Opposition to imperialism is voiced by all the other sections. Most of
them are content to show that imperialism is a menace to Switzerland,
but Schmidhauser is by no means satisfied with this narrow and selfish
outlook. He explains the material and moral disasters which necessarily
result from imperialism, and from its offspring, the world war.
Imperialism destroys civilisation. It saps morality and law, the two
things upon which human society is founded. It is hostile to three
fundamental ideas: to the idea of the unity of mankind; to the idea of
individuality; to the idea that every individual should have the right
of self-determination.
PART FOUR.
Opposition between the genuinely Swiss Outlook and the Imperialist
Outlook.
The existence of this opposition is admitted, as a matter of principle,
by all the participants in the discussion. But difficulties arise when
they come to consider the policy which Switzerland should in particular
pursue. "What are we entitled to speak of as peculiarly and primitively
Swiss?" (Patry).
A beginning is made by defining the political essence of Switzerland,
stress being laid, first upon the basic neutrality of the country, and
secondly upon its supra-national character. "The ideal of Switzerland,"
says Clottu, "is that of a nation established above and outside the
principle of nationality." Thirdly, stress is laid upon the right to the
free development of every individual and of every social group. A fourth
characteristic of Switzerland is that in that country, before authority
and before the law, there exists a democratic equality of all citizens,
communities, cantons, nationalities, languages, etc. By its very
essence, therefore, Switzerland is absolutely opposed to the imperialism
of the great powers. "The victory of the imperialist principle would be
the political death of Switzerland" (Guggenheim).
What is to be done? These young men are convinced that Switzerland has a
mission, and are none the less aware that Switzerland lacks capacity to
fulfil that mission. With ingratiating modesty, they disclaim any desire
"to play the pharisees to Europe." Whilst they believe in the excellence
of the principles which underlie the Switzerland of their dreams (though
not Switzerland as she exists to-day), "we must not suppose," says
Patry, "that this is a fresh instance of the monopolisation of the Good
and the Beautiful by a single country, which will become the only
fatherland of these graces." We must be content with knowing that the
ground is made ready for building, and that there is still plenty of
work to be done.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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