THE Swiss Model

Switzerland is a country of 8,000,000 people.  The Swiss people are surrounded by Germany, France, Italy and Austria.  Think about the history of these governments.  Think about how many major violent conflicts they have been involved in.

But when was the last time Switzerland was involved in an armed conflict?

1847.

Why didn't the National Socialist led German government invade them during World War II?  Probably because Hitler was afraid that widespread gun ownership by the Swiss people would cause the defeat of his army.  It is estimated that there 4 million firearms in the homes of the Swiss people.  Any authoritarian regime is frightened by this notion of a well regulated militia.  

OK, so these guns provide the Swiss people with a strong self-defense system but do they cause high murder rates?

Want More Jobs? Repeal Minimum Wage Statutes

The Swiss Alps Photograph by James P. Blair/National Geographic Society

Earlier this week 76% of Swiss voters opposed a nationwide minimum wage.  The proposal from union employees called for a 22 franc (nearly $25 US) mandatory hourly wage.

The vote displays the people's overwhelming support for unskilled and unemployed workers.  The primary reason that Switzerland has just a 3% unemployment rate is because employers are not limited to only employing workers who produce above an arbitrary line of value.

Thanks to the voters Swiss people are still free to negotiate employment contracts privately without interference from the state.  Employers are free to higher anyone they choose regardless of skill level.    

Economy minister Johann Schneider-Ammann summarized the election outcome by saying:

"If the initiative had been accepted, it would have led to workplace losses, especially in rural areas where less qualified people have a harder time finding jobs," he said. "The best remedy against poverty is work."

Story from the AP

 

A $25 Minimum Wage?

The Swiss people will vote next month on a measure to increase the minimum wage in Switzerland to 22 francs/hour (~$25 US).  Of course the trade unions are chief lobbyists for the higher minimum wage.  These legal statutes backed by threat of violence ensures that cheaper labor is literally unemployable leaving current job holders with less competition.

As the overall pool of employable labor decreases total human production also falls.  This leaves everyone with fewer choices of goods and services (essentially creating more poor people).  Taken to the extreme if the minimum wage was 100 francs per hour would total production of goods in Switzerland increase or decrease?  

In response to the proposal George Sheldon, professor of economics at the University of Basel said:

“Unemployment among the unskilled is increasing,”...“The solution to their problem can’t be to make them more expensive.” 

Sheldon is inquiring about the plight of the currently unemployed.  These folks are simply ignored by the supporters of minimum wage statutes.

More of the story at Bloomberg.

Guns Are Well Behaved in Switzerland

So how do other advanced countries deal with high rates of firearm ownership by citizens?  Ironically Bloomberg of all places gave us a little insight.   

From Bloomberg: Shooter Kills Three Women in Swiss Mountain Village Spree

Of course this is a tragedy but read down to the final three paragraphs of the story...

"There were 241 deaths in Switzerland by shooting in 2010, compared with 408 in 2001, Ninety-two percent of those deaths in 2010 were suicides."

Murder is declining steadily in Switzerland, and...

"In February 2011, Swiss voters rejected in a referendum a proposal to ban citizens from keeping guns at home and require all guns to be registered."

To sum up the situation in Switzerland, a country of 8 million people:

1. 3,610,300 guns owned by citizens
2. 20 murders by shooting in 2010

To sum up the situation in New York, NY, a city of 8 million people:

1. 57,300 guns owned by citizens
2. 237 murders by shooting in 2012

There are 63X as many firearms in Switzerland as in New York City yet gun murders are 12X higher in NYC than in Switzerland.  

Why do the guns in North America have to cause so much trouble when their cousins in Europe mostly keep to themselves?