The socialists in Switzerland have just received a well deserved kicking.
Early results suggest Swiss voters are saying “no” to a proposal to bring in a law that would limit executive pay to 12 times that of the lowest paid.
Our correspondent in the country says the big business cantons, Zurich and St Gallen, are showing clear majorities against.
There are many more votes still to count, but it is clear the initiative cannot pass now.
The Young Socialists, who proposed it, have admitted defeat.
An example of direct democracy in action – and the demos have told the young socialists where to get off. And rightly so. Executive pay is a matter for the business concerned. If shareholders object, then they can make their displeasure known. Customers can refuse to do business with the company should they so choose. However, it is not up to the state to decide how much a company remunerates its people, nor, for that matter is it up to anyone outside the company and its shareholders. That is a private matter. Clearly the Swiss (apart from the cretinous young socialists) get this. And good for them. I like the Swiss model very much.
I’m sure that democracy in the UK would be a good idea – after all, it’s never been tried – but I doubt very much that the establishment would ever permit it.
Unless we had a latter-day Ghandi to lead a movement of civil disobedience/non-compliance, since a more violent revolution of any kind simply gives the State the excuse to crack down hard on all dissidence and grant itself even more draconian powers.
Unfortunately the ‘authorities’ have seem this one coming since Ghandi’s remarkably effective movement against the British Raj, and have created a swathe of “State Clients”, a huge vested interest of recipients of governmental munificence – either receipt of benefits or public-sector employment – who would actively oppose any change to the status quo. This includes the mass importation of immigrants who will always vote Labour, and the (so-called) Tories are so terrified of being called racists, the nasty party, etc., that they shy away from righting these wrongs.
Meanwhile those of us who (unwillingly) foot the bill are having less & less say in these matters.
Agree that the Swiss have a superb model, but it has evolved from decades of public involvement. I’m certain that this wouldn’t work here, sadly. The remarkable ignorance and idiocy within the British populace would have passed that plebiscite convincingly, I reckon.
It’s similar to the immigration debate. I’d be in favour of free movement of all people throughout the world, but it can’t be done simply because there is a competition of welfare systems, ours being particularly attractive. Until that is fixed, controls have to be in place.
Likewise, if we want to see open government inclusive of regular referenda, there has to be a population who actually understand the issues first. We’re a long way from that IMO.
“The remarkable ignorance and idiocy within the British populace would have passed that plebiscite convincingly, I reckon.”
Adding to that the petty small mindedness, and sense of entitlement (to spending the money earned by others), that is so endemic in this country, I’d have to agree.
I agree entirely: once, I stated to colleagues that “Everything that someone receives without working for it means that elsewhere, someone is working for it without receiving it”.
From the labels thrown at me, you would have thought I’d proposed Herr Himmler’s Final solution – only somewhat more extreme.
Oddly & actually, if the factor had been (I think) 50 it MIGHT have been a good idea.
But 12 is WAAAY too low.