Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Path: utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!wanginst.UUCP!davis From: davis@wanginst.UUCP Newsgroups: mod.politics Subject: [Franklin Davis : Re: Welfare, unions and the mareketplace III] Message-ID: <12231078373.47.MCGREW@RED.RUTGERS.EDU> Date: Fri, 15-Aug-86 16:40:10 EDT Article-I.D.: RED.12231078373.47.MCGREW Posted: Fri Aug 15 16:40:10 1986 Date-Received: Sat, 16-Aug-86 06:20:33 EDT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Reply-To: harvard!wanginst!davis@topaz.rutgers.edu Organization: The ARPA Internet Lines: 56 Approved: poli-sci@red.rutgers.edu Keith writes: > In Switzerland, every adult owns a gun. The murder rate is very low >there, much lower that in the US. There are few burglaries and few >other crimes. And the Nazis didn't even THINK of invading >Switzerland, despite having invaded or being allied with every >bordering country. The truth: In Switzerland, most _males_ own an army rifle. But to argue that the crime rate is low for that reason in incorrect, in my view. The Swiss culture is deeply centered around local communities. No one can "misbehave" without his/her family, relatives, neighbors, town, state, and finally the federation getting involved to help things, generally in that order. I use the term "misbehave" very generally -- in also includes personal troubles, etc. I believe that it is the close-knit nature of Swiss society, and the incredible emphasis on following rules and behaving properly that results in such a safe, well-ordered society. And I would argue that the reason the Swiss are safe from all those guns at home is their (well-founded) trust in each other, not the other way around. I just lived in Switzerland for two years, and worked with Swiss people who are in the army, and with Swiss who are not. Very few women are in the military, and they aren't trained to shoot. Some percentage of men perform alternative service, or go to jail, or are medically excused from service. A good friend who is turning 50 soon, and thus will have completed his military service, is _very_ happy that he can get the &*%@#! gun out of his house. The guns are there because they are _required_ to be there if you are in the military. My friends who don't serve don't have guns. Most of my friends who do serve dislike shooting very much. No one can just buy a gun for private use, except for target practice. Handguns are virtually unheard of, and I think illegal for private use. Switzerland is _so_ tiny and controlled compared to the US, that most comparisons are invalid. We simply don't have a society where most people know the town where their great-great-great grandparents lived, and the majority still live there. And Switzerland is much more economically uniform (i.e. wealthy). -- ___ ... Roll away ... the dew... wanginst!davis (uucp) franklin a. davis (fad) davis@wanginst.Csnet (Csnet) -------