When they came for...

Recently in Switzerland there has been a few instances of political racism. This one below is the anti-minaret campaign. This has the support of the Peoples Party (SVP), a rightwing organization in the parliament here. The SVP is famous for 'wanting to keep the Swiss blood pure' and 'closing the borders to immigrants'. Both ads are considered extremely hurtful and flat out racist here.



This one below was circulating right at the time I was arriving in Switzerland. It drew protest in my neighborhood that year when the leader of party came to Lausanne to give a stump speech. My point to all of this is the whenever economic troubles are manifested the xenophobia is increased. Switzerland has been lucky so far, but this is the temperature of the racism and xenophobia that exist already during good economic times. Just imagine if Switzerland landed in the mire like US.





Now the video below shows what happens when the right-wing fringe and the racism combines with economic hardship. This is modern day nationalism. Something I see in the rhetoric of many American politicianss. Lindsey Graham's and McCain comments about Obama not 'being a Muslim because he's a good man'. The Joe Wilsons, the Michelle Bachmanns, and the Glenn Beck's of the the U.S. are creating the environment the video below enjoys. I don't want to infringe upon anyone's right to freedom speech but we should infringe upon the right to complacency of violence.