Reading Politics

To those that live in Switzerland:

I recall you saying that you can vote anything into passing, legalization ad vice versa. Can you vote a man or lady to death? How exactly are such things handled? I am strongly considering moving to a smaller, more open country because the current state of america sickens me.

I should be ashamed of myself.

Like with most constitutions, every person's right to live, their dignity and protection from arbitrary force is guaranteed on the first page.

'Yeah, That's what Jesus would do. Jesus would bomb Afghanistan. Yeah.' - snowlion

From the Fortune file:

Jacquin's Postulate on Democratic Government:
No man's life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.

Even if the constitution guarentees life, liberty, and security, there's nothing preventing it from being canned entirely after a revolution causes a country to switch over to a despotism. This has already happened at least once within the past century - there's nothing that will prevent it from happening again (aside from an educated population that prevents that sort of political climate.)

Wherever in Europe you cannot vote a man to death. The rights of even a murderer are always preserved, because there is the common belief that it is wrong that a human being takes the life of another human being.

I have to say that I am totally on that side, even if some things that happened here in Italy really challenged me: 2 mothers in two different cities killed their own kids of 2 years and 5 months, and then pretended that there was like a robber that did all this; a man who had been in jail until a few years ago for having raped and killed 2 women (this happened about 30 years ago, and he was condamned to spend the whole life in jail, but then obtained a reduction) after being out of prison and being "clean" for a while, rapes a woman and her 14-year-old daughter, then he kills them and digs a hole and puts them in there; and then all those fucking people who do nasty things to children...

I know that I feel like it would be almost right to kill the ones who kill or abuse children: they are worthless people. How can you stoop to do something like that? Or men raping women. If I were to follow my instinct, I would deball them instead of killing them. This way they will always have to remember of their crime, just like women who have been raped are likely to remember that. It happened to me... almost, because someone arrived just in time and my aggressor ran away. It happened when I was 14, but I still remember that clearly. Maybe some minor details are lost, like what day it was and such. And the worst part is that I had known that guy since we were in the first year of elementary school. I couldn't want his death, yet I know he should have paid for what he had tried to do, but I did not report it to the police. I did not say anything about this, not even to my parents.

Anyway, as I was saying before, when I hear of these major crimes, especially towards women or children, it is really hard for me to keep cool and maintain my opinion of disagreeing on voting a man to death. My mom is normally the one who can always convince me back saying how it would be wrong. The killer or raper has to live and be punished. In my perfect society, we would put such people in jail and then destroy the key of their jail room (that's just to say that we'd put them in, and we'd never get them out again), but it normally doesn't work like that, and it's a shame...

Un bacio è un'apostrofo rosa scritto tra le parole "ti amo".

Ok so you are generalizing that just men rape and sodamize women and children(sorry if i didnt use the correct word for that but im not exactly great with words) but i know for a fact that women do that as much if not a little less then men *due to mens nature to want to be in control* because my best friend and his younger sister were raped by there mother,NOT the father!I am sorry for what happened when you were younger but that doesn't meen that ALL men are like that.Given it is more likely that men will try to do that but 'likely' isnt the same as saying that they WILL do it.

Ok so you are generalizing that just men rape and sodamize women and children(sorry if i didnt use the correct word for that but im not exactly great with words) but i know for a fact that women do that as much if not a little less then men *due to mens nature to want to be in control* because my best friend and his younger sister were raped by there mother,NOT the father!I am sorry for what happened when you were younger but that doesn't meen that ALL men are like that.Given it is more likely that men will try to do that but 'likely' isnt the same as saying that they WILL do it.

You sir, have definitely posted in the wrong thread. :)

I should be ashamed of myself.

Can you vote a man or lady to death?

I'm not an expert on this, but I think the constitution would have to be changed first to allow this kind of referendum (it strictly forbids the killing of people in its current state), and a change of the constitution requires a referendum of its own. While I think that (technically speaking) there's some way to do it, it's very very very unlikely to happen, to say the very least - above all because I don't think many people would vote in favor of such a thing.

"God is dead." - Nietzsche, 1882 "Nietzsche is dead." - God, 1900

This post was edited by null on Jun 12, 2005.

Ah. How is switzerland's stance on software patents? Are they forced to honour them, or are they against them?

I should be ashamed of myself.

Are they forced to honour them, or are they against them?

That's a somewhat complicated story. You've probably heard about the ongoing discussion on software patents in the EU. (In short, patents can be filed, but the legal grounds to enforce them are still being discussed.) Now technically Switzerland is not part of the EU and has no obligation whatsoever to adapt EU law, but since we're a member of the European Patent Convention, it's very likely that we will. In the extreme case the EU will introduce software patents and we Swiss will vote against software patents, which would create the somewhat awkward situation that software made in Switzerland might be illegal abroad, and European software companies won't be able to 'defend' their European patents in Switzerland. You see, autonomy sometimes cuts both ways.

"God is dead." - Nietzsche, 1882 "Nietzsche is dead." - God, 1900

This post was edited by null on Jun 13, 2005.

I am strongly considering moving to a smaller, more open country because the current state of america sickens me.

Dude! I am perpetually considering the idea of moving Canada. I would consider a smaller further away country, but you know, I'd like to keep speaking English and stay relativly close to my family who won't leave the USA.

Albeit, government here is ridiculous not only because of their war mongerings but because of their refusal to help the poor and destitute, or set up any sort of social health care, or even decent public transit!

I'm not sure these issues are better in Canada, but it's worth a shot.

*Charlie thinks to himself* Do Canada research. Do Canada research.

Please contiune to vote AND post.