

I visited Switzerland just after the vaccines dropped. The Swiss COVID response far surpassed the response in the United States. They rolled out a nation-wide app for vaccination attestation, and any museum, restaurant, etc. could scan a QR code on someone’s phone with a phone. But do they have a scary, socially reactionary subset of their population? Yes.
In some harmful ways they are fanatically culturally conservative. But they also care about community, sustainability, health, the well-being of children, environmental preservation, organization, and self-reliance. Being a small, rich, homogeneous, topographically-isolated country drives these characteristics.
Surveillance State developments are depressing but not surprising.
When we’re still asking the question “why?” we’re stuck in disbelief and denial about the reality we’re in.
1/3 of the country is aware and cares, but is too atomized and disempowered to act meaningfully. 1/3 are too comfortable and attached to their slipping consumer entitlement to take risks for the sake of anyone else. 1/3 have channeled their entitlement and/or immiseration into enthusiastic support for what’s happening.
I’m with you, but the reality is that the majority of the country would shake their heads and go back to watching Netflix rather than do anything while you’re being dragged to the camps.