How Many - Part II

 

The Swiss vote at least four times a year on initiatives and/or referendums. These two types of petitions can propose or disagree with a law that parliament has passed or hasn't passed and the entire country weighs in.

Switzerland is a tiny country with about nine million people, a fraction of most major world cities. The Swiss far right wanted to limit population to 10 million, drew up the petition with the right number of signatures so to the entire population it went.

The vote was no June 14th with 55%. Whew!

Limiting the population was a bad idea for business, for science, for education . . . 

In most of our votations there's a rostigraben, nickname for a regional potato dish from the Swiss German side. Usually the German speakers carry the vote. 

This time the French majority of voters carried the results.

One of the things I love about being Swiss, especially in Geneva, is the diversity. Because of the United Nations and international organizations including businesses the Geneva canton is 43% foreign.  

Some of the other cantons consider diversity diluting Swiss culture. Any country with four languages and miscellaneous celebrations already is divided. 

As a naturalized immigrant, I still enjoy watching the cows come down from pasture in autumn. They're decorated in bows and bells. 

There's the different festivals including the Bern Onion Festival Zibelmärit) and more. 

Be it raclette, fondue or sausage, romaine lettuce and potatoes cooked together popular from a traditional Vaud dish, etc. I enjoy it. 

I try and follow the local etiquette of whatever group I'm with: three cheek kiss, shake hands, greet everyone coming and going at any event, Sunday quiet and more.

I respect the laws, written and unwritten. Mostly important, I vote  every votation which is more that many citizens do. Fifty-five percent is considered a good turnout. 

Being a natural-born Swiss does not guarantee s/he will vote. 

The limitation vote seems to come from the more rural cantons.

As far-right, anti-immigration movements seem to be increasing in many countries, U.K., France, Austria, and more my question is what sociological factors are being created to explain it. 

It comes back to how many or rather how much hate, how much fear and even if there is a way to stop it, do the alleged leaders really care about anything but themselves?