Swiss to join United Nations
 

I just read that the Swiss very narrowly voted to join the UN after all of those years on the sideline.<BR><BR>Who knows, the next thing they might do is support the Euro.<BR><BR>Dick

I'm confused. The European seat of the United Nations is located in Geneva.

They liked being around it and having observer status, but were not actually a member. They also like being the location for other major international organizations, many are affiliated with the UN (such as UNICEF, WHO and WTO?) and they do belong to some if not most or all of those.

Final results: 54,5 % and a little more than half the territory in favour of joining the UN, 58% of the voters turned up to the polls (biggest turnout since the vote on -not-joining Europe).<BR><BR>Jane, the Swiss identity relies on the belief (or more exactly the delusion) that Switzerland is and has always been neutral. Joining the UN would have meant taking sides during WWII and the cold war, joining embargoes, things that might be bad for the economy ... <BR><BR>Our government has promised that joining the UN would not change a single iota in that regard, and the population is starting to feel that in order for the country to count in international politics, it might be better to be part of it. <BR><BR>There is also the nagging feeling that the UN might lose interest with Switzerland and repatriate some of the more lucrative agencies ;-&gt;

Who are the Swiss kidding that they have been neutral? Every European knows that they supported Hitler throughout World War II, and have profited handsomely from it. The way they treated Italians in the past, notably after WWI, was dispicable, according to Italian who had first-hand experiences. They are a very closed society from my experience, and don't want immigrants, or outside influence. I'd be curious if others have a similar reaction.

Ron, My impression of Switzerland is quite different -- when I lived there they were home and haven to people of many nationalities, and therefore had quite a cosmopolitan outlook.

I'm not really sure what being neutral means. If you live next to a country that is putting people in ovens, without doing anything about it, you are not being neutral. You are part of the problem.

Ron, I agree with what you stated. Switzerland fools no one. They are the biggest hypocrits and are extremely narrow-minded when it comes to foreigners, unless they are german!

Florence, just to set the record straight, the UN was not ratified until after WWl (Octobe24, 1945 to be exact).<BR><BR>Dick

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