Switzerland is a tax-haven. Our politicians take every chance to deny that, but it’s a fact: Property tax is very low here, and we have double-tax contracts with only a few other countries.
The Germans, and especially their financial minister Peer Steinbrück, don’t like this. I don’t blame him. So the OECD came up with the idea, to make a ‘black list’ with all countries that are so called ‘tax haven’. With Switzerland ranking on first place.
Now our politicians started to panic. In order not to be put on that list our financial minister Rudolf Merz announced a week ago that the banker’s discretion shall be weakened. Then first doubts occurred that this special list maybe didn’t even exist. Switzerland was furious.
Peer Steinbrück assumed himself to have been victorious. In an interview he said: ‘You don’t have to send out the cavalry. The Indians only need to know that the cavalry exists!’ (Link is in German) It's a comparison widely used in Germany. In this context the cavalry being the ‘black list’, the Indians being the Swiss. We didn’t like it though – and our parliament fired back with speeches way below the belt. Some referred to Mr. Steinbrück as 'ugly German', others even put him in comparison with the Nazi’s back in the 30’s in Germany.
But today I found out some interesting facts: Steinbrück’s saying refers to the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment under the command of General Custer. The Indians are the Hunkpapa-Sioux tribes Cheyenne and Lakota, with their chiefs Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and Big Foot. Custer attacked their village at Little Bighorn. Since the heavy cavalry-weapons were inapplicable in the hilly terrain and Custer underestimated the Sioux both in number and tactics, he suffered a crushing defeat.
Having learned this, I must say I’m proud to be referred to as an Indian. Mind your tongue, Mr. Steinbrück, or we might strike back and give you a real whitewash!
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