Well, that's a stupid comment. How do they exercise their right to elect a new government in line with their views if they shouldn't espouse those views?
It is, but not logical in that way. Fashion demonstrates that you can do something other people can't - whether it's spend more money, wear something that is inconvenient because you don't have to work, etc.
What it's definitely not is about "getting something done efficiently". Quite the contrary, and hence the assumption of a lack of logic.
Over the course of my life, I've spent maybe 100 CHF on iOS apps.
Considering the cost of a phone is, what, 900 CHF, replacing all of those apps on an android device would not be a significant inhibitor. Especially since only a few of those apps are still installed and in use on my phone...
Easy. You just don't tell them that you're paying with card until the end. Negotiation 101 - they may be sleazy, but they're not geniuses, and it's not that hard to outthink them.
A quick Google tells me that dry sand with gravel would have roughly the same density as TNT. I suspect that would be somewhat less likely to go boom, too.
Letting people elect their own president has sometimes shown to do more harm than good as well, but I don't see anyone arguing against that. Voter ID is one of those common sense things that should be in place by default; if you're incapable of obtaining identification which most people have (state ID, drivers license, etc.) then perhaps you shouldn't be entrusted with a vote.