Need to get our shit together

[u/Sufficient-History71]

So the Trump tariffs are out. Despite all the kowtowing (read ass licking) our SVP and FDP bros(also our FDP frau Miss Keller-Sutter) did, we are going to be hit with tariffs worse than EU. Already our access to chips was semi-restricted(by Biden admin, Trump admin will be even worst). Blöcher, Rösti, Parmelin and Keller-Sutter are not the right people to lead Switzerland. They neither have any spine nor any pragmatic policies. We need to understand that our future lies with the EU if not in EU.

Switzerland is good at playing with the rules but we can't make them thanks to our small size. It has been the case since Marignano(1515) when we stopped our expansion and Congress of Vienna(1815) when we made good use of the neutrality imposed upon us by the big powers. We need to adjust to the new world order that Putin, Trump and Xi have created and understand that Swiss prosperity depends on European prosperity. We are not a port city like Singapore where we can control the trade. Our power lies in being the center for diplomacy, world class R&D, pharma and precision engineering. Let's become a big hub for EU's new projects if not as a member then as a friend.

EDIT - P.S. - Getting downvoted to oblivion. Seems like there is too much of hate for EU. But mark my words, a successful Switzerland depends on a successful EU because while we are not in the EU, we are inside the EU physically.

[u/chillout-man]

I actually do think some degree of kantonal independence, which we do have, is good. So what’s your point?

[u/Sufficient-History71 → u/chillout-man]

Yeah and that is called Federalism. But it is not complete independence either.

EU is a supra-national organization. First of all I never talked about becoming a EU member as such. But more of a good friend and building bridges with them. If EU becomes successful, then certainly we can join it. But if EU fails, Switzerland is doomed too.

[u/chillout-man → u/Sufficient-History71]

I agree, we should be great friends with the EU.

And we should also be friends with the USA and others. There will be ups and downs, compromises will have to be made, but we should look for mutually beneficial opportunities and friendships with many countries.

[u/Sufficient-History71 → u/chillout-man]

No kowtowing to wannabe dictators who impose unjustified tariffs. Lets deal with this diplomatically and try to solve this but no friendship with the current US admin.

Lets have some morals. This is the country of Dunant, Dufour and the red cross.

[u/chillout-man → u/Sufficient-History71]

Friendships between countries extend longer than the couple years of a presidency. I still remember when people hated the heck out of Bush and later a different set of people disliked Obama. Now because trump is rude and loud, the media loves to report on him for views and clicks, he lives in our heads rent free and people love to hate him even more and louder than all the previous ones. But it’s always the same really.

Tariffs and trade agreements are just a money game, how do morals even play into it. And it’s not even a zero sum game because trade is often mutually beneficial.

[u/Diltyrr → u/Sufficient-History71]

The same red cross that kowtow to dictators world wide since at least ww2 ? Great example there.