What do you think of the results of Switzerland’s vote on the Responsible Business Initiative?
On Sunday November 29, the responsible business initiative was rejected.
What are your thoughts on the result? Do you think we need global standards for ethical business and if so, who should enforce them? We’d like to hear from you! Leave a comment below!
From the article Responsible business initiative rejected at the ballot box
There is no such thing as Swiss democracy. Fake votes take place on subjects where it is clear what the people will vote.
The Swiss are never voting on important things like lockdowns and bailouts. I bet nobody would vote to be fired or have their business closed without full compensation while trillions are given to big companies.
It was a tough call and failed only in a certain way. I believe, however, that this is not the time for grand, sweeping legislation that hampers business. I also believe that we cannot ask companies to be responsible for the practice of other, connected parties in other countries, whose people live in very different conditions and have a completely different culture. There is a real question, to my mind, of where the responsibilty for others really is. We need to be ethical but not infringe upon the responsibilities of others
The result was not surprising. Switzerland projects itself to be a nation with grass roots democracy, but that does not mean all the decisions taken are the right ones. Democratic governments also go on the wrong path and look inwards to save money.
Take for example the COVID crisis, the government has 'earmarked' money in billions, but no one seems to be getting any.
Where is all the money going? To businesses apparently and it does not trickle down to the people who need it. So the corporations will always have it easy here, due to the lax laws.
Freedom first before anything i think you will find is the correct call, it eludes me currently but can you recite a list of free democratic countries that did not attain that status at the end of a rifle?
Switzerland is a socialist state, so there is no freedom. Just look at all the taxes, social programs and bailouts which prove there is also no free market.
It was clear the vote will not pass. After all, banks just got the ability to take their fines from other countries and reduce it from their Swiss taxes, so Switzerland pays for fines in other countries. That was enough to make it clear there will be no accountability.
The same behavior as with CHinese companies. All state owned even though they pretend to be private companies.
“Do you think we need global standards for ethical business and if so, who should enforce them?” That’s a great question, Jessica Davis Plüss, to be answered by an emergent institucional innovation of a global decentralized state, unable to set a standard yet, via my contribution to your SWI story “Responsible business initiative rejected at the ballot box.”
Yes: “We are facing a disquieting present and an uncertain future to which there can be only one alternative: to build a better future.” — Michelle Bachelet Jeria, Opening Statement by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva, 16 November 2020.
but: that alternative has already emerged
and: for example, can be seen via my response to PASSERBY2 on November 24 to your SWI story “What questions do you have about the Responsible Business Initiative?” for CEOs to become as "innovative as Apple," by adopting the what I have coined as Jobsism that starts with a completely new Cultural Singularity user experience and work backwards to the technology.
Next move should be limiting corporations' abuse of their size advantage to small companies and individuals. Which results in everything from stress on social security to slow innovation. Not abstract and would directly benefit Swiss economy.
Warmongering, death, profit 1 - people, ethics, morals 0
I wonder who voted "no" in each initiative. Are they the same people who said no to basic income, no to more holidays and yes to tax rises? They definitely do not think of other people.
I think this was an excellent result. The popular majority showed that the Swiss are becoming more willing to confront more of the rampant evils of this world rather than just to standby, enjoy their prosperity and claim "neutrality". And the refusal of the majority of the cantons (on balance a more conservative viewpoint) showed a recognition that although the aim may be noble and virtuous, the measure would have a catastrophic effect on the Swiss economy as there would be a Tsunami of exits of major corporations and of lawsuits (look at America as an example of the often destructive effects of excessive litigation) that would quite simply eradicate many small and medium size companies that do not have the resources to ensure compliance nor to fight the legal battles - many arguably without merit - that would overwhelm them.
The worry I always have with such initiatives is "Who will have the right to judge or decide under which courts?
Anything other than elected officials who can be voted out by the people is giving power to interests that are not easily held accountable themselves.
Good question - if, say, a Swiss-based company selling electronics is linked through a chain of several companies to harmful mining minerals in Africa, does the law of Africa or Switzerland apply? And which of many intermediate companies is really responsible? And doesn't suing a Swiss company imply that Africans are not responsible for their own actions?
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These issues should be solved before this initiative returns to the polls.
Profits first before anything else...
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