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Want to Increase The Productivity and Efficiency of Your Country? Here Is What You Can Do
What is good for the country, is good for its citizens: Take every opportunity to emphasize the benefits of the active reserve system for each individual
You’re a small nation high up in the mountains.
You aspire to build an orderly and successful society.
You value your independence highly.
Yet you have limited resources. What can you do?
A very long time ago, Switzerland chose to organize its society using what we call the active reserve system. This system is the cornerstone of our society to this very day — in security, politics, schools, and associations.
As unique as the active reserve system is, as unique are its benefits and challenges.
From a strategic perspective, the active reserve system has three closely interconnected benefits. First, not having a standing army and not having a standing parliament is highly efficient: There aren’t any professional soldiers and politicians to pay. Second, because soldiers and politicians are ordinary citizens, there is no detached caste of people who control the state. And third, power is…