aldhissla

ITT: people judging the vote and the voters by the magnanimous title alone.

The initiatives were worded and implemented so poorly, that it wouldn’t surprise me if the initiants wanted to lose both these votes.

1. The inheritance tax would have caused mass nationalisations and it had pegged the tax proceeds to go towards climate goals instead of let’s say the federal pension fund deficit (AHV-Loch). It would be incorrect to state that the voters don’t support an inheritance tax or climate goals based on this vote.
2. The “service citoyen” proposal would have made some kind of civil or military service mandatory for all, but would have essentially reduced the military to a volunteer force, which would be socially unacceptable. The Swiss have a historically repeatedly confirmed will to keep a citizen’s militia as the country’s only security force.

Your point is valid but less relevant. Lithium is an alkali metal found in different sources than rare earths, with Australia and South America producing the most.

Rare earths are expensive to refine which is why western mines and refineries have been outcompeted by China. If we were to subsidise local production we’d have an abundance, e.g. from Scandinavia.