This is not worst than a man passing comments on breastfeeding, C-Sections and bra size.
This is why I said that I don't see it.
For being US troops favourite `blue on blue` target maybe? More UK troops were killed by US troops in the first Gulf war than enemy (ahem) troops.
alright but back to my point. These same "slovenly teenagers" one or two years later will be on their way to the duty-shooting in AC/DC T-shirts and their worst and tightest jeans and their oldest shabbiest gym-shoes with their automatic weapons carried very openly (possibly accompanied by an opened beer can).
ok, Bern is renowned for having an excellent facility to care for people with heart conditions !
We could do an experiment - there is a machine gun about three metres away from me, what would happen if I (a female) was to walk around with it in Zurich today. I reckon it would take all of five minutes of me being arrested. If I wore a uniform, I would probably get away with it, regardless of gender. So I do find it odd that you can go for obligatory shooting practice in your civil attire but then I also think it would be better to keep the guns in the armoury than under the bed at home...
Well folks, whatever your point of view happens to be, my post was based on an impression which was not simply about polished boots and it wasn't anti Swiss, but a comparison on the way two armed forces portray themselves. My opinion (Which they say is often based on first impressions) has not changed despite reading everyone's contributions, which bar a few were interesting. Tomorrow I am off to Spain, where life isn't taken quite so seriously and this is possibly my last post on EF. I am sure that many will say good riddance and a few may say farewell. Adios amigos.
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No, no, you can do this experiment any time and will NOT get arrested, but people will STAR at you, considering what securitas organisation you are part of !
If you did the same in uniform, progressive people will nod and think that "we" have come to something in regard to emancipation, and more conservative people will shake their heads gravely and think that this is what all this emancipation of "diä Emanze" leads "us" to !
Do it both ways and give two "exclusive" reports on EF !
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A) No, your post was showing that you compare a force with paid professionals who had CHOSEN to do military service and a force where most people just do their duty against their will, and so was simply an absurd comparison
B) I know Spain and the Spaniards, and can say that beyond the tourism facade, the Spaniard take life far more seriously than the Swiss, and are not really "take it easy people". Had you said the same about Italy, I might agree to some extent.
C) And so I wish you nice holidays in Spain, but do not be surprised if by chance getting some insight into the REAL world of the Spaniards
It isn't absurd and I completely dis-agree with you, for whatever reason you don a service uniform, you should look and act professionally.
If you were to go into a Dr's surgery to find Marcus Von Welby slouched in a corner smoking a fag, dressed in dirty whites what impression would you get. If you wandered through the HB to find PC Adolf Clouseaenhausen sat on the floor in his uniform slugging a tin of ropey Bavarian brew, you would doubtless have something to say.... there is no difference.
I think Mr Brightonite will be getting plenty of that. Don't you worry.
Just pointing out that (so far) military service in the United States is also voluntary.
At least, CH is peaceful, beside being among 1st. world countries unlike ......
Of course you know Spain Woolly and of course you wouldn't agree, I've read your prolific posting you know everything mate.
Never mind the holiday old bean. I have been living there and have been involved in the property business there for eleven years now, whist spending only a couple of months in Switzerland each year for over six years. Take it from me (If you possibly can) Where I live in rural Andalucia, they REALLY are take it easy people.
Correct. Changing into civvies en-route is a punishable offence. In my day you would end up behind bars for three days...
Ain't that the truth, Mama G mk1 was from Tolox... Wolli the Woolly probabaly knows her family .... Enjoy Spain
As I had the luck, to get acceptable and even interesting "jobs" in the military, I throughout gave my best, and YES, I think that I DID act professionally. The same occurred to my brother, who also got quite decent jobs in the military. BUT neither of us ever regarded our fate as average. The point that our mother for years continually went to those military offices to "get informed" possibly helped to motivate those gents in charge to help us to good places . All this however to me makes it understandable that those less lucky (the majority) would NOT feel like being obliged to do a "professional" service. Being
> a wireless operator in the artillery
> a soldier in charge getting the mail to the colleagues and arranging easy ways for the colleagues to get their mail out
> being in the office where lodgings, meals, information, easy departures into weekends, easy returns, etc were arranged
> being in a very special unit at the end rounded things up
So, that I cannot speak for the majority of Swiss soldiers in boring units, by majority against their will. And so, on their behalf I have to refuse your demand that they ought to have ANY reason to do anything "professional"
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äääh, your post is like a three-sided sword
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While I do not know everything, and abstain from threads about matters I do not understand, YOU for sure then know that your previous statement about the Spaniards is far away from reality. You more than most on this forum including me for sure will have realised that Spaniards are serious and down-to-earth people. And in case your post was a joke, it is accepted, except that it did NOT sound like a joke
And if you say that Andalucia people ARE take-it-easy people, then this is a classical half-truth, as they in Southern Spain have been the most gifted actors of Europe for centuries. They show off an easy approach .......
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This still is correct, with the exceptions I mentioned. And of course, people go to the duty-shooting in civilian clothes (and this is by law). To go to duty-shooting in uniform is prohibited by military law in fact !
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where is Tolox
Hm, I was thinking about this, since I work with teens and watch how cool they try to be at all times under any circumstances..I wouldn't assume anything from their pretended disinterest, they are most likely aware of what they are supposed to represent, anyways. Being annoyed, seemingly disinterested and sloppy is today's cool youth, weren't we the same in some respect?
oh yes.... there's nothing as classic as youth
As long as the Swiss military is the topic of discussion, I have a question. Switzerland remained neutral during World War II, but is there any evidence to suggest that the Swiss Army deterred Axis' plans to invade? If this question seems too off-topic I can repost it somewhere else. Thank you!
No they had a great plan, bank the money of the axis powers, then run away to the hills if they came for it back... with guns. Also Hitlers crews didn't like rosti or the stern language of Wollishofners forebares so decided not to bother... from a reasonable distance of course.
I'm sure Wollishofener will fill you in on the details, just make sure you have a comfy chair for his gospel
This belongs to another thread. Switzerland has very little natural resources. The only strategic interest the Nazis had in Switzerland were the tunnels through the alps which the Swiss could easily have blown up if invaded. That was enough to create a stalemate.