May Editorial

Today is May 5. We remember the Prague Uprising of 1945, the end of the horrible war. Our media brought many articles and stories about those days- they are just memories for those who lived through those times, but for the young ones they bring important information. All of us may hear and read interesting facts not published before. For example I was intrigued by a remark of a radio listener who said that the Sudeten originally represented only a small part of Silesia and that actually the Nazis named the border regions of Czechoslovakia “Sudeten” because those regions were mostly populated by Germans.

Consulting the internet we find various definitions of that word and diverse opinions as to its origin.

The paper MF Dnes brought an interesting article about a legendary air-fighter, leutenant general Frantisek Fajtl. He was born on August 20, 1912 and we shall soon bring you a longer article about him.

When I visit the Olsany cemetery in Prague I often walk near his grave. I am always pleased to see a great many flowers there and am happy that people do not forget him…

In short, these days the newspapers, radio and television are doing a rather excellent job.

The same cannot be said about politics. I received a letter from a reader from California who follows Czech news daily on the internet and elsewhere - she complains that she does not understand what is happening in our domestic politics. She is asking me for some explanation.

I really can’t tell her much more than what is already in our papers: Our politicians argue with each other, they inform and spy on each other. They are connected with so-called “godfathers”. Those are basically mafiosos who obtain profitable state work contracts and then use the extra “earned” money to pay the politicians. Corruption pure and simple. It is estimated that nearly one hundred billion (!) crowns has disappeared already into this “black hole”. But the money did not just evaporate. It reappeared in the accounts of our politicians. And instead of serving the people- the politicians try to squeeze more money out of them-higher taxes, lower pensions, more expensive electricity, water, higher fees for everything, etc.

Attitudes like: ”There is no such thing as dirty money”, or “Morality is just a cherry on the cake” say it all. Too many godfathers and other crooks run politics and “entrepreneurial” activities.

And our Minister of Finance received a prize in the USA last year. For goodness’ sake – whatever for? For being in cahoots with the godfathers and politicians? For raising taxes?

Yesterday the House of Representatives discussed the question whether retirees should be getting smaller pensions. Representative Gabriela Peckova (from TOP 09) made this appalling statement: “ Most of the seniors were born during WWII and they lived in a regime that did not allow them to become rich. So they will adjust. ”Do we need to add anything to this pronouncement?”

I wish all of you a beautiful month of May - the time for love.

Transl. by M. Dolanska