In countries where the state is underdeveloped, volunteer civic engagement is flourishing, as shown by this report from 2019 in a Burmese emergency service, among section chiefs in Sierra Leone and in the search for missing persons in Belarus.
The shortcomings of the militia principle enshrined in Swiss DNA would be even more pronounced in a more professionalized system.
The association is a remedy for the inward-looking nature of democratic regimes, where the dependence on others that prevailed in feudal regimes has been eroded. It also enables its members to commit themselves beyond their personal interests, without having to go through the State.
The militia system is criticized far and wide. However, its critics miss its own logic, which, along with federalism and direct democracy, contributes to the institutional construction of Switzerland, and thus to the country's identity.
Paid signature-gathering has the disadvantage of favoring those with the most resources. However, banning this practice would have even worse consequences, further distancing Swiss-style direct democracy from its original spirit.
Australia has no hesitation in supporting the efforts of the United States and its allies to combat the rise of China, despite the fact that it is its leading economic partner. This de facto dependence limits Canberra's strategic room for manoeuvre.
In June 2023, the troops of the Wagner militia led by Yevgeny Prigozhin went into open rebellion. From this crisis of the security apparatus in the midst of the war with Ukraine, the Russian Armed Forces came out the big winners.
Over the decades, the Swiss militia system has fostered mutual understanding between the professional, political and associative worlds, as well as the pooling of knowledge. This is also true for the culture of prevention among the general public.
The way a question is posed plays a major role in public debate. This underestimated dimension of contemporary discussions in particular explains many of its outcomes. Confusion has taken its toll on the debate of ideas in recent times.
French 
German
English
