Switzerland, a sovereign state? Why the question mark? Simply, because our sovereignty, our freedom and independance are massively threatened.
Switzerland with it’s backbone of independence, it’s still here:
These foundations of a free, independent Switzerland are being undermined by the zeitgeist, as well as by interventions from within and attacks from outside on our internal affairs and not rarely by greed of power and claims to power from individual exponents in our own country. Thus a later female Federal Councillor said: “Switzerland doesn’t exist any longer!”
For today and tomorrow there is no reason for political apathy or even resignation. Maybe we are still too well off but the course for our well-being tomorrow is being set today.
Time is ripe: to seriously reflect on the protection of our own – to my opinion existential – interests and to act accordingly.
We are not locking our doors. Yes, we are installing intricate security systems to protect our lives and property – why then this unforgivable neglect concerning our border control? Borders fulfil a function that cannot be suspended without any damage.
What do you think would happen in our densely populated country, if the population starved or even be threatened by death of starvation?
Social unrest would be certain and the government would be under pressure – with all the negative effects for the inner cohesion and thus for home security. The trust bearing stability of our country, the social security and the ability to put up a fight if necessary would seriously be weakened. Along with the pressure exerted within our own country the pressure from outside would increase. It would result in unimaginable dynamics if we became dependent on help from other countries. Those starving and struggling for their survival would hardly be able to fight for independence and freedom for their country, neither for their civil rights.
Therefore, a secure situation of food provisions will be a precondition for the continuance of a free and independent Switzerland! And we will only succeed to accomplish this security by means of an intact, producing agriculture in our own country – an agriculture with a well diversified and decentralised enterprise structure, the way we still have it today, at least in parts. A diversified enterprise must consist of decentralised production structures and some ranges of products (dairy farming, cultivation of land, cultivation of fruit and vegetables etc).
No less important are the supplying and the processing industries (seeding material, fertilisers, farm machinery respectively milling, dairy production, bakeries, butcheries etc).
We know that we are not able to reach a 100 % food self sufficiency based on population figures and the scarce cultural lands still at our disposal. Thus Switzerland must take effective measures to comprehensively fulfil the state political task – to protect and defend the sovereignty of our country. Among others, this again calls for implementing political strategies for provisions based on the highest possible degree of self-sufficiency through domestic production and additionally aligned to crisis proof agreements on obligations for supplies from reliable contract partners. (The EU and also the USA will supposedly not be those partners, as shown in the past.)
The Federal Council and the federal administration are taking another path. Promoted passively or actively by the majority in parliament, the Federal Council is pursuing agricultural policies that expose the producing agricultural sector to a great disadvantage and by which they are conciously pursuing a consolidation. Every day three agricultural enterprises are disappearing. Concerning food provisions for our country, the fathers and mothers of our country are also building on the so called “free market”.
There is no difference to a beginner’s tight rope walking on a lofty tight rope without sufficient safety measures. The “free market” will, with absolute certainty, dictate conditions of supply and price – which means the same as “surrender to the enemy” in an emergency situation.
Full granaries are an instrument of power but only for those possessing them. This taught us already the Old Testament. And the USA are doing everything conceivable to empty the granaries of the rest of the world, to build and sustain their own unique position of power as sole “world provider”.
With reasonable agriculture and provisions policies, in terms of state and security interests, we do stand a chance to at least partly, elude the claims for power from abroad.
Yet we live in a “fair-weather nostalgia”. Our neighbours are good friends. The “United States as protecting power” will put their protective hand over our country.
We have done everything to keep our friends happy: Anticipatory obedience, the acquisition of foreign law, the perforation of banking secrecy, the weakening of the financial and business location Switzerland, voluntary payments and the generous offer to contribute to the solution of refugee problems.
Today, it is important to build a position of strength and defend it.
We are no superpower, but we certainly have values and trumps in our hand that sting when they are used strategically (keywords: Alpine Transversal, Water Reservoir, etc.).
Why not deliberately position ourselves as a sovereign state? Switzerland, “borstiges Stachelschwein” (bristly porcupine) – why not? That goes with a self-governed foreign policy and an economic and trade policy, based among other things on a high security of supply with native foods for the population.
We create this security alone by means of a productive agriculture. This means rewriting the Swiss agricultural policy.
Existing structures must be preserved and promoted. The operating variety is the best guarantee for high security of supply, also in times of crisis. The risk of concentration, which is inherent in centralisation, must be reduced by delicate production and distribution networks.
It’s not by coincidence that the World Agriculture Report (left 2008) recommended local and regional production and distribution structures on the basis of family farms in the fight against hunger and poverty. These are superior to industrial agricultural production in many ways. What is true for the less developed countries has also its validity for Switzerland when it comes to feed its own population.
Our farmers can fill the granaries in case the are not hindered in their work. Ecology and animal welfare Yes, but not so far that doing nothing is more rewarding than producing. As originally conceived direct payments should again compensate the income gap for farmers caused by the not cost-oriented product prices. A next step would then be to think seriously about the value of healthy and natural foods.
Open supply gaps can be compensated with intergovernmental agreements to the benefit of both parties. It would perhaps be better to look east and not west.
State and security goals have to be more weighted than economic considerations. Not the free market access, the maximum rate of return, but the security of existence has first priority for our country. In other words: The policy must rethink and give a higher weight to food security than competitiveness and growth prospects. The domestic production must be protected from cheapest imports if necessary.
Freedom and independence, armed neutrality and our democratic rights and obligations will prevail only if we credibly and resolutely fight at all levels against the shrinking process of our sovereignty.
Only a sovereign Switzerland can live up to its values and contribute to the well-being of the world community. •
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