We are with you!!
"I trust God that after the passing of storm of wrath which our sins brought down upon our heads, the rule of thine affairs shall again be restored to thee, 0 Czech people"
&
"We are all citizens of one world. We are all of one blood. To hate a man because he was born in another country, because he speaks a different language, or because he takes a different view is great folly. Desist, I implore you, for we are all equally human."
- John Amos Comenius, Czech and Moravian Patriot, 1649
5
The very last paragraph about a corrupt leader who is enriching himself and his equally corrupt family also applies to the USA:
"Mr. Trump, you can probably buy a lot, but you cannot buy our honor, our hearts or our freedom.”
8
I visited Prague in the summer of 1990, and watched students assemble an exhibit about the recent Velvet Revolution while rings of candle wax from memorials could still be seen in Wencelas Square. I remain impressed by the Czech people. We Americans could learn a lesson from them.
6
You know, given the never-ending fiascoes of Central and South-Central Europe, maybe the Austrian Empire was not the very worst thing.
1
Spring has come late to Prague this year, but let's hope it blossoms into something beautiful and perennial. It is an inspiration to see a people motivated to assure their democratic institution from corruption by those with the levers of power.
7
News flash. It is never good to overthrow the government without a solid plan. If one justice minister can eliminate the investigation and conviction of fraud charges (if real), then the real need is a change in the constitution where a panel of judges is used, or at least, the people can ask for an appeal?
Again, not matter how much you hate your current leader, it is never good to overthrow and send the country into chaos. The Arab Spring is a good reminder, as is the current atmosphere in DC.
@Ma Actually, one of the demands of the protesters is that the government put into effect 7 new concrete laws to prevent arbitrary changes in the justice system and to make it harder for lawmakers to influence their own prosecution. The protesters respect the decision of the people to vote for the party led by Mr. Babis, but he being in the position of the most power in the country is unacceptable with the huge conflict of interest that he’s in. Let the party rule on, but led by a different person from their ranks that isn’t weighed down by past scandals and can fully focus on the good of the country instead of his/her own problems.
2
Another European country with a "Trump" problem.
8
History keeps repeating itself. Another millionaire, another country, another corruption scandal..
15
@GP I don't know of a society or government where this was/is not the case . . . I imagine there are a few historical examples (and maybe even contemporary) where the leaders were noble, ethical, and inspired by altruistic desires but the norm is ego driven, power hungry rule benders. It seems "democracy" is in need of an upgrade; we should have the most qualified experts leading our nations, not the biggest bafoons.
2
“We have Babis hysteria again,” he recently told lawmakers.
This goes to show how quickly Trump's media strategy has been adopted by other demagogues. And now, crowds are massing in the street to protest the appointment of a Justice Minister they feel will protect Babis.
William Barr will read this story and breathe a sigh of relief, eh?
16
"What started six weeks ago as a relatively contained protest — over the appointment of a justice minister many believe will protect Prime Minister Andrej Babis from potential fraud charges — has grown into something broader and possibly harder to control. "
The question now is how soon will Babis be visiting the Oval Office and sleeping in the Lincoln Bedroom.
10
@John Poggendorf
Good question! One corrupt Babis visits a corrupt Baby.
1
This should happen in this country. We are in perilous times with our globe in a perilous moment. Republicans need to know they are going to be ousted if they don't have the courage to check Trump's outlaw behavior.
21
Billionaires and mega-millionaires running countries is a bad idea. Why is it that all the really rich ones are corrupt? Putin, Xi, Kim, MBS.........oh, and the Donald too.....
Even if the corruption is difficult to prove, just the appearance (Trumps DC Hotel) of conflicts of interest breaks down a society’s confidence in its leaders and diminishes a democracy.
21
@McG
Add Bibi to those names as well. Money makes the world go around, the world go around, the world go around....
Babis use EU funds to enrich himself, while Bibi enriched himself with a submarine purchase.
2
Replace Babis with Trump in this article. That is my dream.
16
In August, 1968, I was in Prague, and that square, as the Russians invaded. The documents of "Socialism with a Human Face" of the Prague Spring were rich, redolent of hope. People had volunteered for "Dubcek shifts" to boost production so they could continue to send the USSR the money they had been siphoning off, while pursuing their remarkable political history - hoping to forestall the Warsaw Pact occupation. But they were a small country.
51 years later, I pray that the bullies - this time, of money and sheer power - will not prevail. Havel, Dubcek, Smyrkofsky, Svoboda, Masryk, all visionaries in a land that deserves to live its profound cultural momentum free of the tentacles of greed.
19
I will be interested in finding out what people on the ground are thinking. My son and daughter-in-law will be visiting Prague and some smaller cities this summer. They will find out from her relatives there what is going on from citizens' perspective.
7