"Gun Culture" it's not just for Americans

[Zundfolge]

I read this article several years ago and just happend to stumble across it tonight while surfing. I thought some of you guys might find it interesting.

Often times the issue of guns and gun control seems like an overly "Americanized" issue, and the concept of a "gun culture" is also seen as overly American...what with our John Wayne and all.

One nation in Europe makes us Americans look like we don't know a rifle from a broom... Switzerland

http://www.ssanz.org.nz/articles/swiss.html

 

[Mad_Dog]

that is the last country i would have suspected of that. does explain their constant neutrality though, something i always wondered about.

 

[OICW]

I knew that ages ago

Switzerland requires that every man have an assault rifle for national defense.

 

[MadWoffen]

All swiss civilians are soldiers. I'm not sure the system is still in place but after their compelling military service, their remain reservists for life. The nation who want to attack Switzerland one day will have to nuke it to suceed. They even have a military airport inside a mountain. Their tanks and guns can also pop up from almost anywhere thanks to a big network of underground bases. The funny thing is that they even have a marine force...
For the nuking, everything is (/was) ready. Each building in cities has his own nuke-proof bunker. They have been somewhat abandonned recently since the fall of communism and now serve for a lot of rock bands...

So we cannot consider them like just normal european civilians.

 

[DamienW]

So we cannot consider them like just normal european civilians.

Why "like just" and "european civilians" ? We cannot consider them as normal would have been enough

No, seriously, of course all of the are armed, but for national defence purpose, not for personal defence.

But they should, Switzerland is getting more and more dangerous, and billionnaires don't even dare to walk the streets late, since they fear to ba attacked by "poor" millionnaires

(note to slow brains, if there are some here : it's a joke, it's not true)

edit : i'm the greatest of Morons. I wrote my post only based on assumptions of what the document on ZundFoldge's post was. Then i read it, and realised it was kinda right on some ways. Well, given that, gun culture could seem acceptable. The thing i'm wondering is, given the extreme difference of social climate between Switzerland and most countries, would this work ? I mean, i doubt people with real social problems could handle a gun with as responsibility as someone whose life is quite alright (which is the case in Switzerland, and is stated in the document).
Nevertheless, this document showed me the gun control problem from another point of view. So i apologize fore having based my answer on assumptions.
Zundfolge, one last thing : you convinced me 1548 times more with your document than Rogue with his holocaust out-of-context stupid comparisons (see G8 thread if you don't know what i mean). That's what i call intelligent dialog and debate. Thanks.

Max, out.

 

[ShakKen]

Switzerland doesn't have an army. It is one.

 

[poaw]

LOL.

I wonder if any countries in Asia are as open in their gun control policies?

 

[ragingsamster]

What about North Vietnam?

I thought the civilians were armed - with pitchforks, axes, etc. much to the chagrin of downed US pilots, didn't they also provide "right-minded" civilians with AKs too? Although to maintain proper respect for government they prolly took 'em away too.

 

[Donnellizer]

Well, Singapore requires mandatory military service at age 18 I believe. This makes it so every citizen is a soldier. But, they also have strong gun control laws...

Then again, Singapore is so small, even if every citizen is a soldier. It's not a large amount of people.

 

[SuperDudeMan]

When Hitler was planning the invasion of Europe, he included Switzerland in the plans, but then he changed the plans because killing 1 swiss soldier required death of 6 german soldiers.

 

[Chronic]

Go Switzerland! Wish it could be like that in america. No one would dare mess with us.

Thanks for the read Zund, once again!

 

[Donnellizer]

Zund's always got great stuff for us to read. He's m4h h3r0!

 

[MadWoffen]

Originally posted by Chronic
Go Switzerland! Wish it could be like that in america. No one would dare mess with us.

Thanks for the read Zund, once again!

Tough gun control and the obligation of a (almost) life-time military duty for all the population ? What about the "freedom" of not doing so (or loosing some civil rights if not doing it) ?

 

[Zundfolge]

I hope my point hasn't been missed.

I don't want America to become Switzerland (although Switzerland is probably a nice place and the Swiss are probably nice people...I'd love to visit there someday).

My point is that much of the argument used by anti-gun rights people is based around the notion that the presence of guns creates violence...my point has always been that "an armed society is a polite society" and that widespread ownership and carrying of guns by the majority of the population does not cause harm, and probably creates a safer place in which to live.

The Swiss people just happen to help make my case

 

[RogueLeader]

You don't have to keep saying that long drawn out phrase, "an armed society". We have a word for an armed society, "democracy".