Left paternalism was hardly ever so striking

The world is in the spell of the Ukraine and Gaza War. Every morning you can hear what Trump came back to and what he talked about with Putin. The European heads of state and government have just decided that the EU must be able to defend itself alone by 2030, even without the United States.

Meanwhile in Switzerland: Zurich, largest city in the country, former slogan “World Class”, has decided on an advertising ban in public space. Advertising « manipulates consumers », advertising « heats over consumption and climate change », advertising « the cityscape ». Such votes were heard in the local council.

In the canton of Basel-Stadt, the parliament voted on the same day for a pilot project for state funding for the four-day week at SMEs. The companies should receive subsidies if they introduce the four -day week. That was « only positive » for the SME, it was argued.

More restrictive than Havana

The world is out of joint, and our cities have no other problems than forbidding posters and distributing money for ideological dreams. Rarely did they look as unrealistic as these days. Is that still absurd or already decadence?

The city of Zurich occupies CHF 28 million annually with its advertising space. Pah! So much it has to be worth protecting the citizen from temptations and taking decisions to him. You could laugh at the provincial poster ban. Swatch is allowed to advertise at Havana Airport, but not at the Zurich Central! It's funny. But not that the decision fits into a pattern: red-green increasingly rules in Swiss cities, ruthlessly and compromise-free in order to enforce its ideas of correct and wrong.

For example in transport and environmental policy. There are settlements in which freezing chests are prohibited. The fight against the car has reached the small cities and even the Aargau (unseen of e-mobility). Baden wants to make every third parking lot disappear, sometimes illegally – without a building permit. After all, it is about the rescue of the world.

Or in identity policy. The Bernese administration knows a quota for leadership jobs. Half must be occupied with Finta people, i.e. with women, intersexuals, nonbinaries or transgender people. Bern also provides social experiments such as CHF 9 million for the “unconditional basic income” project.

Money is available for all kinds of utopias. These need personnel for their realization. However, the positions do not arise on the front, but in the administration. In many places, for example, speech therapists are missing, and at the same time the jobs are multiplying in the school parties. Saving at cultural events is saved, but increased in cultural administration. And yes: In order to monitor the poster ban in Zurich, additional officials are also needed. Has a advance been submitted for this?

Moral supervision

The artist Christian Jott Jenny is Zürcher and, as Mayor of St. Moritz. He recently compared the mentality in Zurich to the former bourgeois Bünzlitum, which led to the 80s youth riots. The Schwengel moved extremely left from extremely right to the right. « It has become musty again, » said Jenny. He perceives « left -wing resistance, well -meaning -designed tight ». And disturbs itself on the « superiority of those who think they are on the right side ».

Moralism goes hand in hand with arrogance. It is founded in the rich majorities that red-green supposedly has safe in the big cities. Last month, the city of city of the city rejected a steep increase in the municipal council salaries, although it was found to be necessary from left to the middle, supposedly « to strengthen democracy ». The argument was seen through what it is: as hypocrisy.

The left parties are far from losing their majorities in most cities. But everything no longer participates. Hopefully the advertising ban too. Hit -up comes before the case.