Baa baa black sheep

Posted by Jul on 4 September 2007

If you hang out with any foreigners in Switzerland these days, sooner or later the conversation is likely to turn to the SVP’s current ad campaign. You know, the one where the white sheep are banishing the black sheep from their country. The posters are up all over Switzerland, and the ads are featured in newspapers daily. One would think (hope?) that the people responsible for such ads were some fringe radical right extremist group, but in fact it’s the largest political party in the country. The SVP claims that they only want to kick out criminal ‘black sheep’ (and their families), but the graphics tend to leave a different impression.

Now if the signs with the triumph of white (sheep) over black (sheep) isn’t enough wholesome Swiss fun for you, you can head over to this SVP site for even more xenophobic good times… in one game, you get to play a border patrol goat tasked with eating Swiss passports before they fall into the hands of the multi-color foreigners; in another, it’s your job to forcibly keep the black sheep from crossing the boarder into your country (but you can let the white sheep in).

I wish I were making this up.

[Note to my readers added 6-Sept-07: While I don't really have a policy for what can and cannot be said in the comments section, today I received an anonymous comment that was so disgustingly racist that I felt the need to delete it. It is hard to decide where to draw the line - I normally encourage debate and different viewpoints, but at the end of the day I do not want my blog used as a platform for anonymous hate speech. Feel free to share with me your thoughts on this decision, if you're so inclined...]

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Comments (35)

  • Anonymous
    September 4th, 2007 14:54

    you’re not the only one wishing it’s just a bad dream :(
    i’m not voiting regulary, but this time i have to do it just because of not let those lame ass win the round…

  • Mark Reynolds
    September 4th, 2007 15:35

    I’d read about this campaign. It’s absolutely sickening – even ignoring the racial overtones, the idea of deporting an entire family for the misdeeds of one of its members is akin to saying the criminal tendencies are “in the blood” along with presumably other socially undesireable qualities. I thought that approach to social-engineering was discredited sometime around 1945?

  • Global Librarian
    September 4th, 2007 16:32

    I have no words…

  • Buda Baby
    September 4th, 2007 18:31

    This is certainly disturbing. I read about this on Yahoo news a few days ago & the article there said that there has been little popular backlash; is that the case from a local’s perspective?

  • SwissGuy
    September 4th, 2007 20:16

    These ads and the party they represent are absolutely disgusting!

    Today I was traveling in a train with a group of international expats living in Switzerland (all academics, two of which are black) when we crossed one of these. I really felt compelled to speak out loud enough for anybody in the train section to hear how ugly I find that (this is kind of unusual because in Switzerland, politics is something considered rather private). But there are certain red lines and sometimes, saying nothing means being compliant…

    I really urge all Swiss citizens to go vote this 21st of october! This time around, not to vote is just plainly irresponisble.

  • SwissGuy
    September 4th, 2007 20:35

    …Oh, P.S.: For the honour of the Swiss people I have to add here that those ads usually don’t last very long; they are normally ripped down very fast by the decent people. The problem is that every time one is ripped down, another one is posted by this very rich and very ugly party :-(

    Here’s some music to the subject:
    http://youtube.com/watch?v=_Qznf_uvZrE

  • Anonymous
    September 4th, 2007 22:45

    Some facts which maybe aren’t known by some “not-swiss-people”:
    - behind this ugly ad campaign ist the biggest swiss party, yes. But biggest means 25% vote for them, not like in the US where 45% vote for the republicans.
    - “a black sheep” is common term for a criminal. Of course this term is racist, so it isn’t used a lot anymore (at least by my friends…).
    - Most of these posters don’t last very long. Only those at trailstations, which are protected by cams (of course the cams ain’t there for the posters), survive unharmed (in switzerland it’s explicit forbidden to damage ad-posters)

    What’s disgusting me even more is that the SVP published those flash-games, where you have to cick judges out and run green politcans over.

    The reason why’s there little popular backlash in the news or in politics is, that the past has shown the bigger the backlash is, the more succesful is the ad-campain.

  • tqe / Adam
    September 5th, 2007 09:19

    This kind of rhetoric is really frustrating to me–whether in Switzerland or the USA.

    Perhaps US Presidential Candidate Tom Tancredo could take some cues from them–it might help expose the anti-immigration folk in America for what they really are.

  • rswb
    September 5th, 2007 09:37

    At my train station there is also an ad for the local SVP candidate that shows a picture of a woman in a burqa, and next to that is the question “Aarau oder Ankara?” (I believe there is also a version in Baden saying “Baden oder Baghdad?” with a picture of a minaret). The only good thing is the vast amount of graffiti written all over the poster, by people who apparently will not be voting for the candidate in question.

  • Shelley - At Home in Rome
    September 5th, 2007 10:00

    I guess the idea of PC hasn’t arrived in Switzerland… you’d think that they would have considered all the possible interpretations of their campaign though… I mean, in today’s day and age with globalization and all, sensitivity is important. But hey, judging by the mariachi campaign, this one isn’t too surprising, is it? ;-)

  • Beth
    September 5th, 2007 14:52

    And suddenly Ireland’s hatred of non-EU spouses of non-Irish citizens seems minor. Well, less major anyway. Although maybe the government hasn’t seen those games yet…

  • Elaine Vigneault
    September 5th, 2007 14:54

    Wow. That’s hardcore racism.
    Those ads need creative modification. Artists wanted.

  • CanadianSwiss
    September 5th, 2007 17:52

    I’m not very much into politics, but I’ll be voting… and not for that party.

  • Roam2Rome
    September 6th, 2007 00:20

    Yes, I’m left speechless too…

    It must be a tasteless joke!

  • Ingo
    September 6th, 2007 09:47

    @rswb: “The only good thing is the vast amount of graffiti written all over the poster, by people who apparently will not be voting for the candidate in question.”
    Unfortunately, these people usually don’t vote at all…

    @Anonymous: “‘a black sheep’ is common term for a criminal. Of course this term is racist, so it isn’t used a lot anymore.”
    Actually, to be fair, I’m pretty sure that term was never coined as a racist analogy to humans. Black is just the rarer colour for sheep, therefore black sheep were always a posterboy (-sheep ;-) for the outsider. Doesn’t make the ads any better.

    Btw, did anyone notice that in the papers, one of the white sheep has been stabbed? The ones in the streets don’t feature that, and the papers didn’t in the first place either, so that seems to have been added later. Ein Schelm, wer Böses dabei denkt… (Satirical German saying, roughly: “A rogue, he who thinks bad about this”)

  • Buda Baby
    September 6th, 2007 16:48

    Jul, I agree with your decision to delete the racist post, not having read it. Open debate involves an intelligent exchange of ideas, and had the post been a thoughtful and rational but differing view on immigration and/or crime, I’m sure you would have allowed it. Blatant hate speech doesn’t do anyone any good, and if anything it weakens what arguments there are against immigration!

    Whenever I see and hear racism (either blatant or implied), I’m deeply discouraged by our lack of progress as a society. But then I think about my nephew’s elementary school class learning about Rev. Martin Luther King, and how the kids were absolutely shocked to learn that people were murdered because of their race, and that people were discriminated against because of their race. They simply couldn’t fathom it, and that gives me hope.

  • Preyanka
    September 7th, 2007 08:35

    That’s very sad. America has problems, but I think we are one of the most liberal countries when it comes to welcoming “foreigners.” About the comment: isn’t it interesting that hate speech is usually left anonymously? I’ve seen Vietnamese bloggers flamed every now and then, and it’s always done anonymously, I guess so the commenter can carry on pretending to be a normal, civil human being in other contexts.

  • Anonymous
    September 7th, 2007 10:40

    Frankly, I don’t quite understand the fuss. Referring to somebody as “the black sheep” is certainly not racist. Neither is it racist to use a term such as the “dark side”. We need less of this PC brainwash.

    I also don’t know what is wrong about forcing criminals to leave the country. This is standard practice in most countries around the world. And I don’t understand why it should be xenophobic if Switzerland starts to do the same. The US or Scandinavian countries for example are much tougher on criminal foreigners or foreigners exploiting the welfare system.

    And it is very frustrating that all the other parties always fall in the trap set by the SVP: Giving this party attention and keeping it in the news forever.

    P.S. I’m not an SVP voter. But for other reasons.

  • Zodiac
    September 7th, 2007 11:12

    I’m in shame about the sheeps and the SVP. Im a left guy and I hate the SVP. It’s a very primitiv campagne in swizerland, but there are much other… I vote for the left side, because I couldn’t live under a SVP country. Help us to fight again the SVP with more Blogs. peace

  • roedfugl
    September 7th, 2007 12:29

    i’m very sad and angry about this country wich should be my country. but it isn’t- it can’t be anymore. the fear and xenophobia spreaded by the SVP is guiding switzerland in the off. i feel shame and helpless. and i will never accept this halo of intolerance, separatist and rasist wich is proudly presented as a swiss-made quality. it’s just not for what switzerland must standing for. this is defenitly not my switzerland. and i don’t know how to communicate to the foreigners my solidarity….i’m totaly sorry.michèle

  • Mark Reynolds
    September 7th, 2007 12:53

    Jul: Feel absolutely free to delete any hate speech you like. There’s no reason why you should feel obligated to provide a platform for those people.
    To anonymous: deporting individual non-citizens for felonies is certainly defensible. Deporting their families for their deeds is an outrage, and reminiscent of the sorts of “collective punishment” used by your neighbours in less happy times in their history.
    Black sheep is normally a phrase that alludes to one who does not fit in, not neccessarily a criminal. Used in this context, the obvious implication is racial. Even if the party didn’t intend the metaphor, they don’t seem too upset that people are interpreting it that way.

  • Anonymous
    September 7th, 2007 13:18

    A relating article published in the Newspaper “Independent” in the UK

    Switzerland is known as a haven of peace and neutrality. But today it is home to a new extremism that has alarmed the United Nations. Proposals for draconian new laws that target the country’s immigrants have been condemned as unjust and racist. A poster campaign, the work of its leading political party, is decried as xenophobic. Has Switzerland become Europe’s heart of darkness? By Paul Vallely
    http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article2938940.ece

  • Anonymous
    September 7th, 2007 13:59

    @ Mark Reynolds

    >deporting individual non-citizens for felonies is certainly defensible. Deporting their families for their deeds is an outrage, and reminiscent of the sorts of “collective punishment” used by your neighbours in less happy times in their history.

    I’m against collective punishment (except that parents are to a certain extent responsible for non-adult children). However, the initiative does not ask for collective punishment. Here’s the proposed law from the government’s website:

    http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/pore/vi/vis357t.html

    Where exactly do you find anything on collective punishment in this law? And if you don’t understand German, just believe me: There is nothing on that in there.

    >Black sheep is normally a phrase that alludes to one who does not fit in, not necessarily a criminal. Used in this context, the obvious implication is racial.

    In Switzerland black sheep refers to the bad, evil. There is not racial connotation.

    >Even if the party didn’t intend the metaphor, they don’t seem too upset that people are interpreting it that way.

    Of course not, as all opponents fell into the provoked trap.

  • Mark Reynolds
    September 7th, 2007 15:42

    I do not understand German, I’m afraid. However, every news article I’ve read on this (from the BBC, the Associated Press and the Independant) all state clearly that they are trying to expel families. In fact, the Independant story that the other anonymous poster mentioned above contains an interview with the man behind the initiative, in which he explains the party’s rationale.

  • Anonymous
    September 7th, 2007 16:57

    @ Mark Reynolds

    You are correct in that they are thinking about proposing measures to expel parents of criminal non-adult children (which I oppose). But not with this initiative (the one the campaign is for) as it is clearly not part of the law they propose.

    This initiative is clearly only about expelling foreigners who have committed serious crimes. Period.

    And there is in my opinion nothing wrong with that.

  • aena
    September 8th, 2007 10:15

    anonymous is right, collective punishment is not part of this initiative.

    The proposed new article states that foreigners, who have effectively been convicted of a serious crime (criminal acts of violence, rape, human trafficking, drug trafficking) should be deported regardless of their residence status (no mention of any family members being deported alongside).

    They would also be banned from travelling to Switzerland for 5-15 years, depending on the crime, 20 years in the case of repeat offenders.

    And yes, apparently in German “black sheep” is used a bit differently than in English. In German the “black sheep” are those who don’t obey the rules, not simply outsiders.

    I know that Switzerland and especially the SVP is not as PC as other countries. But I refuse to accept international media, that apparently can’t even get the facts straight, calling us “Europe’s heart of darkness”.

    (And before you ask, I’m not an SVP-voter and both my parents were immigrants in Switzerland)

  • hexe
    September 8th, 2007 18:39

    While I too believe in freedom of speech, there is a point where speech become “offensive” and it only serves to insult and degrade people with no redeeming value. It’s like the U.S. Supreme Court’s definition of pornograph – you know it when you see it and it should not be tolerated.

  • r tramble
    September 9th, 2007 08:19

    Hi there,

    Well, I left my thoughts on my blog if you wish to read them.

    http://www.rashundatramble.com/2007/09/08/speaking-out-in-switzerland-a-foreign-concept/

  • r tramble
    September 9th, 2007 08:29

    @aena and anonymous,

    Reading your posts make me realize that there’s no hope left.

    At all.

    The issue is that foreigners are more prone to be charged with a crime, whereas Swiss folks (whites) are more prone to be let off with a warning.

    If the justice system here was fair and across the board, I wouldn’t have that much of an issue. But the justice system plainly not fair.

    And I’ve just about freaking had it with folks here saying “I’m not an SVP voter…but”. Not all racists are members of the Klan. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not equating SVP with Klan membership. I’m just saying that not being a card carrying member doesn’t mean a hill of beans. If you think as they do (which it seems you do) you’re on the team.

  • Anonymous
    September 10th, 2007 15:34

    @Rashunda

    >The issue is that foreigners are more prone to be charged with a crime, whereas Swiss folks (whites) are more prone to be let off with a warning.

    Maybe so. But more so than in other countries?

    For example: How many percent of the inmates or people receiving capital punishment are black?

  • Ovi
    September 10th, 2007 16:01

    well, as everywhere in the western world, politics seem to be radicalizing. And so it’s not really a big surprise that here in switzerland the ‘wing’-parties to the left and the right are gaining more and more votes, while the moderates lose votes. If you have a look at the election campains the SP fields equally silly ads (just take a look at the one with a plane crashing into a nuclear powerplant).

    Theoretically, the image of the ‘black sheep’ isn’t racist per se, but of course the SVP was aware of the possible double-entendre of the imagery and explicitly used it to provoke, which it did. Unfortunately, especially the backlash from abroads will probably turn out to be counter-productive due to the old swiss stance ‘of not letting them foreigners (UNO, EU) tell us what to do’ :(

    It’s really a shame, the concept of ‘Sippenhaft’ is pretty much opposed to anything Switzerland stands for, but to make this clear the law that’s being debated right now does NOT include that. I’m still opposed to it and will vote a clear no when/if it comes to a popular vote, but I just wanted to point that out. Apparently some media seem to mix things up here a bit, it has been mentioned by the SVP, but it’s not (yet) part of a bill.

    To our defense I have to say that a lot of these posters have been painted over, actually all of them along my way to work have…

    I just hope that this time around the people will flock back to the centrist parties, but that’s pretty unrealistic, I’m afraid. Most likely the SP and SVP will be the two parties winning seats. :(

  • Pascal
    September 11th, 2007 12:24

    @ Ovi

    I don’t quite agree with your argumentation. Yes it’s right that the SP (social-democratic or socialist party) is on the other end of the political spectrum, but that doesn’t mean that they are nearly as far to the left as the SVP is to the right. As far as the mentionned poster from the SP goes (which I don’t approve of) many members of the party have actually spoken out against it. The SP doesn’t normally display such fear-mongering ads; the SVP does it all the time (and you can ad there the word “hate-mongering” too).
    As far as the political “centre” is concerned, those parties (CVP, FDP) aren’t really to the centre but rather right of the centre. They always speak out against the bad style of the SVP but when it comes to vote, they often root with the SVP for fear of loosing voters. That’s why I will vote for the SP.

  • Ovi
    September 11th, 2007 17:24

    @Patrick
    Fair enough, but you have to see that the SVP, just like the SP has several internal groups. Many of those are more traditional conservatives and not the rabid reactionaries of the Zürcher wing that seem to dominate the national party at the moment. You’re right though that the SVP is several levels worse when it comes to ‘provoking’ (or as you said, fear-/hate-mongering) ads (the Aarau oder Ankara ads come to mind…).
    It’s also true that the CVP and FDP are centre-right, but since there isn’t really a true centre (or even slightly centre-left) party around they’re at the moment the only parties I consider voting for, the SP are just too far to the left for my taste. Maybe the liberal greens will be able to fill that void some day….but I fear I’m now really straying from the original topic, sorry :blush:

  • Bryan
    October 3rd, 2007 12:02

    Why the surprise? Don’t want to sound too negative here but this poster reflects (dare I say) most of Swiss people’s opinions to foreigners and not just the SVP party’s. Of course you won’t find any of them in Zürich and nobody in Switzerland will walk up to me (I’m black & live in Zürich) and say these things to my face. But if you drive out of Zürich into villages and smaller towns, you will notice that racism and the deterioration of good Swiss values due to foreigners is part of everyday conversation. Just like it’s acceptable to have skinheads around at local events…

    What really gets under my skin is not the racism, but that the Swiss people have not been informed well enough of an alternative solution to solve integration problems other than the SVP’s infamous strategies. It is believed to deliver results. We all know, the more influence the right-wing parties have, the more it damages the international relation growth in cities like Zürich and Geneva.

    It’s not that dramatic though. The Swiss people hate trouble and that’s why the action against crime by foreigners. The same action will be taken if the SVP get out of hand. In a world of hectic change, it’s guaranteed that the Swiss will be the last to take extreme action.

  • Andi
    October 20th, 2007 23:44

    In my opinion the most important Members of SVP aren’t racists at all. All they do is collecting votes of racists with this campaign. It’s been made very well, because the ‘normal’ voters of SVP wouldn’t take this as racism, while the racists would. So both groups vote for them. But SVP doesn’t care at all who their voters are.
    In SVP itself it’s all about power and money. While the other Swiss parties had about 1-2 Million Swiss Francs for their campaign, the SVP spent 15 Million. Where does that money come from?
    It’s simple: From the richest of the rich in Switzerland… …So it’s quite obvious that SVP will try to reduce taxes, especially for rich people, while reducing costs for social welfare. To reach this goals one needs more than the votes of those super-rich ones, ergo they try to get votes from everyone, who doesn’t know and think much about politics or simply are thumb (i.e. racists).
    So it even is in the interest of the SVP not to solve any problems with (criminal or not) foreigners, otherwise they would have no more votes at all, and the riches would have to pay more taxes! What a shame.
    There’s one last thing I wan’t to say: while SVP has got about 25% voters, there are about 48% (poll of 20min.ch) who are clearly against them. I think most of them even hate those guys (and yes, those few SVP women too). So the Swiss are not racists, not even all of those 25% SVP-voters.

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