Switzerland: Referendum on ban of gold sales by SNB+storage only in CH+min. 20% gold res.

[swissaustrian]

This is not breaking news (it hit Swiss papers on 9-20-2011), but I´m sure it´s news for you guys.
Preface: Switzerland has a system of direct democracy. The people can demand a referendum on all new federal laws. Changes of the federal constitution are always subject of a referendum. The Swiss constitution offers the institution of a "constitutional initiative". If a certain number of people sign a petition to change the constitution, then a nationwide referendum will be held.
Recently, the Swiss Peoples Party (SVP), mainly a neocon collectivist party, has launched a constitutional initiative to ban gold sales by the Swiss central bank (SNB), to require the SNB to hold at least 20% of it´s assets in gold, and to store all Swiss gold in Switzerland. This is obviously a great idea. I´m actively trying to get signatures right now, although I´m not a member of this party and I think most of their positions are terrible. I´m confident that we´ll get enough signatures (100000 required by march 2013) to have a referendum. Most political parties will not support our cause, but the Swiss people have prooven that they´re voting against their politicains if they think a certain cause is just.
The icing on the cake is that - if passed - the initiative could cost us our IMF membership, because it effectively means instituting a partial gold standard (20% of the SNB assests in gold, all the time) which is prohibited for IMF members.

Official text of the initiative, translated by microsoft:

Federal popular initiative 'Save our Swiss Gold (gold initiative)'
I

The Federal Constitution1 is amended as follows:

Article 99 (new) Gold reserves of the Swiss National Bank

1 The gold reserves of the Swiss National Bank are not for sale.

2 The gold reserves of the Swiss National Bank must be stored in Switzerland.

3 The Swiss National Bank has to keep their assets to a large extent in gold. The gold content shall be not less than twenty percent.

http://www.microsofttranslator.com/b...2fvis415t.html

[Krugerrand]

I got scared by the phrase "ban of gold sales." Great news!

[Steven Douglas]

The icing on the cake is that - if passed - the initiative could cost us our IMF membership, because it effectively means instituting a partial gold standard (20% of the SNB assests in gold, all the time) which is prohibited for IMF members.

Good luck! Wish someone would revoke our membership to the fucking Fed.

[Bern]

I wish you and your countrymen (and women) much luck and success.

[The_Ruffneck]

explain how SVP is neocon?

[swissaustrian]

explain how SVP is neocon?

They love big government and special interests:
- farm subsidies
- in bed with the banking industry, their biggest donors
- running on a platform of xenophobia, especially against Muslims and Germans. They´ve initiated a referendum to ban minarettes from Switzerland which was actually passed. This is against the principle of private property.
- they LOVE the drug war and demand tougher sanctions.
- They´re anti gay.

To be fair: they´re for sound money, low taxes, and national souvereignty. But that´s all you can like about them.

[hazek]

I wish you and your countrymen (and women) much luck and success.

This ^, although I'm sure that if you find enough signatures the corporate media will throw everything including the kitchen sink at the Swiss public to get the referendum to fail.

[swissaustrian]

This ^, although I'm sure that if you find enough signatures the corporate media will throw everything including the kitchen sink at the Swiss public to get the referendum to fail.

There will be one big newspaper pushing for it, because it´s basicly a mouthpiece for the party which is sponsoring the referendum.
Additionally, there will be a fair discussion on public television which is the only nationwide television we have.
I´m not so sure that this thing can be killed by the media.

[Pericles]

They love big government and special interests:
- farm subsidies
- in bed with the banking industry, their biggest donors
- running on a platform of xenophobia, especially against Muslims and Germans. They´ve initiated a referendum to ban minarettes from Switzerland which was actually passed. This is against the principle of private property.
- they LOVE the drug war and demand tougher sanctions.
- They´re anti gay.

To be fair: they´re for sound money, low taxes, and national souvereignty. But that´s all you can like about them.

It was funny to get the SVP propagabda piece "The Truth About Foreigners" in my mail box. As in this case, not all of the SVP platform is stupid - I'd be more of an FDP type anyway.

[hazek]

There will be one big newspaper pushing for it, because it´s basicly a mouthpiece for the party which is sponsoring the referendum.
Additionally, there will be a fair discussion on public television which is the only nationwide television we have.
I´m not so sure that this thing can be killed by the media.

I hope you're right!