Swiss Accidentally Invade Liechtenstein

"Swiss Army Knife". It's not just a marketing slogan :)

it's actually a law (to my knowledge) that all men 18+ serve 2 years in the swiss army.

The army's slogan "To enforce neutrality"

And proof positive that a heavily armed nation is not necessarily an aggressor.

"To enforce neutrality"? Just make sure Zapp Brannigan doesn't hear about that.

"I hate these filthy neutrals Kif! With enemies you know where they stand but with neutrals? Who knows! It sickens me.

What makes a man turn neutral ... Lust for gold? Power? Or were you just born with a heart full of neutrality?

What makes Switzerland neutral? Perhaps "lust for gold" is right on the... money.

The reason for their nutrality is evident. The swiss are leprechauns.

No balls

Just make sure Zapp Brannigan doesn't hear about that.

I've often said that everything, EVERYTHING can be related to an episode of Futurama.

In fact, almost the entire male population of Switzerland is considered part of the Swiss military.  All qualified males are part of Switzerland's army reserve.

Thanks, I always thought of them as comical but now I understand they mean business.

That's the Swiss Guard. Different. They can be visually identified by subtle differences in uniform, oh and the swiss army doesn't employ the PIKE as an armament.

...all males up to a certain age that are not active are equipped to be activated on very short notice.

I just loved that! Beats being equipped with a swiss army knife any day. Who needs the Terminator when you have the Swiss National Service taking care of all your ... functions.

Reminds me of a driving holiday in France when we were near the Swiss border. In an effort to avoid toll roads into Geneva, I picked a small road generally going towards Lake Geneva - I knew if I came to the Lake, I would be in Switzerland.

Was expecting something to mark crossing one country to another. Nothing like it. A simple crossroads with an Inn in one corner had a tiny Swiss flag in the door. Not a soul in sight; no border control, not even the odd animal. That marked the border. I was never certain I was in a new country until I was in Geneva itself some 15 minutes later.

Easily one of the most welcoming, hospitable, friendly and organized nations on earth. They just don't make a song and dance about it! This article is typical of the region.

Raat - several thousand people commute every day between France (Annemasse & such) and Switzerland. There is a logistical and political reason to have a permeable border between Geneva and it's surroundings. I am from Geneva, and got so used to cross the border there that I got seriously reprimanded crossing the border coming from Italy into CH from the St Gothard. I was driving slowly and did not fully stop...

Tschreck - there are two main reasons (even stronger than the Swiss Army) why Switzerland was not invaded during the 2 wars: Landscape and Banks. Only a third of CH is "flat", and the borders can strategically be secured not to allow ground invasion.

They haven't been "invaded" because of their army? I'd rather say that they haven't been invaded because they kept their neutrality and the EU politics in Europe around Switzerland is really stable since WW2. It's not like somebody is rattling his sable around there.

any good swiss person knows these things Roberto..

:-)

i grew up near Arosa in GR

And, Switzerland is also a very convenient place in which to shift money and the ill gotten gains of war, in the same way one doesn't normally rob one's own bank - you rob everyone else's bank and stuff it all in your hidey-hole called Switzerland.

"It's not like somebody is rattling his sable around there."

That's "saber" .... altho' it does make an amusing visual to picture Swiss soldiers winging around dead weasels....

I just went out back and rattled my sable. He didn't like it too much.

I'm sure there must be Swiss Army compass to go with their famous knives.

In their defense, a wise man once said there were three types of navigators: those that that have been lost, those that are lost and those that are going to get lost.

This was the first phase of their plan to conquer the world........in 10 years we will all be armed, building clocks, eating swiss cheese and chocolate.

Nut tu menshun ve-a veell ell be-a speekeeng leeke-a thees. Feer zee Sveess. Zeey ere-a cumeeng tu teke-a oofer zee vurld. Meesteke-a my heeeny. Furst Leeechtenstein, zeen vurld. Merk my vurds. Bork Bork Bork!

Um, I think you're talking like the SWEDISH chef.

This was the first phase of their plan to conquer the world........in 10 years we will all be armed, building clocks, eating swiss cheese and chocolate.

Where do I sign?

Um, I think you're talking like the SWEDISH chef.

Its all part of the plan.

again,
luckily the swiss always come prepared with a corkscrew on their pocket knife.

they'd have a bottle of wine and some cheese, sit and listen patiently to some griping about americans, and go back home.

Heh - I was going to but then I decided it was too easy.

They would have surrendered? ;-)

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

Not that difficult to do ... some friends of mine on a trip to CERN accidentally went over the border. Unfortunately it wasn't quite as easy getting back ... took them almost two hours to get back without being spotted. I'm glad I got separated from them and headed back :)

tee hee

Bush loves invading countries.. that's my point. :)

PEACE first.

INVADING COUNTRIES AND STEALING THEIR RESOURCES second.

Wasn't there a movie about this? "The Mouse That Roared"?

That was a movie (from a book) about a tiny and impoverished nation in Europe deciding to declare war on the US and lose, so that they could tap into post-WWII Marshall Plan money.

My favorite part of the book and movie is that:

Expecting to be dealt a crushing defeat (and then rebuild itself through the largess that the United States bestows on its vanquished enemies such as in the Marshall Plan) the tiny Duchy instead defeats the United States, purely by accident, by capturing the Q-bomb, a prototype doomsday device that could destroy the world if triggered.

Nice. It's been a while since I've seen a good BASE reference.

If the Swiss ever take off every Zig, we'll see the jokes quiet down a bit. They have probably one of the most well equipped and active military on the planet. Perhaps third to US and Israel. The real reason they're never invaded is that they have no treaties, are strategically protected by geography (only an air strike would be effective, and they're ready for one), and their army is pretty bad ass. Plus every household has a weapon or two. They take care of themselves.

If I had a franc for every time I accidentally invaded Liechtenstein...

Ooooooh, that is a good one. <grin/>

I hear they keep their amies in their sleevies...

By the way the majority of Swiss cheese (I am Swiss.) does not have holes in it!

happy yoddling :-)

simple. apply.
(sorry, could not resist)

Au contraire!