In this article we are trying to answer the question: Is Switzerland the most peaceful country?
Switzerland is famous world over for being a safe haven for people who want to stash their wealth in secure bank accounts. The banks where even senior management do not know the identity of their customers or if they do, those identities are kept as a top secret.
This is the home of Pewdiepie, the most successful Swiss YouTuber. This YouTube had even talked about apocalypse which is typically a Swiss mindset as we will soon discover.
Zurich, one of the cities in Switzerland, is famous for its numerous water fountains. To be exact, there are 1,200 fountains in the city. The water fountains are not centralized in the city a lone. No. They are also found in every village.
This is also the case for the country’s governance. The Swiss enjoy a decentralized political system. This is so successful to an extent that failure of the central government may not be noticed by the Swiss.
This is not the case for developed countries with devolved form of government. For instance, if the central government fails (God forbid) it will be noticed immediately and the impact will be felt at the 47 county government. Why? This is because all counties depend on national government for resources.
Back to our story on Switzerland. The country has stayed in peace since 1815. That notwithstanding, the country is well prepared for war or any major crisis. They have taken the advice, “when there is peace prepare for war.” In fact all Swiss males are required by law to serve in the Swiss military. Those who can’t for one reason or another have to pay a special tax to the government. This is why the country has a pool of well-trained citizens who can swing into action any time there is an emergency.
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There are lots of lessons for developing countries. In Kenya, we are faced by numerous security threats including terrorism. It may be a good idea for Kenya to train every male youth who has attained the age of 18 years to be recruited any time there is eminent danger from terror groups.
For hundreds of years, Swiss have continuously drilled tunnels in the Alps. This is why there are several secret hideouts in the country which can accommodate both essential goods and people. In comparison, how many bankers (private and public) do we have in Kenya apart from those caves which were drilled by the freedom fighters during the colonial times? Few, maybe a couple of those in the private home. For instance, where did Jimmy Wanjigi hide when soldiers were looking for him at his home? I do not know. You can tell us.
The Swiss have gone an extra mile to construct hidden hydroelectric power stations in the unmarked mountains. The plan is to use the power generated from there during time of war in case of massive bombings. Your enemies should not know the locations of all your important installations. It’s a survival strategy.
Finally, Swiss have thousands of military bankers. In addition to that there are uncountable private and public secret shelters with the largest having the capacity to hold 20,000 people at once!
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