9 September 2013 No 27 ISSN 1664-7963

Current Concerns PO Box CH-8044 Zurich Current Concerns Switzerland The international journal for independent thought, ethical standards, moral responsibility, Phone: +41 44 350 65 50 Fax: +41 44 350 65 51 and for the promotion and respect of public international law, human rights and humanitarian law

E-Mail: [email protected] Website: www.currentconcerns.ch English Edition of Zeit-Fragen

Federalism as a guarantee of peace and Switzerland as a model “Such a confederation provides a guarantee for peace both to its own members as well as to its neighbours” by Dr phil René Roca, historian, Direct Democracy Research Institute

The Federalist State of Switzerland is not only a fruit of the Liberals; the Catholic Common features between Pierre-Joseph Proudhon Conservatives with their insistence on the and James Guillaume and democratic Switzerland cantonal sovereignty have contributed largely to this constructive solution after In a little-known letter – (open letter “condition which is absolutely neces- the “Sonderbundskrieg”. Virtually un- to the German social rebels between sary” = “conditio sine qua non”, com- noticed in this context are the important 1833 and 1871), Proudhon writes that mon conferences would make sense. contributions of early socialists, who in the nucleus of the early French so- “Sinon, Non!” (If not, no!) the second half of the 19th century intro- cialists would only have common fea- Why did we not take such thoughts duced the federalist model of Switzerland tures with the German movement, up? The dead of the two World Wars to the European debate. Apart from fed- if the cadres were willing to discuss were not necessary. Rather than sink- eralism the early socialists in Switzerland any issue with each member (CGT ing into misery humans could have also fostered the cooperative movement, and CFDT) all over and fundamental- built up. Where now we have the which took up and built on the principle ly again (direct democracy!!!). In that “Bloodlands” and where the “Gener- of cooperatives in the Ancien Régime. To- case it would have a sustainable im- ation Kill” has raged, something quite gether with the Catholic Conservatives pact (sustainable development, UN!). different would have developed. they created an important foundation for If the German colleagues (around Should we not reflect about that? the development of direct democracy.1 Marx and Co.) were prepared for this A. Buchholz-Kaiser

Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809–1865), as a French early socialist, advocated a In his treatise, Gasser deals intensively hon, Gasser says, had indeed emphasized libertarian approach and promoted fed- with the question of what political and eth- the structure of society from bottom up; eral structures, which distribute politi- ical principles might ensure a constructive however, he had fought the “state” in a too cal power in a decentralized manner. He communal life. This question, Gasser says, uncompromising way, by equating “state” found such structures in Switzerland with has been studied in too little detail by the entirely with the magisterial organizing the federal state of 1848 and took them as intellectuals. European liberalism had in principle of civil service hierarchy and a model to be discussed with other early fact implemented the idea of freedom in the command administration. The “state”, Gas- socialists in Germany and elsewhere in political constitution and the economy, but ser says, defines itself differently. A state Europe. Unfortunately, such approaches in the political practice the administrative order could as well be based on the gener- were only rarely debated in the context of authoritarianism was maintained beyond al will of the local self-administration, as a free debate. Karl Marx (1818–1883) dis- the letter of law (the same as in Europe- the structure of the Swiss Confederation credited Proudhon’s work and launched an socialism). Many liberals had not been showed. For Proudhon the Swiss Confed- a campaign against him. Such an action able to withdraw from the bureaucratic cen- eration was an example of a federation that was symptomatic of the failing success tralism, of a quasi-military command struc- could no longer be called “state”. of the socialist movement to promote sus- ture, Gasser wrote. However, if the com- For Gasser, these divergent perspec- tainable peace on the national and interna- mune as the lowest political level remained tives were no reason not to include Proud- tional level and to prevent the two world a mere tool of governmental power in such hon in his fundamental considerations. He wars. Instead, decentralized, libertari- a structure, liberal democracy with state mentioned in particular Proudhon’s work, an approaches such as that of Proudhon machinery’s comprehensive power might “Du principe fédératif”3, which had first were pushed back in favour of authoritar- take a fateful development towards author- been published in 1863 and had influenced ian state socialist theories. The Swiss his- itarian forms of government. him greatly. torian Adolf Gasser (1903–1985) adopted Proudhon was one of the first to try and Proudhon’s fruitful ideas as early as dur- Proudhon and the model demonstrate the philosophical “theory of ing the Second World War, and praised his of the Swiss Confederation the federative system”. Among so many theory of federalism in his groundbreak- In connection with his finding that only a constitutions that philosophy suggested ing work “Gemeindefreiheit als Rettung federalist state with extensive communal and history had tried out, the federative Europas. Grundlinien einer ethischen Ge- autonomy could be guarantor for a con- system was the only one to “reconcile[s] schichtsauffassung” (Communal freedom structive communal life, Gasser also men- the demands of justice, order, liberty, and as a salvation of Europe. Outlines of an tioned Pierre-Joseph Proudhon alongside ethical view on history).2 others. The anarchist theoretician Proud- continued on page 2 No 27 9 September 2013 Current Concerns Page 2

”Federalism as a guarantee …” the reader to notice, is that in this system the centralization which characterizes, to an continued from page 1 contracting parties, whether heads of fam- equal extent, democratic empires, consti- stability”.4 For Proudhon any political sys- ily, towns, cantons, provinces, or states, not tutional monarchies, and unitary repub- tem is essentially based on a fundamen- only undertake bilateral and commutative lics.” tal duality: on those of authority and free- obligations with each other, but in making For Proudhon the actual social con- dom. These two principles are inextricably the pact, they reserve for themselves more tract is always a contract of federation, tied together: “Authority, without a liberty rights, more liberty, more authority, more which is concluded by a legal act be- to examine it, to resist or submit to it, is an property than they abandon.” tween the citizens and the state. Thus, empty word; liberty, without an authority Proudhon emphasizes – by referring to the two opposing poles “authority” and as counterweight, is meaningless.” a central idea of Rousseau – that the pow- “liberty” are brought into balance. In the In his book, Proudhon analyzed four ers assigned to federal government must course of time, the community of citizens forms of government, all of which are never exceed those assigned to commu- would come to achieve that “the former characterized by the pair of opposites au- nal or provincial “authorities” in numbers declines imperceptibly and withdraws, thority and freedom: Under the “rule of and content. The essential characteristic of while the latter expands […]; since this the authority” he subsumes monarchy and Proudhon’s federalism is that in all verti- dual movement leads to a subordination communism, which are characterized by cal structures of contract the higher levels’ such that authority becomes progressively the indivisibility of power; under the “rule power must decrease vis à vis the lower the instrument of liberty”. For Proudhon, of liberty” he subsumes democracy and one. Gasser took this idea of Proudhon the federative system is applicable to all anarchy which both included the separa- over and called the “state” a “federalist peoples and times and a “a guarantee [of tion of power. For Proudhon the idea of a body politic of the future” and a “contrac- peace] to its neighbours as well as to its separation of power or powers was one of tual voluntary federation of communes”.� own members”. the biggest achievements so far in political Proudhon mentions the Swiss feder- In addition to the peacekeeping Proud- science. Proudhon called himself an “an- al state as the single example that has put hon mentions further ethical principles archist” but in his work he did no longer into practice the characteristics he men- that a federative system creates: use the term “anarchism” but put the “Idea tioned. In the following he quotes sever- “The federal system puts a stop to mass of the Federation” into the centre, which al articles of the Federal Constitution of agitation, to the ambitions and tumults of he probably considered a kind of synthe- 1848 in order to underline this statement: the demagogues; it is the end of rule by sis of democracy and anarchism. “Article 2: The purpose of the Con- the public square, of the triumphs of tri- federation is to secure the independence bunes, and of domination by the capital Finding a reasonable balance of the nation towards foreign powers, to city.” between liberty and authority maintain internal peace and order, to pro- These ethical implications can in fact Proudhon also notes that the government tect the rights and liberties of its members, be compared to Gasser’s “ethical collec- systems, which constituted the political and to increase their common prosperity. tivism”. The federative and direct demo- practice at his time, were not able to bal- Article 3: The cantons are sovereign cratic system that has shaped Switzerland ance liberty and authority in a reasonable within the limits of federal sovereignty, and from 1848 on, is not only a specific de- manner. The result was the “antonomies of as such they exercise all rights which have centralized structure of society. The peo- rule” which are characterized by arbitrar- not been delegated to the federal power. ple living in it also create values that are iness and corruption. Based on this disil- Article 5: The Confederation guaran- beneficial to peaceful coexistence and the lusioning analysis of the present Proudhon tees to the cantons their territory, their constructive shaping of society. After the wants to find out “whether society can ar- sovereignty within the limits established Second World War Gasser tirelessly en- rive at some settled, equitable, and stable by Article 3, their constitutions, the liber- deavored to introduce and discuss his fed- state of things, acceptable to our reason ty and rights of their inhabitants, the con- erative and direct democratic approach and our conscience”. In following he deals stitutional rights of their citizens, as well at the national and international level. It with the “exposure of the idea of ‘federa- as the rights and powers which the peo- is absolutely worthwhile to follow in his tion’” and puts the “idea of the contract” ple have conferred upon the authorities.”6 footsteps. • at the beginning of his considerations. In The Federal Constitution of 1848 does 1 Cf. Roca, René: Wenn die Volkssouveränität Proudhon’s federal system political agree- not mention the communes at all. It was wirklich eine Wahrheit werden soll … Die Sch- ment is actually a binding contract that is the part of the sovereignty of the cantons weizerische direkte Demokratie in Theorie und proposed, discussed and voted on. The po- to grant the communes their freedom. Praxis – Das Beispiel des Kantons Luzern, litical agreement is anything but fictitious However, it was implicitly clear that the Schriften zur Demokratieforschung, vol. 6, Zu- for Proudhon; it gains all its dignity and communal level was the lowest state level rich-Basel-Geneva, 2012. morality only under two conditions: “1. it and that the principle of subsidiarity was 2 See Gasser, Adolf: Gemeindefreiheit als Rettung is synallagmatic and commutative, 2. it is guaranteed. Europas. Grundlinien einer ethischen Geschichts- auffassung, 2nd extended edition, Basel, 1947. confined, in its object, within definite lim- Proudhon says about this Swiss “state its”. The following must be provided for the structure”: 3 See Proudhon, Pierre-Joseph: The principle of fed- eration and the need to reconstitute the party of single citizen who concludes such a polit- “Thus a confederation is not exactly a revolution. Published in 1863. Translated from ical contract with the state: 1. The citizen state; it is a group of sovereign and inde- French by Richard Vernon. Without page reference. must obtain from the state as much as he pendent states, associated by a pact of mu- http://www.ditext.com/proudhon/federation/fed- eration.html (accessed 28 Aug 2013) assigns to it, and 2. The citizen must keep tual guarantees”. All Proudhon quotes are taken from this text. all his freedom, sovereignty and initiative. For Proudhon the Swiss State gave 4 This way Proudhon describes exactly the practical evidence that his idea of a feder- Cf. Proudhon Principle, without page reference direct-democratic political culture of Swit- ation could be put into practice. 5 Gasser, Adolf: Geschichte der Volksfreiheit und zerland which the former citizens had won Demokratie, second edition, Aarau, 1949, p 231, see also Gasser, Gemeindefreiheit, pp. 22. in hard political struggles. The federative system Proudhon then goes one step further by as a guarantee of peace 6 Cf. Proudhon Principle, without page reference. See also Kölz, Alfred: Quellenbuch zur neueren saying: In summary, Proudhon explains that “the schweizerischen Verfassungsgeschichte. Vom Ende “What is essential to and characteristic of federal system is the contrary of hierar- der Alten Eidgenossenschaft bis 1848, Berne 1992, the federal contract, and what I most wish chy or administrative and governmental pp. 447 No 27 9 September 2013 Current Concerns Page 3

History and its lessons The failure of Swiss politics when it comes to the defense of Swiss sovereignty by Thomas Kaiser There are analogies in history, which used, the logistics were insufficient and worry us, but can also give a perspective the army was completely insufficient in when one thinks of the “malice (nowa- size, the armament and equipment ex- days)”. We are now at the beginning of tremely deficient. If war had been taken the 21st century confronted with very sim- to Switzerland by Prussia or France, ilar questions as our forefathers were 140, Switzerland would have faced a disaster. 100 or 75 years ago: How should Switzer- With some ten thousand men, Switzer- land assert her sovereignty? What does it land would have been unable to defend take to survive as a neutral small state, its independence and sovereignty against surrounded by great powers or even only the Prussians, reinforced by soldiers from the superpower EU, and not – as was eu- other German principalities and Duchies phemistically repeated over and again – or against the French mass army. by friends, without abandoning our state’s independence? Switzerland was just lucky Reading different books which de- General Hans Herzog, elected by the Fed- pict the historical situation of Switzer- eral Assembly, had tried by all means land while the situation in Europe devel- available to him to maintain a rudimen- oped more and more in the direction of tary defense capability, even then with war, we can recognize somewhat fright- greatest efforts and against the strong re- ening parallels to the current geopolitical sistance on the part of politics. Federal situation. One of these books was writ- Councillor Welti did not tell the popula- ten by Bernhard von Arx: “Konfrontation tion the truth about the actual state of the – Die Wahrheit über die Bourbaki-Leg- army, but glossed over the situation and ende [Confrontation – the truth about the depicted the military capability of Swit- ISBN 978-3-7193-1542-9 Bourbaki legend]”. (see Current Concerns zerland in the nicest colors. Welti deceived No. 12 of 25 March, 2013). It outlines al- the population in a manner practiced ever cialism”], the ambivalent attitude of the most in analogy to the present time, how and again up to this day by various Fed- Federal Council and in particular of the inadequately Switzerland was prepared eral Councils, for example when the total two Federal Councillors Motta and Pilet- in 1870/71 for the escalating conflict be- revision of the Federal Constitution al- Golaz plays a devastating role, much like tween Prussia and France. Policymakers, legedly was only a “light actualization”, in the book of Bernhard von Arx. What in particular the Federal Council, here in or with respect to the revision of the Epi- Hitler intended with his so-called “ex- the person of Emil Welti, had criminally demics Act, that is supposed to be “much tended strategy”, – which was successful neglected the army and its defence capa- less restricting” than the old one, etc etc. namely in Austria or in the Sudetenland, bility but focused instead on prestige pro- What was neglected under Welti for many later in Denmark and Norway, as well as jects like Alfred Escher’s railway plans. years could not be fixed in such a short in Croatia and not least in France, at the Nothing worked in this army and it time. Even though in 1870/71 the Swiss beginning anyway – to break the enemy’s was highly disturbing in case the emer- soldiers went to work courageously and resistance with targeted propaganda and gency case should occur. So for exam- took seriously on their task of national de- a willing fifth column in their own coun- ple no standardized ammunition was fense and the protection of the homeland, try to incorporate the corresponding land that is of old men, women and children; it into the German Empire without the de- was a happy coincidence that Switzerland ployment of the military – was lead to in the Franco-Prussian war came away success in Switzerland, as well. But this with a “black eye”. Considering this ex- was not the case. What worked in other perience, should we actually again rely on countries failed in Switzerland, not be- good luck today and in the future and send cause of a courageous Federal Council, our army home or even dismiss it what the distinguished by clear words and a clear GSoA has been demanding for years? Or stance – although some Federal Council- maintain the military capability in such lors as Obrecht clearly expressed them- a way that we can adequately respond to selves – but because of an informed pop- threat scenarios? ulation and a really independent press. At the time, there were over four hundred “The army […] was worth independent newspapers and similar to if only by the fact that it existed.” the time of the Franco-Prussian War an Another book that has been discussed al- army command that recognized their re- ready in detail (see Current Concerns sponsibility and strengthened the spirit No. 4 of 28 January 2013), is has obtained of resistance. It is undisputed that an ef- a gloomy relevance in the present politi- fective and operational army made a de- cal situation. In this work, written by Alice cisive contribution to protect Switzerland Meyer, “Anpassung oder Widerstand” from the misery and the destruction of – Die Schweiz zur Zeit des National­ the war. Even the historian Georg Kreis sozialismuzs [Adjustment or resistance – ISBN 978-3-03823-744-0 Switzerland at the time of National So- continued on page 4 No 27 9 September 2013 Current Concerns Page 4

”History and its lessons” this “fantastic peace dividend” for Swit- hat, and you rub your eyes in amazement. continued from page 3 zerland? A military eradication in the once The fairy tale of friends, who surround writes so, who otherwise uses every op- powerful Swiss Army, which is highly dan- us, is dangerous, because it obscures re- portunity to put Switzerland in a negative gerous. ality and confuses historical thinking. A light, when he explained in his book pub- US geo-strategist brought it to the point: lished in 1999: “How ever the military Adjustment or resistance – “Between states there are no friends, but strength of the Swiss Army is classified, a question even today only interests.” Who had imagined, that in the army was […] worth alone by the fact In a further book, edited by the Group August 2013 the situation between Spain that it existed. Without the army Switzer- Giardino, excellently titled “Mut zur and the United Kingdom comes to head, land would have been much more exposed Kursänderung” (Courage to change course) that newspapers are already heading: “Is to the German and Italian pressure. Swit- the status of the Swiss army is revealed and there a second Falklands war concern- zerland would have become a completely it is described what devastating role the fed- ing Gibraltar?”, after the British had al- unprotected ‘self-service shop’ and would eral government played and is still playing. ready sent war ships to the Strait of Gi- have been ruthlessly exploited as for ex- (see Current Concerns No. 22 of 8.7.2013) braltar and Spain has pledged its support ample France or Denmark were. (Georg We remember the above-mentioned quote to Argentina in the issue of Falkland in re- Kreis: Die Schweiz im Zweiten Weltkrieg. by Georg Kreis, who attached a great im- turn, which must sound almost like a dec- Ihre Antworten auf die Herausforderun- pact merely to the existence of an army. laration of war in the ears of the British. gen der Zeit, p. 98). These are the realities: “friendly states”, who are both members of the EU. Unfor- If the press was really independent... tunately it is the status still as of today, But it took time and again it took peo- although the UN Charter signed by all ple, individual citizens, who adhered to members of the United Nations enshrines the freedom and sovereignty of Switzer- the equality (in the sense of equal value land and took a stand for it with their own and equal rights) of all states that great means. The effect that this had on the fel- powers always try to dominate the small low human beings should not be underes- ones and to rule over them, except those timated. The national exhibition of 1939, that can defend themselves. But to this end lovingly called “Landi” by the Swiss, re- a well-equipped, motivated army is indis- flects exactly this mentality which is need- pensible as well as representatives of the ed, when major powers are making a free people, who know what they have to de- independent and peace-loving small State fend, and who support the people in their the object of their greed. The media land- discomfort and so build up a resistance – scape at that time was diverse and inde- so resistance rather than adjustment. • pendent and this shows by what media mishmash we are steered at the moment preferably into one direction. Today, there are a few large publishing houses, which ISBN 978-3-033-03917-9 Current Concerns more or less determine the whole media The international journal for independent landscape for German-speaking Switzer- However, the Group Giardino goes further. thought, ethical standards, moral responsibility, land. Despite the internet and so-called An army, and this requires our Constitu- and for the promotion and respect “information society”, it is difficult to form tion, must be capable to protect the coun- of public international law, human rights and humanitarian law a comprehensive and independent opinion try and its people and to defend them in today. Usually, it is common sense, which an extreme emergency. For this, the nec- Publisher: Zeit-Fragen Cooperative prevents you from being fooled by misin- essary financial means must be provid- Editor: Erika Vögeli formation. ed. If this is not the case, you must call the Address: Current Concerns, Today the “extended strategy” is much spade a spade, and that is something which P.O. Box, CH-8044 Zurich easier to apply than at Hitler’s time. Through the Group Giardino is doing with its book, Phone: +41 (0)44 350 65 50 the electronic media and their strong focus among other things. The behavior of Euro- Fax: +41 (0)44 350 65 51 on profit there is an open way to manipula- pean EU-countries towards Switzerland, E-Mail: [email protected] tion. There are hardly any honesty and no notably Germany and France, is disturb- Subscription details: journalism committed to truth to be found. ing and should be sufficient reason to be published regularly electronically as PDF file Only this way one can explain why Switzer- ready for a possible further escalation. So Annual subscription rate of SFr. 40,-, Euro 30,-, £ 25,-, $ 40,- land today, 20 years after the fall of the iron far, our Federal Council bows to the pres- for the following countries: curtain, is in such an uncomfortable situa- sure and hopes to be able to avert the di- Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, tion similar to the one after the First World saster. Far from it! The weaker our govern- Cyprus,, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hongkong, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, War. At that time as in 1991 it was “unrealis- ment is, the greater are the claims. In 1940 Japan, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Nether- tic” to believe that war was obsolete. At that it was clear already, and that hasn’t changed lands, New Zealand, Norway, Qatar, Singapore, time it read, as Hermann Suter stated in his even today. “It depends on us at this stage of Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab ­Emirates, interview: “No more war!” the international scene only, that we remain United Kingdom, USA In 1991, one spoke of the “peace div- stable and rigid. […] The Reich leadership Annual subscription rate of SFr. 20,-, Euro 15,-, £ 12,50, $ 20,- idend”. Since the win war of aggression will not decide on a military action against for all other countries. waged by NATO against Yugoslavia (1995 Switzerland, if it maintains its current ar- Account: Postscheck-Konto: PC 87-644472-4 and 1999) offense of international law at mament and mobilization. […]” The editors reserve the right to shorten letters to the latest, and since the intolerable “War the editor. Letters to the editor do not necessarily on Terror” (since 2001) by George W. Bush The fairy tale of the eternal friendship reflect the views and opinions of Current Concerns. and an ever more imperially behaving EU As soon as our country gives in in one © 2011. All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or (since 2007), this dividend has been used point concerning our own nation, the transmission of this publication may be made without written up. And what were the consequences of next claim is already pulled out of the permission. No 27 9 September 2013 Current Concerns Page 5 The principle of the militia army is a main pillar in the Federal State of Switzerland Interview with Hermann Suter, President of the Group Giardino

thk. The Swiss to stop the further destruction of the army. army, says Feder- ASMZ: That is our goal. al Councillor Ueli “An army of 100,000 men is un- Maurer (see box), able to fulfill the contract under What has been abolished, that we would is no longer able the Federal Constitution Arti- urgently need for a good army? to fulfil its consti- Let’s start with the armed forces’ per- tutional mandate, cle 58, paragraph 2: ‘The army sonnel strength. The Army 61 ended with namely to ensure defends the country and its pop- more than 700,000 men. It had an impres- the country’s de- ulation.’ It is therefore no more sive level of mobilization. Three quar- Hermann Suter fence. For several constitutional.” ters of the troops were operational with- (picture thk) years, the Group in 48 hours. In the field of equipment the Giardino, an as- army was as redundant as no other army Ueli Maurer: “The statement is sociation of former and still active mili- in the world. When General Clark, the tia officers and proponents of a contem- basically correct.” NATO supreme commander of his time porary militia army has drawn attention Source: Allgemeine Schweizerische Mil- was asked, how he would judge the de- itiärzeitschrift (General Swiss military to this miserable situation. The Group journal) ASMZ, No. 7, July 2013 fence force in Switzerland, he respond- Giardino has denounced this miserable ed that it could well defend itself. That state of the army in several publications was then. Today, we are regarded as the and prompted a reversal. Her most re- In a sense, history repeats itself, and I reserve army of the reserve by NATO. cent publication “Mut zur Kürsänderung am going back almost 100 years, to the Today, the army has about 100,000 men. [Courage to change course]” is unflatter- end of the First World War. After this trag- About one-fifth of these 100,000 are ing to the state of the army and offers so- ic event in which millions died, were in- called combat groups that are not even lutions how a meaningful transformation jured, maimed, traumatized, the world fully equipped. The initial number of of the military could be performed so that has called loudly: “No more war!” The 40,000 men, who are now planned to be it can fulfil its mission again. In the fol- League of Nations was established and deployed for so-called subsidiary opera- lowing interview Hermann Suter, presi- peace talks were launched. The League of tions, i.e. to support the cantons in disas- dent of the Group Giardino, explains the Nations took up residence in neutral Swit- ters, were halved to 20,000. The whole situation in detail. zerland, in Geneva, the birthplace of the army has been manoeuvred into a direc- Red Cross. This was driven by well-inten- tion that even the head of the DDPS, Ueli Current Concerns: The Group Giardino tioned idealistic and humanitarian ideas. Maurer, declared that the army cannot de- advocates a modern, well-equipped and The “No more war!” was politically mis- fend the country. He said so four weeks powerful army. What’s wrong with our used. The argument was, if there should ago in an interview in the “Allgemeine army? never again be a war, if there would be no Schweizerische Militärzeitschrift [Gener- Hermann Suter: It is in fact true that the more shooting, an army is no longer nec- al Swiss Military Journal] (ASMZ No. 7, Swiss Army has got into a precarious sit- essary either. In 1924, as a consequence, July 2013). According to Giardino this sit- uation. This does not only affect the ma- Switzerland has had literally let the army uation violates Article 58 of the Federal terial and equipment, but it has been led go to rack and ruin, with the TO 24 (troops Constitution. Also the project of the De- into the disaster during the past 20 years order). No one was prepared for the fact velopment of the Army (WEA), which we due to increasing financial cutbacks. Al- that a few years later the Nazis, the fas- radically reject as unconstitutional, sup- most all reserves have been abolished, cists, had incredibly upgraded their mili- ports the thesis that the army is no longer material worth billions was destroyed, tary and unleashed the Second World War able to defend itself, let alone our country, mind you without legitimacy. The train- only a short time later. Our army was not neither to the outside nor inside. ing has suffered severe damage because prepared for that. The analogy to this his- totally inadequate concepts were created. torical situation is the fall of the Berlin Even Ueli Maurer said in the above-men- There is no longer any “ability for mobi- Wall and the end of East-West confronta- tioned interview that the state of the army lization”, also the logistics is in dire state, tion, the end of the Warsaw Pact and the violates the constitution. even if one begins slowly to correct some fall of the Iron Curtain. At that time the That’s exactly it. In addition, you should things here. In our opinion, as we have whole Western world said, “now there will know that, as can be heard from very shown in the book “Mut zur Kursänder- be no more war.” In response, the Swiss well-informed sources, that the head of ung [Courage to change course]” and in military, which until the beginning of the the DDPS is always shot down with his the two preceding publications “Schwar- 90ies, had been well positioned, start- bills six to one in the Federal Council. zbuch I und II [Black Book I and II]”, the ed to launch the carousel of reforms that The state government is primarily respon- army is at a crossroads in terms of staff, can make you dizzy. The high politics, the sible for the disaster; as well as the federal material and finances. It has – together Federal Council and the bulk of the fed- councillors who did not notice this or did with some parts of the militia organiza- eral parliament are clearly responsible for not want to notice it. In this regard I speak tions who could not prevail – complete- this. They fell victim to the same naive il- only of the bourgois parties – the left wing ly lost its planning security for the next lusion as their predecessors more than 80 advocates the abolition of the army any- 10, 20 years, due to the disastrous poli- years ago. There is an almost identical way – the big bourgeois parties, CVP, cies of the Federal Council and the Par- repetition. It is completely irresponsible, FDP, Green Liberal etc. The SVP (Swiss liament...Why is it that the army has fall- and it was last not least for this reason that People’s Party) has always adhered to the en into such a condition, and where is it the Group Giardino was founded in order to be observed? to stop the politicians in federal Berne and continued on page 6 No 27 9 September 2013 Current Concerns Page 6

”The principle of the militia army …” in which the soldier returns to civilian life world, and I hope that the people will also continued from page 5 and comes back into service as a citizen, realise that. only this militia army can succeed. Those army, we have to give them credit for that. who want to abolish are not only shooting What does it mean for our country if we But slowly but surely the other parties also the army in the foot or cutting the ground speak of the state-political importance of realize what disaster they have caused. from under the army’s feet, but also dam- our army? Whether that insight will have any politi- age the whole political culture in party For the multilingualism of Switzerland, cal impact and will lead to the establish- politics, in educational politics, in health the old army was a very important social ment of an operational army remains to politics – in any political area this way. bracket. Switzerland, as a nation that was be seen. Therefore, we must hold on to the military established from the political will of the service, as we have defined it, and how it people, with its various language regions, Let us adress the vote on 22 September. has well-proven itself. has to be recreated virtually, every day. What does the militia army mean for Swit- This is not self-evident. The fact that, in zerland? The argument that a professional army or the army, we do not only have the various The foundation of it all is the basic idea of even a volunteer militia army is cheaper, social classes under one roof, that those direct democracy that the citizen is also a is often heard. who are in the same barracks also have soldier and the soldier at the same time a A small country like Switzerland can af- to go to the same arena, the bank direc- citizen. This is the basic maxim. Only a ford no other army than a militia army. tor just as the butcher apprentice, that the democratic state can afford, must afford For 30,000 men (of a professional army) Romansh-speaking and the French-speak- and must want to afford to maintain the we would have to raise wages of 3 bil- ing and the German-speaking Swiss have connection citizen-soldier and soldier-cit- lion. However, nothing else is paid for – to do the same exercises, has been cru- izen and to place confidence in the citi- no gun, no uniform, no military material. cial for the cohesion of our country. Now zen. So in the final analysis it is a political A complete illusion. A state militia army we have reduced the stocks dramatically principle of trust, a basic understanding is politically imperative and mandatory, against our better judgment, we have re- of the state, and therefore the principle of and, in my view, just for the task in which duced the conscription age dramatically, the militia army is just a main pilar in the the citizen soldier has to sacrifice his life, we have abolished the army classes, we Federal State of Switzerland. Only a mi- if ill luck would have it, there is no alter- have no more reserves. Today, you leave litia army in which the soldier really pro- native. With all our might, we must reject your service obligation at the age of 30, vides his service and fulfils the general the neo-marxist theories of GSoA, that the recruitment to the army is about half. conscription to serve the community and dreams of a nonviolent society or even Therefore, people have started to discuss military justice. We have reduced the whole army so that its integrative func- Updated scenario: The implosion tion is no longer as effective as it could actually be. Starting the brigadization of of Switzerland at the gates ? the army and the abolition of the tradition- by Professor Dr Albert A. Stahel al associations in the individual cantons, as I have experienced as a child, is just While in Syria a civil war is raging – ini- eastern (Romania, Hungary) and the nostalgia. This way the common touch of tiated by the Saudis and Turkey – while at southern outskirts a process of economic the army was damaged quite viciously. the same time the US are deploying spe- and social decay has begun. These coun- Giardino is therefore of the opinion that cial task forces from Jordan against the tries are also facing mass immigration one must increase the resources not only Assad regime, keeping up the pressure on from North Africa and Syria. If this mass for purely military reasons, but that creat- Iran through their armada in the Persian immigration increases, the economies of ing reserves again is a very urgent task as Gulf, it looks as if Saudi-funded radical these countries are likely to come under well. The WEA report says that no more Salafis but also al-Qaeda fighters of the Is- even greater pressure. With such a devel- reserves are necessary, which is the big- lamic State of Iraq and Levant might seize opment, a definitive collapse of the econ- gest disaster of all. An army without re- power in Syria after the fall of the Assad omies of Spain, Portugal and Greece is serves can not fulfill its mission. We need regime. At the moment these extremists in conceivable. to enlarge the stocks again, in the mili- Syria are also fighting the so-called sec- According to its policy in the past, Italy tary, but also in the political and social in- ular insurgents, supported by the United is likely to pass on those movements of terest for the integrative function that this States. people further north. This could lead to militia army has. Egyptian President Mursi has been Switzerland being faced with 5–10 mil- overthrown by the army. The rule of the lion asylum seekers from North Africa and The ‘ramp-up phase’ was the answer to Muslim Brotherhood has ended. Now a the Middle East in the near future. Already the drastic reduction of the soldiers for power struggle is raging between the Mus- today, the political leadership in Berne is years. How do you see that? lim Brotherhood and the army! It seems unable to cope with this task. All the more This idea is nonsense. An army needs a plausible indeed that this is going to lead Berne will prove incapable to overcome minimal solid foundation. This founda- to a collapse of state and economy. the crisis under the strain of additional tion is only useful if it can be put on its As a consequence, Egypt would only asylum seekers. In such a situation also feet within a reasonable time. At the same be able to provide for half of its 80 million the cantonal police forces with their short- time a mobilization capability is needed. inhabitants! If so, 20-40 million Egyptians age of manpower will be no longer oper- In the era of Ogi and during the Minis- would migrate to Europe! Two million able. State, economy and society of Swit- ter of Defense Rumsfeld’s term in office Christians from disintegrated Syria and zerland are likely to collapse very quickly in the United States, the high Swiss offic- probably some millions more from Tuni- as a result of such a development. • ers were sent there. Then they came back sia and Lebanon would have to be added. Source: Institut für Strategische Studien [Institute home with this idea and started to have This development already looms for Strategic Studies] from 17 August 2013; www. fantasies of a module-and-attack army. ahead, while the EU is still facing the strategische-studien.com euro crisis. At the same time in the EU’s (Translation Current Concerns) continued on page 7 No 27 9 September 2013 Current Concerns Page 7 Surviving in malicious times Switzerland 70 years ago by Dr phil Peter Koller ts. In history, it has not been easy for the complete this task? As a nation forged by small states. They are either exposed to the will of the people, would we muster Gotthard Association the arrogance of the bigger states or they the will to comprehensively protect and On 20 June 1940 the “Gotthard As- are surrounded by a big power structure preserve this our jewel? A look into the sociation” was founded in Berne. It – or there might be such people within the history may straighten up those confeder- concerned a reputed spiritual resist- country who are tired of their homeland ates who have become fickle or insecure ance movement which engaged as an and / or the 5th Column beleaguer them by today's propaganda: The Swiss model institution beyond party boundaries from within to the abandonment of their of direct democracy, federalism and the for the untarned will of Switzerland independence. The old “Eidgenossen” perpetual armed neutrality is and will re- to defend herself, later for the sup- (Confederates) used to describe these cir- main the model of peace, which has re- port of the project Wahlen and the cumstances by the term “malice of the mained unmatched to this day, radiating transformation of “Erwerbsersat- time”. As the articles in this issue of Cur- not only to the inside, but also to the out- zordnung” (Regulation for income rent Concerns show, each generation of side world, as a hope for the people else- compensation) for soldiers to a genu- Swiss citizens must take a new effort, es- where that a coexistence among sovereign ine public insurance for the whole of pecially when it was granted a period of nation-states, respecting human digni- Switzerland, later called AHV. Their peace. We forget all too fast that history ty and living together in peace would be common program was the uncondi- does not always pass peacefully and we possible – if we finally really commit our- tional commitment to Switzerland. better prepare in times of peace for more selves to it. Gonzague de Reynold, Denis de Rou- turbulent times. If EU policy makers even gemont, Walther Allgöwer, Gottlieb Duttweiler (founder of the coopera- compare the year 2013 to the year 1913, “None of us will go on a pilgrimage” with all its consequences, a small coun- tive of Migros); Robert Eibel, Chris- try like Switzerland will be well-advised Given the threatening signs for a new tian Gasser, but also trade unionists to proceed into the future in union, hav- World War, the Swiss Federal Council like Charles Ducommun (Swiss Trade ing ascertained itself of its past. The sub- took its state political task seriously by the Union Association); and René Leyraz sequent article will contribute to this: If end of 1938. In his message to the Feder- (Association of the Christian Trade the precarious situation of the Confeder- al Assembly on 9 November 1938 Federal Unions), and the “father“ of later ation before and during the Second World Councilor Philipp Etter named the “tasks Swiss Plan to extend agriculture, later War is presented, with all the pressing is- of the Swiss preservation and promotion Federal Councillor Friedrich Traugott Wahlen. The decisive impulse was sues and problems of national defense, of culture”1. This message has been later given by university professor Theo of how to secure the supply of the coun- referred to by historians as the “Magna Spoerri. try, but also how to reject the Nazi prop- Charta of the spiritual defense of Switzer- aganda, every contemporary must ask land”. In his message the Federal Council- himself: Where do we stand today? What lor Etter rejected “racism, ethnic nationa- tural diversity, the federative character of about our current food security? What lism, the state propaganda on culture and democracy and the reverence for the di- about our army? What about our spirit the leader state” and contrasted them with gnity and freedom of man. The defense of of resistance? Is there a General Guisan, the basic values of Switzerland: the belon- these spiritual values was primarily decla- i.e. is there a personality today willing to ging to three European cultural areas, cul- continued on page 8

”The principle of the militia army …” But the basic foundation must be such that am cautiously optimistic that it might be continued from page 6 it deters potential enemies and that the possible, but we’re talking about periods country is prepared to ward off the most between 10 and 15 years. Switzerland has never wanted to attack dangerous threats. a country. We have a purely defensive Mr Suter, thank you for the interview. • army. Our philosophy is dissuasion. But How do you see the future of our army? dissuasion and armed neutrality is cred- We will reject the initiative, I assume, in ible only if the army is able to take a cer- principle. Then immediately the next front tain force to the front within a reasonable will arise. The development of the Army time and to have an external effect. The (WEA). I think it is based on a complete- whole magic about ramp-up is complete ly wrong starting point. We will probably nonsense and means scattering sand into then have to fight it. Frankly, I’m skepti- I believe there is only one answer to the eyes of the people. Today we speak of cal that we can enforce it politically, be- the GSoA initiative: anticipation. At that time I personally had cause it needs a radical change of heart. Those who live in Switzerland and asked Federal Councillor Ogi if he could It cannot be that the army and the securi- benefit from our achievements like tell me how Europe will look like in five ty policy are ranked 17th out of twenty po- communities, cantons and state are li- years time and at what point of time he sitions. Probably the general and specific able to military service! would seize the “red” phone to reinforce situation are still not dramatic enough, so The initiative is therefore to be re- the army. The answer was dead silence. that the people realize what is going on jected! This is useless. Obviously, if the situation there. And hopefully we will not be late So NO on the ballot! evolves more and more towards war, the again, as unfortunately has been a con- Kind regards, degree of preparedness has to be changed. stant in Swiss history. We’re fighting that. Hans Versell Then you have to consider where there are We cannot reach for the stars. It is a prop- Münsingen still resources that can be brought to use. er work in terms of raising awareness. I No 27 9 September 2013 Current Concerns Page 8

”Perseverance in malicious times” it” was the spirit that made all those many continued from page 7 “It will be a matter for the future his- sacrifices and privations possible, which toriography to analyze the transfor- the generation in active service taken on. mations which our people underwent red the citizens‘ task, not that of the state. The post-war and prosperity generation as to its moral attitude during the var- Etter’s message ended with the words: owes everything to them, including their ied, eventful years of 1939 to 1942. In “The Swiss idea is not a product of opportunity to benefit without any own ef- the retrospective the occasion to re- race, i.e. of the flesh, but it is the mind’s fort from the fruits of the sacrifices their flect and strengthen ourselves on work. It is an admirable fact that a big parents’ and grandparents’ generations have a national basis seems to us to be a idea, a European, universal idea, originat- made. The entire post-war Switzerland has gift offered by heaven, that is to say ed at the Gotthard – the mountain that sep- to bow to the courage of the active service in form of the unforgettable nation- arates and the pass that unites – and that it generation, their discipline, their willing- al exhibition in 1939. Certain things has become a political reality: the idea of a ness to make sacrifices for the common that would have had to be said and spiritual community of peoples and West- good, even sacrifice their own lives. felt at the outbreak of the disaster in September 1939, at a moment when ern cultures.”2 The Rütli Report: The Swiss response the pressure of events did not leave to the pressure to conform the time to do this – had been said “The desire for a plan of perseverance in advance and felt in advance, had which contains all measures to sustain In the second year of the war, after the un- become the good of millions of peo- the war hardships and which implies all expectedly rapid collapse of France, Swit- ple who would not lose it, these peo- measures vital to wartime economy, a zerland found itself completely surrounded ple who had not only seen, but also desire that emerges time and again, is a by national-socialist and fascist totalitari- lived and experienced this way. The further testimony of the consciousness anism. Thus, not the military situation, but outbreak of war met our people in given to a lot of people who say that also the economic situation was desperate. a state of determined will which our they would like to be team members in Switzerland’s decent response to the people had scarcely ever reached be- a systematic and organized whole and oppressions did now not come from the fore, a will to maintain and defend that they would like to strive for a com- political side, but from the military. On our spiritual and political and eco- mon aim if the big stages of marching nomical integrity.” 25 July 1940 General Guisan ordered all direction were being traced out in ad- Wahlen, Friedrich Traugott: Unser vance. It must not surprise you that this higher force commanders to gather for Boden heute und morgen. Etappen need is present just in the Swiss man’s a report on the historic grounds of the und Ziele des schweizerischen Anbau- soul. It is always that his critical spirit Rütli meadow above Lake Lucerne, the werks, Zurich (Atlantis) 1943, that has matured through a democrat- place where the three original cantons had Foreword, p. 7 ic training taking several generations, adopted the Federal Charter in 1291. [emphasis by the author] wants information about the whys and The 25 July 1940 marked the end of the hows on which the authorities’ the army‘s redeployment, associated with to put up successful resistance. The Rütli measures are based. It would certainly the withdrawal of part of the army units Report was published in the Swiss news- be wrong to judge the call for a system- into the so-called “Réduit”. For Guisan, papers and met with overwhelming pop- atic and organized wartime economy as a concession in direction of collectiviza- this seemed to be the right time to oblige ularity among the people and the troops, tion and massification.” the officer corps and the Swiss population even with enthusiasm. It was the redeem- Wahlen, Friedrich Traugott: Unser Boden to put up unconditional resistance. After ing word that overcame the paralysis. heute und morgen. Etappen und Ziele being transproted by paddle steamer from des schweizerischen Anbauwerks, Lucerne to the Rütli the commanders of The Wahlen cultivation plan – closing Zurich (Atlantis) 1943, preface, p. 11 the army units and military units aligned the ranks and putting up resistance [emphasis by the author] in a semicircle. The General outlined the However, not only in the army but also in difficult political and military situation in large parts of the population, the Swiss At the National Exhibition in Zurich the country after the confinement by the wanted to oppose the Nazi demon. On in 1939, the Swiss national defense, the Axis powers, gave national reasons for 15 November 1940, in the “Zunftsaal zur so-called “Landi Spirit”, sharply fought the withdrawal into the Réduit and called Schmieden” (guild hall for forgers) in Zu- by Goebbel’s propaganda, found its ef- upon the people and the army to offer un- rich, a federal official who was not well fective expression. It met with large con- conditional resistance. On the return trip, known at that time gave a presentation of sent among the people. Federal Council- an order was distributed in which the army fateful importance to the Society of Swiss lor Obrecht, who in the 1930s had changed was asked not to lend their ear to those Farmers. It was Friedrich Traugott Wahl- the Swiss army into an effective force along who spread defeatist messages. Instead, en, the “father of the cultivation plan”, as with Federal Councillor Minger, expressed they should believe in their own strength he was later called, later on he was Can- this very natural will to resist against the ar- tonal Councillor and longtime Federal rogance of power that was firmly anchored “In the military sector this question Councillor. At that time he was appoint- in the Swiss population, in the following [the question of perseverance, the au- ed to the War Office of Food, where he simple and straightforward formula. “None thor] had been answered in the sense was asked to study the conditions under of us will go on pilgrimage”.3 of a ’high-spirited pessimism‘ by the which Switzerland could maintain its food The Swiss peoples’ determination to re- idea of the ’réduit national‘. Social per- sovereignty under war conditions. With severance was decisively strengthened sistance was manifested in impressive form by the insurances for the balance of great seriousness Wahlen patiently set off on the occasion of this national exhibition salaries and earnings, the creation of to tackle this gigantic work. His findings in 1939. Reading through the documents which as a new great act of solidarity showed: Survival was possible, but only about it today, especially the two-volume will open a new page in history. In the by a great effort, of which the principal manual, we encounter evidence of the economic sector the main question was effort was to dramatically expand culti- pride for Switzerland as a nation forged by the delivery of the daily bread.” vation areas in Switzerland. The Wahlen the will of the people and what the people Wahlen, Friedrich Traugott, Unser Boden Plan was born in its fundamentals. In late have achieved through their openness and heute und morgen. Etappen und Ziele autumn 1940 Wahlen’s plan was ready to their will to assert themselves in their di- des schweizerischen Anbauwerkes, Zurich (Atlantis) 1943, preface, p.8 rect democratic character. The “Landi Spir- continued on page 9 No 27 9 September 2013 Current Concerns Page 9

”Perseverance in malicious times” continued from page 8 be realized. With his speech he deliber- 1940–1945: J.R. de Salis on Radio Beromünster: ately chose the path towards the public. He wanted the plan to “catch on” so that “Perfect example of a radio station of the Free World” also the doubtful ones would be willing to dare tackle the common work. Its cou- I am very glad about the reprint of the ar- as far as my father could take some time rageous endeavour paid off. The plan hit ticles containing the analyzes by Professor off for these minutes, we sat in front of the like a bomb. J.R. de Salis in Current Concerns. He has radio receiver. My father attracted one of meant a lot to me since my youth during his friends’ attention to this broadcast, as “The ’Anbauwerk‘ (cropping work) has the Second World War, and I used to re- well. He also became a regular listener of defended efficiently the border be- member him once and again later on. The Professor de Salis. I remember very well tween frugal nourishment and fam- thing was the following: My father had his calls: “If your father has got the time, ine.” been a determined opponent to the Nazis. he shall come in the evening to me and Gedanken und Überlegungen zum Ab- His influence resulted in my being a politi- bring 19,10 Mark.” In the interception of schluss des Anbauwerkes, Presentation cally interested person from a very young telephone calls the Nazis were great, and by F.T. Wahlen, held on 8 February 1946 age on (at the end of the war I had been thus certain declarations were transcribed. Zurich, p.11 14 years old): I looked for foreign broad- My father and I listened to the great casts on our radio receiver in order to be commentaries by Mr de Salis even be- Both the Federal Councillors Obrecht informed about the events and things that yond the end of the war. Radio Beromün- and Minger, who in the 1930s had method- were hidden by national socialist propagan- ster with its objective broadcasts be- ically enhanced and strengthened the Swiss da. I knew that this was forbidden and that came an incarnation of a radio station of army, were aware of the fact that Switzer- listening to foreign broadcasts was severe- the Free World. That I always cherished land would only have the chance of sur- ly punished. It was Radio Beromünster that warm feelings of sympathy for Switzer- viving a future war, if there was not only a I found beside BBC. It may have been by land is not only due to Friedrich Schiller, well-armed and well-trained army, but also chance that I had switched on this broad- but also much more to Radio Beromünster food in sufficient quantity for the popula- cast on a Friday at 19.10 and that my father and Professor J.R. de Salis. For that rea- tion and the army. The then head of the De- joined me who normally had always been son thanks to Current Concerns to have partment of Agriculture in the Federal De- in his practice at this time. (My father was attracted attention to him once again. partment of Economic Affairs, Dr Josef a physician). It was the two of us that lis- Käppeli, who also supervised the War Of- tened to the weekly commentary by Profes- Prof Dr Werner Gumpel, Gilching fice of Food, had appointed Dr F. T. Wahlen, sor de Salis. We were so taken in with his Head of the Section for Agricultural Pro- declarations that on every Friday evening, (Translation Current Concerns) duction and Home Economics in the Fed- eral War Office of Food. Wahlen,­ who had studied agronomy at the FIT Zurich and ting an accurate view on the current agri- tion of 8 February 1946 in Zurich, when it had been actively involved in agricultur- cultural production capacity in Switzerland. came to evaluating the overall performance al development projects, as well in South A meticulously land register map was de- of this important work, Wahlen said, “No America, had already been director of the signed in a year-long of effort, which pro- matter how good the General Staff is, it Agricultural Experimental Station Oerlikon vided information on the existing farming cannot achieve anything without a strong for some years. He retained this post even yield for each of the 3,000 communes, as army. And so let me now sing the praise of after his appointment. From the very begin- well as on soil and land reserves. This infor- ning Wahlen was devoted to his enormous mation was verified by Wahlen’s employees “Recently, you are hearing the opin- task. Initially, he and his staff aimed at get- in each commune and charted on register ion that it is negligent if not criminal maps and inventories. Then the demand was to pronounce the thought of a com- calculated including the latest figures and ing new war, and you may reproach statistics, while the circumstances of the me to justify the new production pro- war reality limited the personal consump- gram also with this reference. May God tion to the absolute minimum for the main- wish these people to be right! Unfortu- tenance of the person’s health. It was found nately the development of humanity so that the available acreage was not enough; far has not provided any evidence that it had to be increased dramatically as soon the increasing atrocity of war events from one use of weapons to the other as the important imports would stop due to that there would be a preventive effect war blockades and border closures. thanks to. The world has never been so One thing was clear to Wahlen from the full of signs of the worst omen.” onset: The cultivation plan could only be Gedanken und Überlegungen zum Ab- realized with the greatest effort and will- schluss des Anbauwerkes. A public lec- power of the entire population. For Swit- ture given by F.T. Wahlen to the Society zerland this was an option of to be or not of Swiss Farmers on 8 February 1946 in to be, whether they could successfully pass Zurich, p. 15 the test also in this sphere. Therefore Wahl- en agreed that his plan was sometimes also called the “cultivation battle” with refer- this army, which eventually won the day: ence to the military language, although he the praise of our farmers and their support- mainly talked about the “cultivation work”. ers in the cities and the countryside.” As in a battle it was in fact about existence or perdition. In his retrospective presenta- continued on page 10 No 27 9 September 2013 Current Concerns Page 10

”Perseverance in malicious times” nearly 200,000 individual farms could pro- but because of the long-standing different continued from page 9 vide the sufficiently efficient workforce. know-how they had acquired for each farm. According to Wahlen’s calculations they The problem was exacerbated by the fact “Ruthless restriction needed an additional number of 30,000- that the economy, especially the unexpect- of non-vital activities” 40,000 workers, whereas the mobilization edly active construction industry, had paid It shows Wahlen’s political and psycho- of the army withdrew twice that number. noticeably higher wages for some time in logical sensibility that he chose the pub- Although Wahlen confronted the farm- the first years of the war than a farm had. lic for the presentation of the Swiss culti- ers in his initial presentation of November This resulted in a considerable migration of vation plan, which was now developed in 1940 with an increase in hardship and per- unskilled labor from the agricultural regions detail, and he also showed much skill in formance, the response was overwhelm- to the industrial centers during the first years determining the realization date for mid- ingly positive. Hermann Wahlen describes of the war.7 Moreover, it took some time be- November 1940. In his lecture, which is this in the following words, “It was a lec- fore a certain flexibility in the use and re- considered a kind of ignition spark to the ture, which was given at the right moment. placement plans of the Army eased the big- cultivation plan, Wahlen set up the follow- The entire Swiss population, including the gest hardships caused by the absence of the ing demands: non-agricultural population, took a deep farm managers. The obligation of labor ser- – Extremely economical, comprehensive breath. There was nothing but enthusiasm. vice people to work in agriculture, the use management of all stocks with a view Suddenly, Wahlen had become the most of internees for road construction and defor- to their extension as long as possible. famous Confederate.”5 estation8 and the compulsory service of ap- – Utmost utilization of the natural re- prentices since 1942 eased the situation. The sources of the country, including waste Hard times and problems problem that these workers often lacked the and scrap material recycling. The cultivation plan met with great ap- skills necessary to work efficiently in agri- – Strictly organized use of all existing proval among the population. Many fol- culture remained until the war ended. material means of production. lowed the call to cover their requirements – Strictly organized use of human labor for vegetables as far as possible through 1943 until the end of the war: in the field of food production, “while self sufficiency6. In many gardens an orig- Surviving! ruthlessly restricting non-essential inal flower bed was converted into a po- Despite the efforts of all forces, the individ- areas of activity”. tato field. After initial skepticism the ual stage goals could not quite be reached The second point primarily included the tar- farmers were also won over for the great everywhere. Weather conditions, scarce geted surplus cultivation in agriculture. The work. They realized that the loads had to fertilizer and pesticides supply, slow- rationing of 250 grams of bread per head of be equally distributed according to their er growth and the lack of skilled workers the population and the extending of wheat strength. They addressed the problem of were responsible that cultivation objectives flour by 10% potato flour required a dou- attracting additional workers for inten- could not be met in some cantons. Oth- bling of the croparea for food grain; the area sive vegetable cultivation. From a certain ers, however, where the conditions were fa- for potato production had to be increased to point of time on companies had to send a vorable, exceeded the prescribed obligatory 63,000 hectares. The 7 stage conversion of proportion of their employees to help in amounts, which did not balance the over- pasture land into arable land was dramatic agricultural production; this was also a all negative outcome. With an increasing for some cantons and regions. Thus in the great sacrifice, because there was a gener- duration of the war, there was also fatigue. early years of the war, the Canton of Ob- al shortage of labor. The teaching staff in Especially women, young people and older walden increased its production area from agricultural schools were consistently and workers in the country had to cope with 55 hectares of arable land to 959 hectares permanently trained regarding the use of years of superhuman efforts. Still no relief in 1945; during the same period Nidwalden machines, fertilizers and other methods was in sight. In the year 1942 and at the be- reached a fiftyfold of arable land, while the of intensifying methods and then sent to ginning of 1943, when despite Stalingrad two Appenzells, which had had 23 ha of ar- the farmers to make them familiar with it. there was only little hope for the axis to be able land in 1934, achieved an area of 1,620 The population accepted the restrictions in decisively beaten militarily in the foreseea- ha towards the end of the war.4 In areas with consumption by the food stamps because ble future on the continent and in the Pacif- flatter land, the increase was even more dra- they were all concerned and those who ic, the motto was “perseverance”. This was matic. So, for example, the Canton of St. were economically better-off how could also true for the cultivation plan. Gallen increased its 2,051 hectares of pre- not – as had been the case in the First Just at this time, the Swiss virtue of con- war arable land to 14,529 ha. Wahlen com- World War – provide themselves with ben- cordance once more proved successful. As ments on such extraordinary achievements, efits. However, during the whole period of early as 1940, when the situation became “Without the situation of trust, created by implementation of the stages of the culti- dire, the Gotthard-Bund, a private associ- the productive agricultural land register, a vation plan Wahlen complained that there ation of firm and steady Swiss personali- differentiation so contrary to previous devel- had repeatedly been isolated misuses in ties, had called for abandoning the differ- opments would never have been possible.” the food black market or through unau- ences resulting from professions and party According to Wahlen’s own figures and cal- thorized trade “underhand”. He described affiliation in the interests of the whole and culations, his cultivation plan provided 700 this behavior as a form of “treason”. reaching out to each other everywhere for calories more per day per capita for the Swiss There were also problems from other the benefit of the required actions. This ap- population during the war years. While the sides. Despite great efforts labor shortag- peal, which independent personalities from quantity of calories declined to 2,000 in the es prevailed in the agriculture during the business and trade unions joined in, such as years without cultivation plan, Wahlen’s cul- whole period of time. It was not so much Konrad Ilg, the longtime chairman of the tivation work defended “effectively the bor- caused by too little helping hands, although Metal and Watches Workers’ Union and later der between scarce food and hunger”. the conscription of men in the active service, first Socialist Federal Councillor, did not fall The cultivation plan required a dramatic of course, constantly caused problems. The on deaf ears. In some cantons commissions increase of planting vegetables which was main problem was that agriculture, which were established during the war, in which associated with a corresponding increase in was now encouraged to maximum perfor- representatives of the authorities, business the work to be invested because of its labor mance, did not have enough skilled workers and industry regularly met with represent- intensity. At the beginning they faced the at its disposal. Again, the men were missing, tricky question if agriculture with its then not only because of their physical strength, continued on page 11 No 27 9 September 2013 Current Concerns Page 11

”Perseverance in malicious times” continued from page 10 atives of the working class to take common decisions regarding the survival of the peo- ple and the country.9 In those years it was mainly the economic issue, which was the cause for greater differences, thus creating a considerable internal conflict potential. The farmers demanded better prices for the much-needed agricultural products, ul- timately securing their livelihood. Industry and commerce did not at all want to grant emanating demands for wage increases in view of the tense situation of the economy during the war. And the representatives of the workers could not close their eyes to the prevailing misery among workers and their permanent call for wage increases. Despite many measures to alleviate the suffering, the situation in many Swiss families was desperate at that time. Although they had enough food stamps, they simply had no money to redeem them. Despite all meas- ures the price spiral, especially in terms of food prices, steadily moved upward. In May 1943, the situation was ready for an agreement that was made on the grounds of the following principles and decisions of the Federal Council: 1. The agricultural prices are to be sta- bilized on the (relatively high) level in the spring of 1943. No further price in- creases will be granted. 2. The Swiss Federation of Trade Unions is denied the demand for wage increases. 3 The Swiss peasantry will be granted guarantees for the Swiss post-war eco- nomic policy. Again, a further internal crisis situation was averted. It must be noted that the unions made a great contribution by renouncing any sharp escalation or making virulent re- marks. Objective historians are of the opin- ion that it was mainly the Swiss workers, who averted the crisis by their acquiescence and acceptance of the prize stops, although they had to bear the main burden economi- cally. Indeed, while the prices for agricul- tural goods were frozen at a relatively high level, wages were at an all-time low.10 Once more effective: Renewal out of the crisis Summing up, Switzerland’s situation seventy years ago was as follows: As so often in Swiss history, the threat and en- dangerming of Switzerland’s existence Ration book from the war year 1942. From 1939 to 1948 food, textiles, shoes etc. led to its focusing on its own strengths. were rationed in Switzerland. A well designed system ensured that the supplies The fact that Switzerland was surround- were distributed fairly. (Swiss Federal Archives, Berne) ed by totalitarian, highly aggressive pow- ers only led to a short period of resigna- tion. Then the reflection on the potentials The need to defend themselves against represent such bold and unusual solutions. of resistance created a situation in which aggression from outside and disintegra- The Swiss military’s will to resist and the the extreme exertion of all energies be- tion attempts from the inside cleared the population’s will for economic resilience came the dominant motto – not that of way for unusual, bold solutions. The idea to safeguard the conditions for survival the parties or the government, but that of of concentrating the military resistance on the population itself. the Réduit and Wahlen’s cultivation work continued on page 12 No 27 9 September 2013 Current Concerns Page 12

“Over the last 50 years, Southeast Asia has made all its tremendous progress without war” by Klaus Umbricht My friends provided me with a hint at an article in the “Neue Zürcher Zeitung” (NZZ) that appeared on 10 August 2013 – “A piece of Singapore for a special price by Marco Kauffmann. He describes a joint economic development project of Malay- sia and Singapore, the Iskandar special economic zone. It is located in the state of Johor, on the southern border of Peninsu- lar Malaysia, just opposite of Singapore. Iskandar with its 2,200 km2 is about three times larger than the whole of Singapore. Large scale industry is planned to be im- planted in this zone which finds no ground in the small city state of Singapore. Also, the lower wages in Malaysia are said to be an attractive asset. And also a new city – Nusabaya – with 3 million inhabitants is planned, with all the necessary infra- structure, schools, university and ameni- ties that a modern city requires. Also the two very important state investment funds View of the embankment which connects Johor Bahru with Singapore. Khazanah Nasional (Malaysia) and Te- (picture Nicky Loh, reuters) masek Holdings (Singapore) are making dimensions. Singapore, a city-state, is ex- What is still to be added in this context large investments in the Iskandar project. tremely short in territory. After this prob- – which met with a great echo in the local The article on the Iskandar project, in lem has been handled in Singapore itself media, but the West did not take any no- particular because of the escalation con- by the help of the Housing Develop- tice of it: In February 2013, Malaysia and cerning Syria inspired me to contribute ment Board HDB project within the last Singapore signed an agreement to build some thoughts which I would like to pre- 50 years with extraordinary wisdom, a a high-speed railway line between Kuala sent below. new, far-sighted and very big step in the Lumpur and Singapore, the two capi- same direction is now apparently taken. tals. This line will also connect the city Iskandar – a huge project And both countries, Malaysia and Singa- of Johor Bahru, the center of the Iskandar As reported in the “NZZ” article, the Is- pore, go a big step further in their eco- project. kandar special economic zone is an eco- nomic development so far, which was nomic development project of enormous more than impressive in previous decades. continued on page 13

”Perseverance in malicious times” The improved economic conditions 2 quoted from Gasser, Christian: Der Gotthardbund, continued from page 11 Berne and Stuttgart 1984, p. 13 granted to the farmers through guaranteed 3 Hermann Wahlen, Bundesrat F. T. Wahlen, Berne prices and import restrictions in the early 1975, p. 37 through stringent classification of existing postwar years were crucial to the Swiss 4 The quotes and figures are taken from the lec- inventories and more production through economic policy for many years. ture of F. T. Wahlen of 08-02-1946 in Zurich, the effort of additional cultivation were the Only the approaches to the later creat- printed without place and year. 5 two pillars, which made the survival of the ed EU and the bilateral agreements nego- Wahlen, Hermann: Bundesrat F. T. Wahlen, p. 46 6 From 1941 self-sufficiency was an obligation for state and population possible despite im- tiated with it changed the foundations of each household according to the available area of mense threats. More than that: The joint ef- this orientation of the economy towards arable land. The communes as well had to provide fort developed new forces, which had a bal- maintaining a healthy and powerful peas- additional arable land. 7 cf. Maurer, Peter: Anbauschlacht. Land- ancing and stabilizing effect in the interior. antry. The agreements followed the same wirtschaftpolitik, Plan Wahlen, Anbauwerk Once more the will to consensus and the agenda, by which also the defensive ca- 1937–1945, Zurich 1985, pp. 117 willingness not to lose sight for the whole pacity of the Swiss army was deliberate- 8 In this context the then 12,000 Polish internees thing in defense of one’s own interests ly weakened in order to bring it closer to were of particular meaning. Some “Polish path” still existing today carries its name in remem- proved successful in this crisis. Although NATO; with the well-known consequenc- brance of the works by Polish internees. the different classes of the former Swiss so- es: today the Swiss peasantry has been 9 A good example was the “Political Working Group ciety – primarily farmers’ organizations, the thinned out as much as today’s Swiss of the Canton of Berne” which showed great skills in mediating between the interests of agricultural business community and the trade unions – army. And with the effect that both, as producers, manufacturers and the unions. articulated their own interests and princi- they present themselves today, could by 10 Cf. Maurer, Peter, ibid., pp. 145 ples, they reached out for consensual solu- far no longer safeguard the survival of the tions under the pressure of circumstances. country in case of a new threat to interna- (Text and boxes translated by Current Concerns) Thus they not only enabled their own sur- tional security. • vival and that of the people and the country, but also paved the way for what was widely 1 Schweiz. Bundesblatt, No. 90, Vol. 2, 1938, pursued in the early postwar years. pp. 985–1053 No 27 9 September 2013 Current Concerns Page 13

”’Over the last 50 years …‘” the good of all, not only of the finance in- rational and reasonably planned econom- continued from page 12 dustry. ic development and cooperation towards prosperity is possible, as well. Our current At the end of the above-mentioned ar- A development in peace Western policy, however, will lead to great ticle the question is raised whether this Over the last 50 years, Southeast Asia suffering, above all. mega project has not become a tad too has made all its tremendous progress big. without war. Even under the most diffi- And the environment? In January 1994, the author of this ar- cult conditions as in 1965 when Singa- With such huge development projects, we, ticle had the opportunity to view a plaster pore withdrew from the Malaysian Fed- the Europeans, ask immediately and with model on display in bitter cold Shanghai, eration a way of a peaceful solution of good reason the question: And what about which showed the planned development problems was found. the environment? of Pudong. Pudong is a large, central dis- For decades, however, the West, I ignore how well the Iskandar pro- trict of the Chinese metropolis Shanghai, under the leadership of the US, has al- ject is planned with respect to environ- south of the Yangtze River. All three of ways waged some war somewhere or at mental compatibility. There is one thing I us (two Swiss and a Malaysian Chinese, least has been involved in it. Just now have learned on my many journeys to the Pang Shun Pen) stood astonished and the West is again lying itself into a war Southeast of Asia: the governments are open-mouthed in front of the model, and in Syria as was the case already before very aware of this problem – a lot more we could not imagine that such a thing in Iraq and Afghanistan. The economic than is presented in the tendentious west- was possible. It was beyond anything im- and moral price which we are paying for ern medias. And they also undertake enor- aginable. “They are suffering from meg- this is enormous. But this desaster is even mous efforts to solve this problem. Above alomania”, that was our conclusion. But much devastating for the affected people all Singapore is a model in this regard. not even 15 years were needed to realize in those countries. That’s why I am confident that the aspect the whole thing, even higher than origi- It should be our most important and of the environment will also be taken care nally planned. Who would have thought most urgent objective to peacefully solve of in the Iskandar project. it? They taught us otherwise! the problems of this world, as was done in The Singaporeans, 80% of Chinese ori- Southeast Asia. I am fully aware that this Where is the place gin, are carved from the same wood as the will only trigger a cynical smile among for the fragile human being? Shanghai – Chinese. The tremendous eco- many. But where are we going if we give I would like to discuss a critical aspect, nomic development of the past 50 years up this goal? And it would be quite possi- which is not mentioned in the western is more than enough proof of that. There- ble, just as in Syria right now. media. fore, I have no doubt that the Iskandar During my last stay in Singapore in project will be a great success. It’s just in- Cooperation between February 2013 I met my dear old friend credible with what determination, tenacity independent nations Pang Shun Pen for dinner. Pang is a and vision these nations drive their devel- Beyond peaceful coexistence the Iskandar Malaysian with Chinese origins, out of opment forward. Malaysiar project shows how much is pos- poor relations, who has been living in And so for us, the question arises: What sible if independent nations really and Singapore since 2006. He is a respect- can we learn from them in the West? truly cooperate. ed man with good relations to the gov- It is mentioned in the “NZZ“ article ernment. Years ago I was working a lot A rational economic policy is possible that the relationship between Malaysia with him. First of all, I am just impressed by the and Singapore had again and again been We discussed the development of Sin- fact that a rational, far-sighted, energet- accompanied by persistent crises since gapore and the consequent problems. ic economic policy is apparently possi- 1965. According to my limited knowl- Pang pointed out two aspects: the exces- ble – which in the end leads to success. edge this was greatly exaggerated. It had sive commercialization and linked to it the In contrast, the US and the EU have led been the case that the Malaysian Bumi- “high-performance-society”. their people into an economic disaster in putra and the Singaporean Chinese were This excessive commercialization the last 15 years. Considerable parts of always getting on each other’s nerves made a depressive impact on me: In Sin- the grandiose, bankrupt EU are actual- with their profoundly different mentali- gapore (as in Shanghai, Hongkong and ly degenerated into poorhouses. And all ties. Of course, there were economic di- in the other big cities of the southeast of people tremble continuously in irration- vergencies, as well. But dialogue never India) life seems to be composed of quests al panic before the juggernaut financial stopped. There was always that much for ferrari roadsters, Louis-Vuitton-hand- markets, which will plunge us all into the positive strength left in their relationship bags and Armani-clothes. Consumption abyss if they get the even slight sniffles. so that great common projects like Is- above all, everything as cool as possible, And yet, these financial markets are creat- kandar or the high-speed railway Kuala as glaring as possible, as expensive as pos- ed by man, not an unchangeable phenom- Lumpur-Singapore were possible and sible. In this hectic confusion man seems enon such as the Himalayas or the force still are. to digress and to degenerate to a doll of of gravity. Man should be able to change If we think of the unspeakable show consumption and commerce. these financial markets, if they are not to which Germany and Switzerland per- Pang pointed to the tendance that in his benefit. formed because of the Airport Zurich- Singapore is coming up a two-class so- Apparently, there is another way, Kloten we must be ashamed. Switzerland ciety, a “high-performance society” as he Southeast Asia (including China) shows it bashing has become very fashionable, calls it: to us. Have you heard of an Asian major lately – due to immanent election cam- “High-Performers and Loosers” – the bank that had to be rescued in the finan- paigns? There is so much we could learn ones, who show high performance and cial crisis? Certainly not, it does not exist from Singapore and Malaysia. the ones, who fall by the wayside. So far viz. In Southeast Asia, people refuse to be It will be a question of survival for us in the government only cared for the high- terrorized by this man-made juggernaut. the Christian-occidental cultural sphere, to performers in order to promote the devel- We all, and especially our leaders, should become fully aware of the fact that there opment. Schools, universities, just every- learn from these successes and also lead are alternatives and must be so. A peaceful the West back to genuine prosperity – for coexistence of peoples is possible and a continued on page 14 No 27 9 September 2013 Current Concerns Page 14

“A culture of encounter and a culture of dialogue: this is the only way to peace” ANGELUS, Saint Peter’s Square Sunday, 1st September 2013

God and of history upon our actions which peoples, but rather a culture of encounter are inescapable! Never has the use of vio- and a culture of dialogue; this is the only lence brought peace in its wake. War be- way to peace. gets war, violence begets violence. May the plea for peace rise up and With all my strength, I ask each party touch the heart of everyone so that they in this conflict to listen to the voice of may lay down their weapons and be let their own conscience, not to close them- themselves be led by the desire for peace. selves in solely on their own interests, but To this end, brothers and sisters, I have rather to look at each other as brothers and decided to proclaim for the whole Church decisively and courageously to follow the on 7 September next, the vigil of the birth picture reuters path of encounter and negotiation, and so of Mary, Queen of Peace, a day of fasting overcome blind conflict. With similar vig- and prayer for peace in Syria, the Middle Dear Brothers and Sisters, Hello! our I exhort the international community East, and throughout the world, and I also to make every effort to promote clear pro- invite each person, including our fellow Today, dear brothers and sisters, I wish posals for peace in that country without Christians, followers of other religions to make add my voice to the cry which further delay, a peace based on dialogue and all men of good will, to participate, in rises up with increas- and negotiation, for the good of the entire whatever way they can, in this initiative. ing anguish from every picture reuters Syrian people. On 7 September, in Saint Peter’s part of the world, from May no effort be spared in guaran- Square, here, from 19:00 until 24:00, we every people, from the heart of each per- teeing humanitarian assistance to those will gather in prayer and in a spirit of pen- son, from the one great family which is wounded by this terrible conflict, in par- ance, invoking God’s great gift of peace humanity: it is the cry for peace! It is a ticular those forced to flee and the many upon the beloved nation of Syria and cry which declares with force: we want a refugees in nearby countries. May human- upon each situation of conflict and vio- peaceful world, we want to be men and itarian workers, charged with the task of lence around the world. Humanity needs women of peace, and we want in our so- alleviating the sufferings of these people, to see these gestures of peace and to hear ciety, torn apart by divisions and conflict, be granted access so as to provide the nec- words of hope and peace! I ask all the that peace break out! War never again! essary aid. local churches, in addition to fasting, that Never again war! Peace is a precious gift, What can we do to make peace in the they gather to pray for this intention. which must be promoted and protected. world? As Pope John said, it pertains to Let us ask Mary to help us to respond There are so many conflicts in this each individual to establish new relation- to violence, to conflict and to war, with world which cause me great suffering and ships in human society under the mastery the power of dialogue, reconciliation and worry, but in these days my heart is deeply and guidance of justice and love (cf. John love. She is our mother: may she help us wounded in particular by what is happen- XXIII, Pacem in Terris, [11 April 1963]: to find peace; all of us are her children! ing in Syria and anguished by the dramatic AAS 55, [1963], 301-302). Help us, Mary, to overcome this most dif- developments which are looming. All men and women of good will are ficult moment and to dedicate ourselves I appeal strongly for peace, an appeal bound by the task of pursuing peace. I each day to building in every situation an which arises from the deep within me. make a forceful and urgent call to the en- authentic culture of encounter and peace. How much suffering, how much devasta- tire Catholic Church, and also to every Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us! • tion, how much pain has the use of arms Christian of other confessions, as well as carried in its wake in that martyred coun- to followers of every religion and to those © Copyright – Libreria Editrice Vaticana try, especially among civilians and the un- brothers and sisters who do not believe: armed! I think of many children will not peace is a good which overcomes every see the light of the future! With utmost barrier, because it belongs all of human- firmness I condemn the use of chemical ity! weapons: I tell you that those terrible im- I repeat forcefully: it is neither a culture ages from recent days are burned into my of confrontation nor a culture of conflict mind and heart. There is a judgment of which builds harmony within and between

”’Over the last 50 years …‘” cussions with high government officials At the end my dearest wish continued from page 13 he got the impression that they become aware of that problem and are willing to Since milleniums the imperialistic striv- thing was trimmed for that target. Those, alter course. There is growing awareness ing for power has been the major scourge who did not make it, were forgotten. for that heavy problem in the whole soci- of humanity. This is the case even today, Pang himself (he is a wealthy entrepre- ety, as well. above all from the USA. We are just expe- neur) works one day a week in a benevo- It is to be hoped that Pang Shun Pen is riencing the terrible consequences again. lent project, who cares about losers. There right. And also that people there learn that May the wisdom of the Southeast Asian would be more and more. a roadster does not have to be the measure leaders be great enough, in spite of all Answering my anxious question Pang of all things. their success, to resist that terrible mental said that he still felt optimistic. In long dis- plague. • No 27 9 September 2013 Current Concerns Page 15

“Pope Francis – On Heaven and Earth” Dialogues about God and the world

cc. Jorge Bergoglio, the current A purely ritualistic religion is to the other and that one helps Pope Francis, and Rabbi Abraham destined to die, because it fills the other, even if both have a very Skorka got to know each other you with rituals, but it leaves your different opinion. That you talk over 20 years ago and initially ex- heart empty. to each other without restrictions changed views on football. Over and by that you come up to the time the football fans became “On Heaven and Earth” gathers point from which on you can only friends discussing theological and profound discussions on theologi- remain silent – because in harmo- political issues and those of every- cal and earthly matters. The basic ny with the other you cannot say day life. One day they decided to thoughts of the Pope on such di- anything more, or because actually write down their dialogues and verse topics as God, fundamen- you are in complete agreement.” to open it to become a conversa- talism, atheism, death, Holocaust, tion with many interlocutors. This homosexuality, money, capitalism book is the testimony of a touch- and globalization are expressed ing friendship and of an exempla- here and reflect his great closeness ry inter-religious dialogue. to the people and his uncondition- al love for human beings. Three years before his election as Pope Francis talked to his long- Abraham Skorka himself com- time friend, the Rabbi Abraham mented on the importance of dia- Skorka, about his very personal logue in an interview: views on faith, church, politics and “Dialogue above all means to society. It is so far the only book put yourself into the other’s skin, in which the new pope operates as so developing our capacity for em- an author and it is a highly topi- pathy. Stand inside the shoes of cal reference for our expectations the other, to feel him, to try to with respect to his term of office. think like him. In the Hebrew of the Bible, the verb for ‘erkennen’ The book contains the new (recognize) in some places is the pope’s personal credo: synonym for ’lieben‘ (to love). To Every human being is God’s love a woman or to love God. This image, be he a believer or not. is the best way to reach substan- The great leaders of God’s peo- tial elements for a better future. ple were persons who left room Dialogue has to come to that end ISBN 978-0-7704-3506-6 for doubt. that one person unlocks his heart

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