What to do with disgraceful president?

If there is  a big theme in Czech Republic in these days it is our president Miloš Zeman (the first one elected in direct presidential elections) and his interview in radio show „Hovory z Lán“. In this interview Zeman used profanity words few times, mainly when he tried (badly) to translate the word „pussy“ into Czech (he translated it as a cunt).  Zeman criticised Russian punk band Pussy Riot for their exhibitions  and compared their actions to pornography. In this radio interview he also said that politicians „fucked up“ new service act.

Many people were really shocked by this hard words from mouth of the highest representative of the state. However,  it was the last drop into the sea of many more fouls which the Czech president made in last weeks.  Zeman´s predecessor and famous first Czech president Vaclav Havel as a former dissident many times articulate the need of pressure to authoritarian regimes in case of human rights. He also never made official visit of the communist China.

Zeman´s foreign policy is in some way total opposite to that. Zeman on his state visit to China makes an interview for the Chinese television where he said that “we have to learn from you how to stabilize the society”. On his way back Zeman used the private jet paid by the Czech billionaire Petr Kellner and his financial group PPF which have interests in China. Zeman also attend conference in Rhodos organized by Vladimir Putin´s close friend Vladimir Jakunin.  Zeman in this conference called for cancellation of western sanctions against Russia.

As a reaction to this lot of mostly young Czechs start to organize themselves against this presidential policy on Facebook which resulted in demonstrations on 17. 11. (Czech national day, celebration of ending of communist regime). Those demonstrations attended about 10 000 of people which symbolically lifted red cards to Zeman. Some of the protesters also attended the meeting in Albertov district of Prague, where Zeman and four other presidents of Central European countries celebrated 25 years from fall of communism. People booed to Zeman and some of them throwed eggs and tomatos to him.

What does all this mean? Prezident Zeman is trying to divide the society between provinces  (who support him) and big cities (which liberal citizens are mostly against his policy). Most of main media are also against current president and stoke assault atmosphere against him. Zeman is also known for wallow in hard drinking (he was many times drunk in some official ceremonies) so maybe he just couldn´t control it anymore and maybe he was drunk even in those interview. Anyway, the next presidential elections are after three years, so we´ll have even more fun with this person I guess...

Have Czech dissidents suffered less than Latin American?

This question is now hot theme in the Czech media after visit of famous American writer and linguist Noam Chomsky.




In his speech in Olomouc on 5. 6. 2014 he compare the East European dissidents to people who opposed to authoritarian regimes in Latin America (most of this regimes were supported by US). By Chomsky's view those dissidents suffer much less than those in Latin America and recommend that they received support from West as well.

This speech was followed by lot of reactions in pages of Czech newsapers and magazines. The critique was mainly from right wing intelectuals. For example former dissident and defence minister Alexandr Vondra said that he:"Absolutely not understand how those anti-semitic and anti-capitalist opinions of this wretch can someone take with respect in our country. At time when there people like Havel were arrested for freedom in communist prisons, He in the Boston cafes advocated genocide of Pol Pot in Cambodia," 

The other former dissident, Jan Ruml was much more conciliatory, when said that: "We (dissidents) have never claimed that we suffered terribly."

My point of view is closest to outlook of third former dissident Petr Pospíchal, who in his article criticize both Chomsky and his Czech critics. In first part of his article, he describes terrible conditions in communist prisons and other repressions by state apparatus in 70´s and 80´s:

"At that time I was arrested in the České Budějovice. Two men who arrested me took me in a typical unmarked zhiguli car about twenty miles away, on the edge of a forest ravine, a kind of rock perhaps twenty meters high. Yes, I know today, we know that they did not overthrow me down, I do not write article apparently from beyond the grave.

But for me to find out I had to wait. First they took my papers and everything out of your pockets that my dead body could not be easily identified. Then I have been shoved to the edge of the cliff.

Finally, it ended by a few punches. Have I had to be calm and say that elsewhere in the world, worse things happen to people? Yes, thank you for the advice, and you are welcome to continue swing your chair!"   

He end his text with statement: "It happens that a person gets help and support from someone who has ulterior motives. But it is not a matter of anyone other than the person who provides such assistance. We arrested and persecuted can not control who have appeared or will seek the support of our release. And we were grateful for such support."

(...)  

"We are satisfied with the black and white reduction to good and evil, while in reality the black and white players were confusingly mixed. It's hard to blame Noam Chomsky for abbreviated and saggy interpretation of the past when between ourselves this saggy interpretation became the norm."

Noam Chomsky should be more sensitive to local (Eastern European) context and understand that not only US did and do "dirty great power policy" (including support for local authoritarian regimes when it is advantageous) in the world. 

Czech intelectuals, on the other side, could more listen what Chomsky wanted to say and not shout hysterically when someone calls into question how much was previous regime in Czechoslovakia totalitarian or compare it with other regimes around the world. Because this is normal procedure in political sciences study.