Free Republic

The Swiss have always had a lot of guns and significant freedom.  Machiavelli noted it in "The Prince" in 1517: “Moreover, a Republic trusting to her own forces, is with greater difficulty than one which relies on foreign arms brought to yield obedience to a single citizen. Rome and Sparta remained for ages armed and free. The Swiss are at once the best armed and the freest people in the world.” The Swiss have remained one of the best armed countries in the world since then.  Many claim they escaped most of the ravages of WWII because of their...

The Swiss Army is preparing contingency plans for violent unrest across Europe. A nation mostly famous for its banks, watches and chocolate fears it may face a massive influx of European refugees in the near future. One of the world’s richest nations openly expressed concerns over the possible outcome of Europe’s continuing financial troubles, and is currently conducting army exercises against the possibility of riots along its borders. In September, the Swiss military conducted exercises dubbed ‘Stabilo Due,’ with scenarios involving violent instability across the EU.Switzerland has maintained an avowedly neutral stance for decades, and refused to join the eurozone...