Metal Reviews

Are we going to have to argue about the Swiss military power again?

No-one's disrespecting your country's military, Fridge, no need to get uppity.

We argued about it before?

I argued about it somewhere. Might not have been here.

All I know about the Swiss military is that the Swiss guard like having homosexual affairs with each other. Pretty sure I read something about a scandal somewhere about that.

The Swiss have really badass *ahem* pikemen on Medieval: Total War.

They all carry Swiss army knives able to mow through any army of Campbell's soup cans, right?

Every male between 20 and 49 has been through military training and is available to serve should it come to war. Switzerland relies on a militia structure, involving each citizen who has undergone military training keeping their equipment at home. That means that almost every single household in Switzerland has one of these:

Or one of these:

Not to mention one of these:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIG_P220

Pussies need guns to fight lol

Is that true?
If so, that's fucking awesome.
Armed and ready to defend yourself, if necessary, is a good thing.

I did hear somewhere that conscripts are allowed to keep their own weapons, about what percentage of your citizenry are conscripted?

It's kinda unnecessary. I'd be for a transition to a professional army made up of volunteers.

Every male goes through a year of basic military training. Promotion can be imposed, extending the training into specialized areas. Once the basic training is done, citizens need to report back for 3 week update training once a year. Avoidance of update training results in a fine.
Conscientious objectors are put into civil protection, which involves natural disaster management training, or civil service, which involves working for ecological, social or cultural causes (nature preservation, orphanage work, museum maintenance, etc.). Given that the Swiss population is about 7'800'000, and everyone between 18 and 49 can be called upon to fight... Well, that's a lot of people.

I like how Fridge posted the machine guns, but not the pistol. HARDCORE. Every country has a few million people ready to fight if called upon, which will never happen. Eg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Armed_Forces

28 million, bitch! Not to sound like a dick, but Fridge describing his army as if it's the best evar is a little ridiculous.

Swiss military training consistently wins awards in international competitions and as far as I know Switzerland ranks second in the worldwide classifications of military ability, Israel being first.

You wish.

Ahem...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_armed_forces

Yeah, Israel are top. OF COURSE THEY ARE, FRIDGE.

well, they have top notch intelligence, certainly.
But, the US better be careful, China's creeping on us.
Not that either one of us would realistically go to war with each other (simple economics), but they are a definite threat to US hegemony.

Interesting article (coupla years old, though), it's five pages long but I thought it was interesting:

page 1:
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/ ... ar-primacy

page 2:
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/ ... acy?page=2

page 3:
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/ ... acy?page=3

page 4:
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/ ... acy?page=4

page 5:
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/ ... acy?page=5

make of that what you will.

That's what I always heard. Especially considering how they're basically a mini-U.S. army.

I'm not saying they're shite, but saying they're better than Britain, Germany, Russia, Italy, etc? Come on. The US and China rool the roost, as V said, with places like N Korea and Europe behind.

This website doesn't seem legit at all but it's all I found. Switzerland isn't even on there

http://www.globalfirepower.com/

N. Korea you say, Zad? Where the fuck did you pull that out from?

http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/5580/gitmo_closure

Mildy cool story about Gitmo.