That's what the following story claims:
http://www.foxbusiness.com/news/2012/01/25/swiss-regulator-steps-up-focus-on-housing-market-boom-survey/#ixzz1kZ9LBQm9
As you might expect, the story talks about risks building up in the Swiss economy and other such nice and interesting things, without tackling the key question that real estate prices are shooting up in the principal cities such Geneva and Zurich mainly because foreigners are bringing in cash for the purpose.
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Switzerland's decline now reaching the level of the UK in at least one respect
Due to the apprenticeship system, the quality of work that one got in practical things (mechanical and technical matters, gardening, cooking, sales and marketing, IT matters, medical help from nurses etc) used to be very high - perhaps the highest in the world. And, due to the influence of the Bible and the influence of a close community, the level of honesty and reliability was also at least one of the highest in the world.
When I first came to Switzerland on a more-or-less long term basis (at that time we did not have any idea how long we would stay), all this had, we now realise, just started eroding.
I have been documenting the evidence of the erosion in this blog.
Yesterday, my son told me that he had approached 4 different companies to come and look at a cistern that was giving trouble, and which his colleagues, he and the house caretaker could sort out between them. Of these 4 companies, two companies declined the work. One said that he would ring back but never did. The fourth said that he would come, and set a date and time, but then simply did not turn up (no explanation, no apology). Fortunately for my son, he and his housewart and colleagues continued to struggle to understand what was wrong, and to experiment, and finally worked out a solution.
This reminds me of the situation which had already begun to develop in the UK by the 1970s (no idea if it is better or worse today - but, frankly, I would be extremely pleasantly surprised if it is better).
Cultures can be relatively easily and quickly eroded, but they take a long time to build up again.
Swiss politicians, looking at symptoms of decline of their society (such as the erosion in the work ethic), and seeking to solve that by importing people who have no allegiance to the core values of the country, have clearly either ignored, or not even thought of, the consequences of their policies.
When I first came to Switzerland on a more-or-less long term basis (at that time we did not have any idea how long we would stay), all this had, we now realise, just started eroding.
I have been documenting the evidence of the erosion in this blog.
Yesterday, my son told me that he had approached 4 different companies to come and look at a cistern that was giving trouble, and which his colleagues, he and the house caretaker could sort out between them. Of these 4 companies, two companies declined the work. One said that he would ring back but never did. The fourth said that he would come, and set a date and time, but then simply did not turn up (no explanation, no apology). Fortunately for my son, he and his housewart and colleagues continued to struggle to understand what was wrong, and to experiment, and finally worked out a solution.
This reminds me of the situation which had already begun to develop in the UK by the 1970s (no idea if it is better or worse today - but, frankly, I would be extremely pleasantly surprised if it is better).
Cultures can be relatively easily and quickly eroded, but they take a long time to build up again.
Swiss politicians, looking at symptoms of decline of their society (such as the erosion in the work ethic), and seeking to solve that by importing people who have no allegiance to the core values of the country, have clearly either ignored, or not even thought of, the consequences of their policies.
Saturday, 31 December 2011
On the SBB's planning for stations
I have long been irritated by the fact that the town in which I live has some 10,000 inhabitants but the "new" station has "pick up and drop" facilities that provide parking for only TWO cars. Moreover, those cars have to be Smarts or some such very small car to actually fit into the parking space provided. If a car is any larger, it does not fit into "its" space and creates problems then for the 2nd car that might theoretically fit into that space. That also creates problems for the taxis that are supposed to be parked contiguously there (again, two spaces only) as well as for the continuously parked public buses!
I notice also that all (or at least many) "new" SBB stations are being built without drinking water fountains. No doubt this may be very good for vendors of bottled water and other drinks, but it is bad for customers who don't want to be forced to buy plain water that is provided at very good quality on the basis of taxes that we already pay.
I notice also that all (or at least many) "new" SBB stations are being built without drinking water fountains. No doubt this may be very good for vendors of bottled water and other drinks, but it is bad for customers who don't want to be forced to buy plain water that is provided at very good quality on the basis of taxes that we already pay.
Tuesday, 6 December 2011
Trains continue to be late
Yesterday morning, the regular service for Zurich which should have arrived at Weinfelden Station at 9.26 a.m., saw the train arriving instead at 9.31.25 a.m.
There was no pre-announcement regarding the delay, no explanation for the delay, and no apologies.
There was no pre-announcement regarding the delay, no explanation for the delay, and no apologies.
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Will the Euro collapse?
Some people are totally convinced that the eurozone will collapse.
They have also therefore of course put huge sums of money on bets in order to make money if there is such a disaster.
What they don't seem to realise is that if the euro does collapse, the disaster will be so huge that any money they make will be meaningless:
The dollar will rise, but all other currencies (not only the euro) will collapse, as bets will then be made on all other "weak currencies" (that includes the currency of China because it is so heavily dependent on exports - and trade has already been practically frozen since the summer).
If the Chinese currency collapses that is basically the end of China for the moment, and therefore of all parts of Asia and Africa that are closely intertwined with it.
In turn, that will mean that all emerging markets (that's basically everything outside the USA) will collapse - possibly excluding India, which is not so heavily reliant on export but the impact on Indian exports remains to be seen if the Indian rupee comes to be seen as something to invest in as an "alternative safe haven" from the US dollar).
The Canadian dollar and Mexican Peso will probably do all right because they are so closely linked with the US, though they will suffer at least a bit because of the collapse of commodity prices including oil. That also applies to all countries whose currencies are pegged to the dollar.
That will mean the US flying high (not for any good reason, of course), but the rest of the world will be so badly hit that the US itself will be hit as all export-related jobs and companies will be hit.
Not a pretty scenario.
If you have any sense or conscience, therefore, do not bet against the euro. If that goes down, all of us go down.
Meanwhile, if the euro is properly rescued, those of us who have money there will do well out of it.
The euro is, overall, by far the more intelligent bet.
They have also therefore of course put huge sums of money on bets in order to make money if there is such a disaster.
What they don't seem to realise is that if the euro does collapse, the disaster will be so huge that any money they make will be meaningless:
The dollar will rise, but all other currencies (not only the euro) will collapse, as bets will then be made on all other "weak currencies" (that includes the currency of China because it is so heavily dependent on exports - and trade has already been practically frozen since the summer).
If the Chinese currency collapses that is basically the end of China for the moment, and therefore of all parts of Asia and Africa that are closely intertwined with it.
In turn, that will mean that all emerging markets (that's basically everything outside the USA) will collapse - possibly excluding India, which is not so heavily reliant on export but the impact on Indian exports remains to be seen if the Indian rupee comes to be seen as something to invest in as an "alternative safe haven" from the US dollar).
The Canadian dollar and Mexican Peso will probably do all right because they are so closely linked with the US, though they will suffer at least a bit because of the collapse of commodity prices including oil. That also applies to all countries whose currencies are pegged to the dollar.
That will mean the US flying high (not for any good reason, of course), but the rest of the world will be so badly hit that the US itself will be hit as all export-related jobs and companies will be hit.
Not a pretty scenario.
If you have any sense or conscience, therefore, do not bet against the euro. If that goes down, all of us go down.
Meanwhile, if the euro is properly rescued, those of us who have money there will do well out of it.
The euro is, overall, by far the more intelligent bet.
Die widerwilligen Zeitgenossen: Ein Blick auf die Geschichte des amerikanischen Fundamentalismus
A friend draws my attention to: http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/kultur/aktuell/die_widerwilligen_zeitgenossen_1.12675976.html
My response: The author, Francis Müller, has interesting things to say about "Fundamentalism" but he does not seem to understand that people of faith (any faith - including atheism, rationalism, evolutionism, secularism, et al) are always, by definition, going to be appreciative as well as critical of all that is around them. Appreciate because any faith worth having must heighten our appreciation and gratefulness for all that is good.
But why critical?
For those like me, who are followers of Jesus, we are bound to be as anti-Christian as we are anti-modern. In the tradition of the prophets, we affirm what is good and seek to embrace the best, but we retain the right to reject and to resist (lovingly and peacefully) all that is wrong.
This is not because we are "anti-modern" (even "post-modernists" are "anti-modern").
This is because we try to seek for and follow Truth, not merely the truths, standards and criteria that are merely respectable or even fashionable in our age or in any age.
Best wishes
Prabhu
My response: The author, Francis Müller, has interesting things to say about "Fundamentalism" but he does not seem to understand that people of faith (any faith - including atheism, rationalism, evolutionism, secularism, et al) are always, by definition, going to be appreciative as well as critical of all that is around them. Appreciate because any faith worth having must heighten our appreciation and gratefulness for all that is good.
But why critical?
For those like me, who are followers of Jesus, we are bound to be as anti-Christian as we are anti-modern. In the tradition of the prophets, we affirm what is good and seek to embrace the best, but we retain the right to reject and to resist (lovingly and peacefully) all that is wrong.
This is not because we are "anti-modern" (even "post-modernists" are "anti-modern").
This is because we try to seek for and follow Truth, not merely the truths, standards and criteria that are merely respectable or even fashionable in our age or in any age.
Best wishes
Prabhu
Thursday, 1 September 2011
Train travel in CH does have some inconveniences!
One inconvenience is very loud annuncements in the train and on train stations(there is an opposite problem in UK, which has unprofessioinally soft announcements in strange accents!) And these announcements last ages, as they must, because they have to be in three or even four languages. But the irritating thing is that the announcements cover not only the relevant announcements, about train destinations and such, but also long sales announcements from the train vendor of coffee et al
The second inconvenience is quite extraordinary: that the train network still isn't properly linked to wireless broadband yet, with the result that you can't access emails during the otherwise very pleasant train journeys here. Actually, you CAN access emails, but the connection breaks unexpected and without any announcement (!) with the result that you have to log back into the system, then into your provider, and then into your email system. Once you have done that about 3 times in the mountains, you are so fed up that you desist entirely. At least that is what has happened with me. I don't even try to get on to email.
Nor, for that matter, do I try to make 'phone calls during train journeys - for the same reason. No doubt, fellow-passengers consider that a mercy! Actually, I do too.... But it is an inconvenience nevertheless.
The second inconvenience is quite extraordinary: that the train network still isn't properly linked to wireless broadband yet, with the result that you can't access emails during the otherwise very pleasant train journeys here. Actually, you CAN access emails, but the connection breaks unexpected and without any announcement (!) with the result that you have to log back into the system, then into your provider, and then into your email system. Once you have done that about 3 times in the mountains, you are so fed up that you desist entirely. At least that is what has happened with me. I don't even try to get on to email.
Nor, for that matter, do I try to make 'phone calls during train journeys - for the same reason. No doubt, fellow-passengers consider that a mercy! Actually, I do too.... But it is an inconvenience nevertheless.
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