…Czechs celebrated the events that kicked off the Velvet Revolution and the eventual overthrow of Communism. I find it sadly ironic that here I live, in once-communist Prague, where unlike the United Kingdom circa 2024, I can make an unkind or just politically incorrect remark online in confidence the police will not at some point show up on my doorstep to harass or even arrest me.
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Yesterday in Prague…Perry de Havilland (Prague) · Central & Eastern Europe · Civil liberty, Law & Regulation · Totalitarianism November 18th, 2024 |
 13 comments to Yesterday in Prague…Leave a Reply |
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Czechia is in the EU. I’d suggest you enjoy your freedom while it lasts.
The EU does not have a police force to enforce its dislike of dissent here.
Perry,
Dunno if it’s ironic as much as inevitable. The Czechs have a very visceral memory of tyranny. That, and from my experience, the Czechs are unusual souls and I mean that in the best possible way.
Is Britain one of the first Authoritarian Democracies? And when the level of it moves it to a Totalitarian Democracy?
I’m in Bulgaria. Same.
We have a freedom here that Brits have forgotten about.
A little story from that fair country. Over in Usti nad Labem – what used to be Aussig in the Sudeten – the more mouth breathing boneheads come over from Germany once a year to have a march through the streets. This should be Germany still etc. Maybe 50? A couple of hundred perhaps?
The Czechs come out to watch. Stand around and have a glass of wine as the demo goes past. One year, right by the fountain that a couple of fascists were drowned in in May/June 1945, opposite the opera house, I turned and asked a mate. So, why are we all watching this? Nice wine, but why?
“Well, obviously they’re mouth breathing boneheads, ghastly fascists in fact. But they have their civil liberties too and we’re here to make sure the police allow them to march.”
A bracingly robust attitude I call that.
All European Union countries are forced to have “Hate Speech” laws – Estonia was the last to fall.
But Perry is correct – the Czech Republic is much resistant to Critical Theory “Woke” Marxism than the United Kingdom is. Although eventually the Czech Republic will either have to leave the European Union – or send people like Perry to prison.
In Britain even the opponents of Critical Theory Marxist censorship and persecution (losing your job, having your money and property taken in “Civil” actions that are NOT really being brought by the people you supposedly harmed with your words – see both the Katie Hopkins and “Tommy Robinson” cases, or just being thrown in prison for years because the regime dislikes what you have said) rarely have the courage to openly say that “Woke” doctrine is Critical Theory Marxism.
If one dare not even use the name of the enemy – one is unlikely to defeat the enemy.
By the way – Happy Velvet Revolution in Prague, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
I predicted this very development in 1985,
Perry:
Be careful what you say/write/post! Does the UK have an extradition treaty with CZ?
I’m off to the range, where I can watch my fellow folk from Wyoming shoot at targets at 600, 800 and 1,000 yards…and hit them. It’s one of the things about the 2nd Amendment here, is that it helps keep the 1st alive.
Something similar is happening in Israel which has (in theory, but only partially) transitioned from socialism to democracy.
Just before the war began, the Leftist elite launched its last effort to prevent democratic reform of the judiciary – one of its last bastions of power. And they tried to bring down the elected government.
In my job in Israeli hitech, I have had some dizzying tragicomic conversations in which I – sometimes together with a Soviet emigre – try to explain to an Israeli Leftie why the judiciary should not pick judges on its own like the Vatican, what “legislating from the bench” is, what “checks and balances” are, why it is not OK to hold Likudniks, civilian protesters, settlers, and others they disagree with in prison without charging or trying them (it’s called “administrative detention here…).
Antoine Clarke, yes you did and that was very far sighted of you Sir.
As you know, I was hopelessly innocent back in 1985 – starry eyed about the West. Of course that was the West of Prime Minister Thatcher, President Reagan, CIA Director William Casey, and Pope John Paul II. I did know that we were very far from free market capitalism – but I believed that things were getting better, that we recovering lost liberties.
Now we have a West more in tune with my half brother (if he is still alive) the Marxist academic “Tony” Marks – with his belief that dissent is “Hate Speech” and so on. However, if he is still alive – he will not be pleased at the election of Donald John Trump – although he would say this is only a temporary set back for the cause of “Progressive” tyranny (and, tragically, that may be true).
Blackwing1 – even Wyoming has “Progressive” judges – for example one has just found a right to abortion in the Wyoming Constitution of 1890 (technically this is called being a liar in judicial robes).
BenDavid – yes judicial tyranny is still tyranny.
We have plenty of judicial tyranny here – years in prison for protesting (well years in prison unless you die there), being sent to prison for being near a protest (even if you did not take part), being sent to prison for expressing, on social media, a point of view that the establishment does not like, and-so-on. And in the Civil Law – the most obvious truths being declared “false claims” by the courts – subject to absurd libel payments (with juries selected from certain areas and biased court procedures), and prison for “contempt of court”.
Even in the United States someone can be sent to prison for peacefully protesting near an abortion facility – not entering the facility (and not blocking the entrance either – so not obstruction), just standing on a public street near it. So much for the 1st Amendment.
Just remember that Dr Benes was a mendacious, vindictive little man – small stature, big ego – who couldn’t read a map. So, floreat Aussig.