All cities on this planet should have the problems that Bern has. A recently arrived colleague, born in Spain, and working in the UK recently commented on how beautiful and delightful this city of Bern is. The air is clean, the river’s water is crystal clear, and there are lots of wooded areas around the city that invite a brisk walk, an athletic run, or a leisurely walk with the kids. I can only criticize the fact that the city has not managed to attract any really decent avant-garde theatre or dance group, but in the whole, this is the nicest little capital that I have lived in. It is provincial, and it has a postcard quality to it.
However when you listen to the debate going on in the city’s parliament about yesterday’s clean up action that cleared the anti-nuke demonstrators from the front lawn of the BKW at the Viktoriaplatz, you would think that we are in Syria and that the police has been trained by Al-Qaeda. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Now let me get this clear. Demonstrations are part of our culture. Camping on private property without permission is not kosher. That nuclear power generation is going through an abortion process is nothing that I am opposed to. Sooner or later, this was an inevitable step. Nuclear fusion has the advantage of not producing green house gas emissions, however it is not a form of renewable energy, and the legacy problem of dealing with the byproducts has yet to be solved. We need research and deployment of renewable energies, but we also live in a market society. Deal with it folks, or else turn off the computer, go bathe in the Aare, eat raw vegetables.
Now, what there is to criticize is how the executive of this city dealt with the demonstrators that camped at the Viktoriaplatz. The police did what needed to be done, and they did as professionals. Frankly I really do not understand what these people are whining about!
What I gather is that revolutions are popular these days, and that (political) demonstrations are the new entertainment. Politentrainement?
Get on with it people! Oh, you already have.
public man 