Category Archives: Switzerland

Mitt Has Swiss Bank Account

It turns out that Mitt Romney has a bank account in Switzerland. We find disturbing that a man who continually urges Americans not to have anything to do with European places, winds up stashing his money in Europe! Mitt says we must restore confidence in American business and banks. OK, we agree. How does it restore confidence when a man running for the office of president doesn’t even have enough faith in American banks to keep his money in one.

Yes, Mitt, Obama is a foreigner. Yes, Mitt we have to believe in American business. It sure we help build that confidence if you had faith in American business.Of course, there are some who place money in Swiss bank accounts to hide something. Got anything to hide, Mr.Romney?

Suicide Tourism For Americans!

Voters in Zurich, Switzerland overwhelmingly voted down a proposed ban on tourists who come to their fair land in order to end their lives. So called, “tourism suicide” is most popular among those from Germany, France and the UK who have reached a point in their lives when it was best to end their lives. The concept of allowing people to terminate a painful life raises new issues in America. After all, we are a land in which if you are black, you ain’t OK, if you are an illegal immigrant that status is socially lower than a legal immigrant who never received permission from the Indians and just parked his body on American soil so why not go the next step?

1. If you lack health insurance, we can assist you to terminate things and thus save America loads of dough. Look at it this way, it ends hunger and reduces our national debt. Be a loyal American and just say, goodbye.

2. OK so you have not worked in three years. Look at it this way, if you get to Heaven the problem is solved since that part of the universe has full employment. And, you get to choose your job!

3. If you are tired of Fox News, Sarah and Michele and Rush and Glenn, why not end it all? I assure one and all, none of the previous individuals will be your neighbors in Heaven, they will be working for Fox News in Hell.

4. Stuck in high school in those boring classes and the exams which test irrelevant information, why not take the GED for Heaven? God is an equal opportunity employer, all welcomed!

5. Two hundred pounds overweight and can barely make it through the door? Why not just waddle up to Heaven where you choose your weight and can eat whatever desired?

6. If you are Mitch or Mike Or Mitt or Newt, you four could make a great band in that Big Rock Candy Mountain in the sky!

One must praise the Swiss, when it comes to making money, they will die for it.

Hypocrisy Of The Powerful

Frankie Boyle, a British comedian thought it funny to crack jokes about handicapped children, even as a couple sat in his audience who have a child with Down’s Syndrome. But, in fairness, Boyle also went on to make jokes about Jews, which, for some people, is perfectly OK. Over in America, Mel Gibson, who was on the side of Jesus a few years ago, is now once again ranting and raving about his Russian girl friend who he thought was a pig who deserved to be raped by a group from some minority group. Knowing Mel, we would assume he probably didn’t mean a Jewish minority group. A few years ago, Whoopi Goldberg, told an interviewer that while she did not completely approve of the rape by Roman Polanski of a 13 year old girl, “I know it wasn’t gang rape. It was something else, but I don’t believe it was gang rape.” Duh! Just imagine if Roman had raped a thirteen year old black girl! Of course, novelist Robert Harris explains away the entire episode as one that can be understood since in the 1960s men and women were having flings. And, “social mores change all the time.”

The United States last week witnessed a twenty-five year old man assume the role of dispenser of knowledge and wisdom by having an hour long TV special dealing with his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavalier basketball team and head for Miami. LeBron James is so filled with self importance he actually believes no one could go to sleep that night unless he told them how he would get a hundred million dollars! We live in the era of narcissism. After all, who could surpass Tea Party followers in ignorance about American history, let alone economics?

Roman Polanski Freed From Jail

There are times in life when one realizes we inhabit a planet on which rules and laws differ based on who is being charged with violations of them. Roman Polanski raped a terrified 13 year old girl about 35 years ago and today was released from a Swiss jail where he was awaiting extradition to the United States to stand trial for the crime. How does a rapist escape going to prison? The answer is clear. Leave the country where the crime was committed, become a famous movie director or a powerful wealthy businessman, and become friends with powerful people in society. Polanski raped a 13 year old girl whom he had drugged and while having anal intercourse he ignored he pleas of, “no, no.” Years later Polanski boasted to an interviewer, “If I had killed somebody, it wouldn’t have much appealed to the press… but, fucking young girls.. Judges want to fuck young girls, juries want to fuck young girls, everyone wants to fuck young girls.”

A philosopher like Bernard Henri-Levi came to the defense of the rapist on grounds, “his behavior is not my business. I’m concerned about his movies.” Gee, I wonder what he would say about a Nazi who killed Jews and then became a famous movie director?? Artists, writers, movie stars have rushed to defend the rapist and many have charged that poor Roman is the subject of a lynch mob. The real question is who is sick, the rapist or those defending his actions?

Miarets For Peace?

Tommi Niemainen, writing in the Finnish newspaper, Sanomat, has identified an interesting idea that might result in peace between Palestinians and Israelis– minarets for peace. He argues that Helsinki which has been identified as the Design Capital of 2012 could “definitely do with a couple of striking minarets” to light up the city at night with dazzling lights. There is something to his idea that makes sense. What if Jerusalem became the site of dozens of minarets which were outfitted with varying color lights at night, they would add a glow to the city that would be seen for miles around.

Think about it, minarets for peace. How could any suicide bomber blast away in a city containing dozens of minarets? How could any Muslim accuse Israelis of being prejudiced if Jerusalem was adorned with minarets attached to mosques? After all, if Jerusalem became the minaret capital of the world, Muslims would have to flock to it, business would boom, Palestinians and Jews would make money and there would no longer be any basis for conflict.

Of course, we could always place minarets in West Bank settlements and for every house built for Jewish settlers, a minaret would have to be built which would be attached to the Jewish house. I think that would end West Bank settlement construction!

I always thought the Swiss were good at making money. Boy, did you people blow it when voting to ban minarets.

Stupidity And Ignorance Reigns In Switzerland

Every so often we on planet Earth display an attitude about those who differ from ourselves which can only be described as stupidity running amok. There are 210 mosques in the nation of Switzerland which cater to about a hundred thousand or so Muslims and between these mosques only four have minarets. Minarets are build next to a mosque to allow the call for prayer service. Sorry, voters in Switzerland, the minaret is simply a place from which people are urged to pray, it is not a terrorist hideout from which people are sent to kill and maim the innocent. I am a simple man, but am baffled why anyone would become upset at those seeking religious observance to carry out the requirements of their religion. The unknown factor in the Swiss vote is why did about 57% of voters regard a minaret as a problem. One can only assume they were ignorant as to its purpose in the Muslim religion.

The minaret ban should also serve as a lesson to Muslims in nations like Saudi Arabia which deny those who are not of the Muslim faith of a chance to conduct their own religious services. When will we humans simply accept the right of all humans to practice their religion? I have a hunch that is what God would desire.

Of Minarets And Sleeves For Muslims

The two events impacting Muslims occurred hundreds of miles away from one another but they attest to the complicated world of how cultures and religions impact one another. In Switzerland, the nation voted in a special referendum to ban the building of minarets in mosques even though the vote was most probably in violation of the nation’s own constitution. In the meantime, in Sweden, a law suit filed by a Muslim female dentist to be allowed to wear clothing that covers her body even though her attire violates medical procedures was denied. She was informed that medical procedure required all dentists to wear short sleeved gowns and the Muslim woman refuses to wear such attire because it allows part of her skin to be open to public view. Of course, her face would be open to public view, but apparently allowing a small part of her arm to be seen is of much greater consequence. This raises questions as to when do rules of society take precedence over religious obligations?

The vote in Switzerland has no logical, medical, cultural or political sense since building minarets has nothing to do with the lives of Swiss citizens. This is an example of pure prejudice which can not be allowed in modern societies. At some point religious centered individuals have to accept practices which may violate their religious beliefs and the real issue is to what extent do people have to accept change in order to be members of a society.

ISSUE OF THE DAY–Minarets In Switzerland!

The world is confronting a vast economic crisis, there are droughts in Africa and India, terrorists are killing innocent people, but the people of Switzerland have identified the really important issue the world must solve– should a Muslim mosque contain minarets? A referendum on this critical issue was submitted to the people of Switzerland and they voted by a 57.5% majority to allow the construction of new minarets. The government was shocked by the vote which they believe violates the nation’s constitution that protects freedom of religion. There are also fears it will impact tourism and trade with Muslim nations.

On the other hand, the vote indicates there are people in Switzerland who spend their nights and days worrying about minarets. They see minarets in their sleep, they believe terrorists hide behind or in minarets and banning their construction will allow the people of Switzerland to sleep in peace.

Oh well, I will spend my time worrying about the economic crisis and unemployment. I’m weird that way.

Roman Polanski And Politics Of Fame!

The government of Switzerland has turned down a request to allow movie director Roman Polanski to be released on bail. By now, the facts of the case are known throughout the world. Thirty years ago, Polanski drugged and then assaulted a thirteen year old girl. Ordinarily, a man who rapes a young girl would be judged to be evil or mentally ill, but in the world of celebrities, raping young girls is a mark of distinction or a manifestation of the right of those with power to use the bodies of young girls without power. Hollywood stars who regard the rape of women in Darfur with horror and demand punishment for those guilty of these heinous crimes are remarkably supportive of Mr. Polanski’s rape.

Perhaps, there is need to establish a new category of rape– girls raped by famous men. If you have starred in, directed or produced a movie, then you are given special treatment in rape cases. It is called, “artistic achievement.” The real question is who is sicker, Polanski or those who support him?

Adolescents May Vote In Switzerland

Voters will decide whether 16 year-old Swiss youth can vote in Basel elections. Parliament voted clearly with 62 versus 39 in favor of such a motion and passed it on to the government. If passed, the sixteen year-ols would be allowed to vote on cantonal issues, but they would not be allowed to nominate themselves for public office. A goal of the move is to brdige differences and issues between generations by actively involving young people in the democratic process while still in secondary school.

One could raise many issues concerning the “maturity” of adolescents, but just look around at the Cheney/Rumsfeld/Bush mess that older people created for 300,000,000 people. It is difficult to imagine youth being more incompetent than what passes for “maturity” in the Bush administration. We suspect the normal range of intelligence in voting will be displayed by adolescents since they are not that far different than their elders.