So even if a country is one of the most capitalist countries on earth and features a huge banking and finance sector if it has those things it is "socialism"?
What happened to "government ownership of the means of production"?
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Living in Switzerland ruined me for America and its lousy work culture
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So even if a country is one of the most capitalist countries on earth and features a huge banking and finance sector if it has those things it is "socialism"?
What happened to "government ownership of the means of production"?
Apparently so since whenever those items are raised for implementation here, or actually implemented in the case of Obamacare, the Right complains loudly that we're turning socialist.
Since when has the Right cared about that definition when accusing the Left wanting to turn the US into a socialist country?
And you're agreeing with them on this?
No, why?
What exactly is the point of this thread?
Some woman on the internet thinks one of the most capitalistic countries on earth is pretty damn awesome?
I would also like to thank you for the implicit assumption that these items (along with collective bargaining covering most of the workforce) would, in fact, not be harmful to capitalism.
I'm going to go with that "capitalism is awesome" thing.
Turambar
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As a resident of Germany (while not being German myself) I think that the Swiss are not that special compared to other developed countries, they simply have been lucky.
1. The fact that they remain neutral spared them the enormous cost of war that most other European countries had to affront, specially during the last century. They didn't lose millions of people due to war, their cities were not bombed, the infrastructure was never damaged.
2. The Swiss banking system, combined with the political neutrality, attracted lots of people during times of uncertainty (or war) to either live there or at least move their money there. It still attracts lots of people, including dubious customers such as third world politicians and oh yeah, for some reason, an organisation solely devoted to fixing soccer matches.
3. Many of the customers of the Swiss banking system simply never came back to claim the deposits, mostly because they died. So the money stayed in Switzerland to the benefit of...guess who? The Swiss. That includes shitlloads of Nazi gold which in turn was made up of stolen jewish assets.
4. The country has almost no natural disasters, other than the occasional avalanche or flooding, meaning there is not need to rebuild infrastructure every few decades or so. Take that Japan.
Look I got nothing against them, but let's not forget all those facts before we call them "special".
1. The fact that they remain neutral spared them the enormous cost of war that most other European countries had to affront, specially during the last century. They didn't lose millions of people due to war, their cities were not bombed, the infrastructure was never damaged.
2. The Swiss banking system, combined with the political neutrality, attracted lots of people during times of uncertainty (or war) to either live there or at least move their money there. It still attracts lots of people, including dubious customers such as third world politicians and oh yeah, for some reason, an organisation solely devoted to fixing soccer matches.
3. Many of the customers of the Swiss banking system simply never came back to claim the deposits, mostly because they died. So the money stayed in Switzerland to the benefit of...guess who? The Swiss. That includes shitlloads of Nazi gold which in turn was made up of stolen jewish assets.
4. The country has almost no natural disasters, other than the occasional avalanche or flooding, meaning there is not need to rebuild infrastructure every few decades or so. Take that Japan.
Look I got nothing against them, but let's not forget all those facts before we call them "special".
fromderinside
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Wooo. That ....and some women think a guy with a Porsche, lots of money on him, smells like a million bucks, are pretty damn awesome.
Do these hit your top ten too?
whichphilosophy
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What you say is most likely correct but if there was an identical country in India or Africa do you think it would be in the same condition. There would be money stashed away in various banks but very little in the infrastructure.
lpetrich
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It's socialism according to what US right-wingers mean by that word. Look at what US right-wingers call Obamacare -- socialized medicine. dismal, I suggest that you look around some time. Especially at your ideological compatriots. Otherwise, you'll seem like you are playing dumb.
bilby
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Playing?
lpetrich
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I'm trying to avoid personal insults.
Looking at dismal's defense of Switzerland as some sort of capitalist utopia, I think that it shows what is measured by the Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom. The willingness of nations to support big financial centers, even if those nations do things that the Heritage Foundation would normally consider un-capitalist.
Looking at dismal's defense of Switzerland as some sort of capitalist utopia, I think that it shows what is measured by the Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom. The willingness of nations to support big financial centers, even if those nations do things that the Heritage Foundation would normally consider un-capitalist.
It's not surprising that the Heritage Foundation lauds Switzerland as a capitalist utopia but then fights tooth and nail against the US implementing some of the policies that same capitalist utopia has in place for its citizens.
What is surprising is that otherwise pretty smart people fall for their bullshit and just shrug off the cognitive dissonance.
Turambar
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That is why I specified "compared to other developed countries" in my first sentence. My Czech acquaintances tell me that their country was well into becoming "Slavic Switzerland" in the 1920s and early 1930s before being first invaded by the Nazis and then by the Soviets. Do you think the Swiss would be as wealthy today if they had been bombed to shit by the Nazis 70 years ago? They would certainly be developed, but likely more at a level such as Belgium or the Netherlands. Let's say that they just got lucky and are still playing their first life, in gaming terms.
All the other Western European countries had to "respawn" around 1945. 
Well, perhaps you can find some people talking about having 1 1/12 hour lunches with the swans and going on leisurely hikes in the mountains in a more socialist country. One that does not muddy the pure joys of socialism by happening to also be a wealthy international banking and financial services hub.
How about North Korea?
Jayjay
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Counter-example: Sweden.Do you think the Swiss would be as wealthy today if they had been bombed to shit by the Nazis 70 years ago? They would certainly be developed, but likely more at a level such as Belgium or the Netherlands. Let's say that they just got lucky and are still playing their first life, in gaming terms.
dystopian
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Counter-example: Sweden.Do you think the Swiss would be as wealthy today if they had been bombed to shit by the Nazis 70 years ago? They would certainly be developed, but likely more at a level such as Belgium or the Netherlands. Let's say that they just got lucky and are still playing their first life, in gaming terms.
Sweden suffered considerably under blockades though; with Switzerland appearing not to suffer as much. Plus you know, Sweden didn't have all that stolen gold in its bankvaults after the war like Switzerland did.
On the other hand... Switzerland *was* actually bombed in WW2. Repeatedly. By the allies. Damage wasn't anything like dedicated bombing campaigns against occupied territories, and the US paid reparations for it after the war, but still... it gets overlooked.