
The Happy, Healthy Capitalists of Switzerland - bhupy
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/02/opinion/sunday/switzerland-capitalism-wealth.html
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blueyes
The real inequality to be measured, relative to Switzerland, is that between
the bankers and their international clients, on the one hand, and the citizens
of the countries that those international clients take money out of.
Switzerland's economy is incomprehensible if you do not consider the
international context, the source of the funds that drive its banking
industry, and the conditions in the countries from which those funds come.
This is not a model replicable by all nations. There can be only a few
Switzerlands serving clients from many countries, for the Switzerlands to
work. In a case like this, capitalism done right in one country depends on
capitalism being done wrong in others. It is a kind of informal colonialism
(always the most lucrative).

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maximente
yep, this is a really important point. author subtly glosses over the notion
that Switzerland was always more than shady banks, but this isn't clear to me
at all; shady financial stuff is basically swiss bread and butter.

in Europe, one study:

> we estimate that close to 40% of multinational profits are shifted to tax
> havens globally each year. The non-haven European Union countries appear to
> be the main losers from this shifting.

ref: [https://www.nber.org/papers/w24701](https://www.nber.org/papers/w24701)

also ref: "swiss sidestep" and how multinationals basically launder money thru
Switzerland:

[https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/oureconomy/transfer-
mispric...](https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/oureconomy/transfer-mispricing-
the-jewel-in-every-multinational-enterprises-crown/)

lastly that Swiss banks actively obstructed justice during Obama's DOJ
investigation. then the US sent them money to bail them out, allowing Credit
Suisse/UBS to largely escape 2008 financial meltdown and continue to help
wealthy US individuals evade taxes. to be fair this has changed as Switzerland
is way more hostile to US tax evasion now, but they don't have a good record
here.

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cyann
No mention on our semi-direct democracy, which is the main driving factor for
our stability.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-
direct_democracy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-direct_democracy)

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neonate
[http://archive.is/rOefc](http://archive.is/rOefc)

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Annatar
Hehe. That's a somewhat idealistic depiction of Confoederatio Helvetica.

The running joke is that in Switzerland, one must pay to even breathe. Yes, it
is true: Switzerland is among the richest countries in the world, and the
standard of living alternates between #1 and #2 spot constantly. What nobody
will tell you however, is that Switzerland is so ultra-hardcore-capitalist,
that it would be every Texas Republican's wet dream. If one isn't drawing on
social benefits, one pays for absolutely everything out of one's own pocket.
Imagine a country so hardcore capitalist, where one is expected to pay for
parking at a private grocery store parking lot. Ayn Rand would be beside
herself from happiness there: it's like Galt's Gulch, only it's real.

The ultra-capitalism-one-pays-for-everything enables the taxes to be low, and
low taxes, efficient legal system and armed neutrality bring in even more
businesses and investment, so much so, that the European Union is whining and
putting pressure on the country asserting that it competes unfairly by having
low taxes. Even the cantons (states) compete against each other which one will
have lower taxes. Those which have higher taxes have cheaper real estate and
vice versa.

Galt's Gulch. Everybody pays outta wazoo, but the standard of living is high.
By appointment only.

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meesles
> where one is expected to pay for parking at a private grocery store parking
> lot

God forbid. /s

~~~
_pferreir_
Public hospitals too. True story. Even though TBH, it's not shocking to me,
considering how good public transport is around here. State-run public
transport, BTW.

~~~
Annatar
It is shocking to me; car owners get gouged on no less than four different
surcharge taxes (license plate registration renewal, road tax, vignette on top
of the road tax, fuel tax)... and then public places like that gouge them on
parking. Because they haven't been extorted enough and ridden enough and
squeezed enough for the luxury privilege of owning and driving a car? "Car
owners don't want to be packed like sardines in a tram, bus and train with a
whole bunch of other strangers, so let's punish them!" That makes me so angry,
AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

~~~
_pferreir_
I don't think it's about "punishing" drivers, it's just that infrastructure
costs money and, TBH, the "vignette" is extremely cheap (to say the least)
when compared with what you pay for highways e.g. in neighbouring France and
Italy.

As for public transport, I don't have the same experience (I do have a car but
use it quite often), I only felt like a "sardine" in rare occasions. There are
buses/trams/trains often enough to avoid the busiest "rush hour" trips.

