[Reader-list] Swiss referendum

[Patrice Riemens]

Hee Shuddha,

Funny (I mean just that, funny ;-)  piece you wrote as reaction on my own.
Yet I beg to disagree with you on your optimism about the 43 % who voted
in against the ban on minarets. In electoral politics, 57,5 % is a very
clear and stark majority (unless you live in some sort of dictatorship -
or in Maguindanao (.ph) - , and in the Swiss case, 19 cantons out of 23
makes it even more so.

At this juncture, like it or not, 'the Sovereign' has spoken - even if it
has entangled itself in its own irresoluble contradictions. Denying this,
or even worse, coming with all kinds of arguments against referenda (i.e
democracy itself) as you did _not_, but many of my (Swiss) frieds did, is
not very helpful.

Europe will have to come rather soon to terms with its own hangups about
wanting to have the immigration cake, keep it, sell it, eat it, and then
take a triple mortgage on the bloody backery (and then maybe
'insure-and-burn' it for good measure...;-)

Cheers, patrizio & Diiiinooos!