Daily Lessons from Life 28 November 2010 - Swiss mull tougher rules for foreigners, minimum tax

Channel NewsAsia: "Swiss mull tougher rules for foreigners, minimum tax - 28 November 2010

GENEVA - Switzerland votes in a referendum Sunday on whether it should automatically expel foreign residents convicted of certain crimes, a proposal that has brought protests from human rights campaigners.

And from the other end of the political spectrum, they will also vote on a proposal to cap tax competition by introducing a minimum tax rate across the board.

Both proposals have sparked bitter debate in the country.

A year after successfully backing a push for the country to ban the construction of minarets, the far-right Swiss People's Party has mounted another aggressive campaign.

This time they want to get Switzerland to clamp down on foreigners guilty of certain crimes by stripping them of their right to remain."

Singapore has been using Switzerland as a benchmark since the early '80s. While Singapore has not achieved the standard of living (and the Cost of Living) in that tiny little country, we are close in many areas.

The interesting bit about the current development is that Singapore is facing a growing influx of foreigners (workers and talents) that is creating some unease among the locals.

Lessons for me are:

1. when a nation want to grow by attracting foreigners when its own populaton is not reproducing enough, it has to have a long term objective and a fundamental principle to work on. It should be: you come to our nation on our terms, reasonable terms that are acceptable by most reasonable citizens in a relatively free and fair world. There must be mechanism and processes to carefully administer the Admission, Maintenance, and Release of the Number and Quality of the Foreigners;

2. this basic principle MUST not wavered. The liberals and 'human rights' folks must understand that. When someone leave their countries due to persecution, it does not mean they have the right to come to a host nation and not blend in for the good when insisting on their differences will clearly create disharmony and chaos and, in the extreme situation, violence. I believed, the ex-PM of Australia, John Howard, once made similar statement on immigrants to Australia: You want to come to my country and you have to go with the country's rules and laws and be Aussie mate!;

3. it is quite natural when the limited resources in space, water, quality of air, jobs, etc are stretched, the locals will feel threathened. It is natural for them to ask: why are we not protected 1st? If they are all honest and hardworking citizens, good of them to ask this question. If they are just living off the state's aids, too bad. They still can ask this honourable question! Europe is in turmoil. It is no longer that rich, material wise, especially the FUTURE. It will happen to the rest of the world if we ONLY pursue Economic Growth without other considerations.

May the Swiss make their wise choice. May they live in harmony with their new brothers and sisters who know they need to blend in and be Swiss, eventually.