Grand Avenue by Mike Thompson for July 16, 2015

Just be warned. Campers are armed.

They switched the bottle opener for a screwdriver. There goes tradition.

Switzerland hasn’t been in a war since the Swiss Army knife went into use.

Actually, they’ve been able to remain neutral because, when it comes right down to it, nobody really wants Switzerland.

Those knives probably could make swiss cheese out of anything.

Neutral in name only.

originally, they stayed neutral, partly cause they had a really scary army no one wanted to mess with. this helped back up their desire to stay out of whatever war was going on. they were tough enough that some of them got rented out to supplement other’s armies. now only used by the vatican.

tsandl: In WW-II, Germany considering invading Switzerland. Abwehr determined it would cost 60 divisions in casualties and all they would get would be sabotaged precision factories and hydroelectric facilities. In any war, there must be a designated neutral to handle POW and war criminal matters (and a safe place to store war profits). Switzerland has long cultivated this status..Skyrider: What you saw was an assault rifle with fully-automatic capabilities. Machineguns, armored cars (terrain is not suitable for tanks), aircraft, etc. are kept at armories and bases, the home “arsenal” is strictly uniform, rifle, and 20 rounds of ammunition which must be strictly accounted for, and the famous knife, which is no more a weapon than any other pocket knife.

Agreed Mike.

I once read a theorey that said they could prove Hitler wasn’t crazy because he knew better than to invade Switzerland. As I understand it, training for the Swiss army is manditory for all male citizens. Two years in service and reserve for the rest of your life with weapons kept and maintained at your home with Anti-tank weapons for the properly trained. In Hitler’s case he realized that he’d be fighting every man in the country, and with the terrain his tanks would be revealing their weak underarmor to anti-tank fire more often then they’d be in a firing position. Therefore, the fact that he didn’t invade Switzerland is proof that he wasn’t crazy.

When everyone is in the militia & the terrain is all mountains, it’s easy to stay neutral.