"I've never had a bank account in Switzerland since 1984. Why would the Swiss do this to me? Maybe the Swiss are trying to divert attention from the Holocaust gold scandal"
About this Quote
The date tag, “since 1984,” is doing quiet work. It’s specific enough to sound documentary, yet it sidesteps the more dangerous question: what about before, or through proxies? It’s a politician’s precision, designed to read like transparency while leaving legal and reputational escape hatches.
Then comes the most combustible maneuver: invoking “the Holocaust gold scandal.” This is not casual whataboutism; it’s an attempt to borrow moral gravity. By linking Swiss banking to a widely condemned historical stain, Bhutto positions Switzerland as institutionally compromised, implying that a country with that past has both the capacity and the incentive to fabricate or selectively leak. It’s a rhetorical judo throw: if the Swiss are morally suspect, their allegations become suspect by association.
Context sharpens the intent. Bhutto, a global symbol and a frequent target in Pakistan’s power struggles, spoke under relentless scrutiny over wealth and patronage. The line tries to convert vulnerability into leverage: she can’t fully silence the corruption narrative, so she recasts it as a smear campaign staged by a tainted financial empire.
Quote Details
| Topic | Justice |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Bhutto, Benazir. (2026, January 17). I've never had a bank account in Switzerland since 1984. Why would the Swiss do this to me? Maybe the Swiss are trying to divert attention from the Holocaust gold scandal. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/ive-never-had-a-bank-account-in-switzerland-since-38148/
Chicago Style
Bhutto, Benazir. "I've never had a bank account in Switzerland since 1984. Why would the Swiss do this to me? Maybe the Swiss are trying to divert attention from the Holocaust gold scandal." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/ive-never-had-a-bank-account-in-switzerland-since-38148/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I've never had a bank account in Switzerland since 1984. Why would the Swiss do this to me? Maybe the Swiss are trying to divert attention from the Holocaust gold scandal." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/ive-never-had-a-bank-account-in-switzerland-since-38148/. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.









