A journal of political, social, and other important, possibly even somewhat related affairs, including but not limited to: Central European Society, The European Union, HC Kometa Brno, American Politics, Film, and Beer.

06 June 2007

Bush's Speech in Prague

Read it here.
A few things...
One thing that's interesting is when you type in "Prague Bush speech video" in Google, you get the Reuters headline: "Bush speech may irk Moscow."
I think it's interesting that whatever Bush says, it reflexively irks Reuters.
Of course, to be fair, Moscow deserves to be irked.  The Beeb today pointed out that were Russia not invited to the G8 Summit this week, its behavior would be at the top of the agenda.
Next, it was good -- and important -- that he named names of dissidents.  It gives these dissidents hope, especially in places like Belarus and Burma, where communication is relatively good.  It also calls those régimes out on the carpet, where they belong.
I had always heard that it was Solzhenitsyn who "compared a tyrannical state to a soldier who constantly points a gun at his enemy -- until his arms finally tire and the prisoner escapes."  Turns out it was Andrei Amalrik.
Finally, of course, I have to mention that I appreciated Bush's citation of Havel's citation of Masaryk's citation of Komenský.  I might only add that Komenský, in turn, was influenced greatly by the priest and reformer Jan Hus.  The Czech Lands have a long tradition of
developing the liberal ideal, and it's no coincidence that the Czech Republic is working for régime change in Cuba and Belarus; nations with whom Czechs have a historical relationship, and thus a historical opportunity.

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