind of prejudice will show up that has been stomped even in the US.

As for being for or against these kinds of initiatives, I really have no clue. I don't know anything about the reasons, but I admit to liking my creature comforts, my Switzerland the way it is and that I am afraid of change like many others, so in the end I'd probably end up voting for these kinds of things, even with that twinge of guilt for supporting advertisement campaigns like this. I know that's not a good thing, but I'm just human. Can't help it.

belenustenebrae February 6 2009, 15:00:45 UTC

The xenophobic feelings aren't really new. Post-WW Germans weren't exactly greeted with open arms. My father got called by germanic slurs when he was a boy.
So, I get that already feeling threatened by our neighbors, we'll not see farther away neighbors with a more open mind. (not to put words intentionally in anyone's mouth, it's my personal view of things)

But the thing that's important is to be aware of when we're prone to be xenophobic. Or when I actually am being xenophobic. Once I can see why I immediately want to say NO to the vote; it gets me thinking, and I'm more willing to consider more rational arguments rather than "we'll just have more beggars". (Which was an actual thought that crossed my mind. It was petty and it was baseless; but it did cross my mind.)
Now I'm still not sure what I'll vote, but I am trying to think beyond my fear of change. Because while not all change is good, it's not inherently bad either.
I just hope I can come to a decision before Sunday.

imperatorzlarp February 6 2009, 19:32:59 UTC

The thing is, arguments like that aren't really baseless and petty at all but valid concerns. We have an extremely good social welfare system in Switzerland, one that can be very attractive to foreigners ( ... )

belenustenebrae February 6 2009, 21:12:19 UTC

I don't think the "African" (I'm being arsy, cause it's a continent, not a country) family is the right example, since we're talking about EU borders.
Also, (I'm assuming they're asking for political aslyum) I know that for the first three months refugees can not, by law, work. There can be multiple other restrictions concerning work. Not baring the fact that integration for them isn't easy (most of them don't know French or German). Okay, I reread what you said, they're not aslyum. What I don't understand is how they were given a house by the state if they're not Swiss or aslyum seekers or working ( ... )

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