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It's so fucking embarrassing to be a human being and watch dumb shit like this and authoritarianism growing around the world.

Well, you have to see it in a bit of a context. Many votes in Switzerland are concluded on a much tighter scale. Sometimes stuff gets accepted or declined by 50.5% or even less. 55% against the initiative is pretty decent, especially when it looked like it would pass for a long time. Me personally I would have liked to see 95% against this crap, but this has never happened on any matter that was voted on, so...

Also, the cities and suburbs, with the supposed "problems of immigration" right in front of their doorstep, all declined the initiative. It was the country side and small communities that aren't even affected by immigration, that voted for it. This shows once again, that fear is a powerful tool to mobilize masses. Thankfully it didn't work this time but we gotta stay alert and fight the narrative of fearmongering every single day.

Source: Me, I'm Swiss.

My thoughts exactly. Everyone is like "the Swiss have spoken and are clearly not supporting capping the population". And I feel like that is not really showing the reality...

Basically it's a way to distract from actual political issues, and shift blame to people that have a hard time defending themselves.

It's a very old technique but ususally works very well. The Romans used to execute Christians, and in mediaeval times European leaders would do pogroms (of Jews), burning of Catholics etc. Then 20th century examples like segregation, Nazism and fascists like Oswald Mosely.

Nowadays we have the modern versions in MAGA and Reform and "stop the boats" and whatever this Swiss movement calls itself.

Always condeming "the other" and making sure only to pick on those who can't stand up or really speak for themselves, because that persecution is cheaper and easier than acually solving problems.

Especially if those problems could be solved by worker reforms and progressive tax systems.

We had a foreign exchange student from Switzerland living with us recently, and I can confirm that the German side of Switzerland thinks the French side as lesser.

I doubt it was an honest goal. It was most likely a post-truth political device for aligbment.

Clearly it would be more humane to take out the oldest Swiss person instead of the youngest

You might find Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s story "2BR02B" ("to be or not to be") an interesting read. It's not exactly like your theory, but it's not too far off.

This initiative was a conservative movement.

It would have been used as a cudgel to oppress immigrants or to target the out group.

A lack of repercussions

It means Switzerland is all but surrounded by four EU member states. Germany, Italy, France, and Austria.

The point being every country around them is in the EU and Switzerland is a notable enclave when you look at a map.

That's a moderately high participation rate for Switzerland.

See this list of past votes.

https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/en/home/statistics/politics/popular-votes.html

A fascist law.

1940s Europe: 👀

It's exactly the same in the UK. The whole Brexit thing has been the unmitigated disaster that it was predicted that it was always going to be. It turns out that if you don't let immigrants come into your country they can't pick your crops for you they can't drive your trucks and they can't work in the hospitals (amazing who would have known).

It's almost as if immigration is useful.