Can Zuzana Caputova Save Slovakia?March 30, 2019Source: Foreign Policy / www.foreignpolicy.com / By Dariusz Kalan / A political newcomer is poised to become president by standing up for liberal democratic values—and seeking to halt the spread of right-wing populism across Central and Eastern Europe. Two months ago, Zuzana Caputova, with a young and highly inexperienced …
The Masculinity of the FutureMarch 28, 2019Source: Counter Punch / www.counterpunch.org / By Monika Zgustova / “I hope you’ve got enough cojones!” George Bush snapped at Tony Blair. The American president then outlined his planned bombardment of Iraq to the British Prime Minister: “I’m gonna kick ass!” Over the last two decades, much of the world …
Slovak liberals cross fingers for election of pro-west Zuzana ČaputováMarch 17, 2019Source: Yahoo News / www.uk.news.yahoo.com / By Robert Tait / Disbelief and a hint of fear flashed across Zuzana Čaputová’s face as the news broke. After explaining to the Guardian how she would bolster the rule of law in Slovakia if elected president, Čaputová, a 45-year-old lawyer and the frontrunner …
Sen. Jeff Flake throws shade at Trump in farewell address, warns of dangers to democracyMarch 2, 2019Source: Parker City News / www.parkercitynews.com / By PCN Staff Writer / Retiring GOP Sen. , in a farewell speech to the Senate, warned on Thursday of the dangers facing democracies. “Let us recognize from this place here today that the shadow of tyranny is once again enveloping parts of …
Time for Ukraine’s post-revolution liberals to step upMarch 2, 2019Source: New Europe / www.neweurope.eu / By Sasha Borovik / Former First Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine responsible for the international donor coordination, and Former Acting Deputy Governor at Odessa Regional State Administration. In times of crisis, like in today’s Ukraine, events unfold based largely on ideas that are …
A written constitution can’t save us from Brexit now – it could even make things worseFebruary 13, 2019Source: Independent / www.independent.co.uk / By John Rentoul / Once upon a time I was a living embodiment of Robert Conquest’s third law, which holds: “The simplest way to explain the behaviour of any bureaucratic organisation is to assume that it is controlled by a cabal of its enemies.” This …
Truth, lies and fake newsJanuary 15, 2019Source: Times Malta / www.timesofmalta.com / By Ray Azzopardi / Christiane Amanpour, a renowned journalist with CNN, in an interview on ‘How to seek truth in the era of fake news’, uploaded by TED in 2017, affirms that one cannot solve the great issues facing the world if one cannot …
Looking for Havel’s legacyDecember 20, 2018Source: Politico / www.politico.eu / Siegfried Mortowitz / PRAGUE — Twenty-one years after one of Václav Havel’s most famous speeches, many fear the Czech Republic is still in an “ugly mood.” In December 1997, the then-president told a joint session of the Czech parliament that the nation was on the wrong …
A defiant Canada is trolling China with Liu Xiaobo’s legacyDecember 20, 2018Source: Quartz / https://qz.com / By Isabella Steger / Two of its nationals may be under detention in China amid a serious diplomatic fallout, but that hasn’t stopped Canada from stirring the hornets’ nest over a topic that’s particularly taboo. The Canadian embassy in Beijing yesterday (Dec. 18) posted a message (link …
Readings and ‘big heart’ rally commemorate seven years since death of Václav HavelDecember 19, 2018Source: Radio Praha / www.radio.cz / By Tom McEnchroe / Tuesday marks the seventh anniversary of the death of Václav Havel. The former president remains a much respected figure in the country, even though his quotes are often used to help delineate the current divide in Czech society. Several commemorative …
US Capitol celebrates 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma GandhiDecember 2, 2018Source: Business Standard / www.business-standard.com / By ANI / Eminent lawmakers of the United States lawmakers and Indian-Americans on Tuesday came forward to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi at Capitol Hill. Addressing an illustrious gathering comprising US lawmakers and Indian diaspora at the Indian Embassy here, Ambassador …
Lessons: We need compassionate and caring leadershipNovember 21, 2018Source: Livingston County News / www.thelcn.com / By Bill Cook / Tonight I walked again through Wenceslas Square in Prague. It is not a particularly beautiful square, certainly no match for the nearby Old Town Square. It is hardly a square at all, but rather a half-mile long street that …
Velvet Revolution: Czechs and Slovaks celebrate anniversary of fall of communism and triumph of Vaclav HavelNovember 18, 2018Source: Independent / www.independent.co.uk / By Joe Sommerlad / Peaceful student uprising brought oppressive rule to end, swept dissident playwright to power and spelled doom for Soviet Union in 1989. Citizens of the former Czechoslovakia will honour the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution this weekend. The uprising, entirely peaceful in spirit, …
Why the Berlin Wall fellNovember 12, 2018Source: The Courier-Tribune / www.courier-tribune.com / By Lee Edwards / The fall of the Berlin Wall 29 years ago was one of the most consequential events of the 20th century, exposing the Soviet Union as a corrupt weak “empire” and effectively ending the Cold War. But it did not happen …
Can Zuzana Caputova Save Slovakia? March 30, 2019 Source: Foreign Policy / www.foreignpolicy.com / By Dariusz Kalan / A political newcomer is poised to become president by standing up for liberal democratic values—and seeking to halt the spread of right-wing populism across Central and Eastern Europe. Two months ago, Zuzana Caputova, with a young and highly inexperienced …
The Masculinity of the Future March 28, 2019 Source: Counter Punch / www.counterpunch.org / By Monika Zgustova / “I hope you’ve got enough cojones!” George Bush snapped at Tony Blair. The American president then outlined his planned bombardment of Iraq to the British Prime Minister: “I’m gonna kick ass!” Over the last two decades, much of the world …
Slovak liberals cross fingers for election of pro-west Zuzana Čaputová March 17, 2019 Source: Yahoo News / www.uk.news.yahoo.com / By Robert Tait / Disbelief and a hint of fear flashed across Zuzana Čaputová’s face as the news broke. After explaining to the Guardian how she would bolster the rule of law in Slovakia if elected president, Čaputová, a 45-year-old lawyer and the frontrunner …
Sen. Jeff Flake throws shade at Trump in farewell address, warns of dangers to democracy March 2, 2019 Source: Parker City News / www.parkercitynews.com / By PCN Staff Writer / Retiring GOP Sen. , in a farewell speech to the Senate, warned on Thursday of the dangers facing democracies. “Let us recognize from this place here today that the shadow of tyranny is once again enveloping parts of …
Time for Ukraine’s post-revolution liberals to step up March 2, 2019 Source: New Europe / www.neweurope.eu / By Sasha Borovik / Former First Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine responsible for the international donor coordination, and Former Acting Deputy Governor at Odessa Regional State Administration. In times of crisis, like in today’s Ukraine, events unfold based largely on ideas that are …
A written constitution can’t save us from Brexit now – it could even make things worse February 13, 2019 Source: Independent / www.independent.co.uk / By John Rentoul / Once upon a time I was a living embodiment of Robert Conquest’s third law, which holds: “The simplest way to explain the behaviour of any bureaucratic organisation is to assume that it is controlled by a cabal of its enemies.” This …
Truth, lies and fake news January 15, 2019 Source: Times Malta / www.timesofmalta.com / By Ray Azzopardi / Christiane Amanpour, a renowned journalist with CNN, in an interview on ‘How to seek truth in the era of fake news’, uploaded by TED in 2017, affirms that one cannot solve the great issues facing the world if one cannot …
Looking for Havel’s legacy December 20, 2018 Source: Politico / www.politico.eu / Siegfried Mortowitz / PRAGUE — Twenty-one years after one of Václav Havel’s most famous speeches, many fear the Czech Republic is still in an “ugly mood.” In December 1997, the then-president told a joint session of the Czech parliament that the nation was on the wrong …
A defiant Canada is trolling China with Liu Xiaobo’s legacy December 20, 2018 Source: Quartz / https://qz.com / By Isabella Steger / Two of its nationals may be under detention in China amid a serious diplomatic fallout, but that hasn’t stopped Canada from stirring the hornets’ nest over a topic that’s particularly taboo. The Canadian embassy in Beijing yesterday (Dec. 18) posted a message (link …
Readings and ‘big heart’ rally commemorate seven years since death of Václav Havel December 19, 2018 Source: Radio Praha / www.radio.cz / By Tom McEnchroe / Tuesday marks the seventh anniversary of the death of Václav Havel. The former president remains a much respected figure in the country, even though his quotes are often used to help delineate the current divide in Czech society. Several commemorative …
Retiring GOP Sen. Jeff Flake throws shade at Trump in farewell address to Congress, warns of dangers to democracy December 16, 2018 Source: CNBC / www.cnbc.com / By Tucker Higgins / Retiring GOP Sen. Jeff Flake, in a farewell speech to the Senate, warned on Thursday of the dangers facing democracies. Sen. Flake: America is not immune to authoritarianism from CNBC. “Let us recognize from this place here today that the …
US Capitol celebrates 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi December 2, 2018 Source: Business Standard / www.business-standard.com / By ANI / Eminent lawmakers of the United States lawmakers and Indian-Americans on Tuesday came forward to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi at Capitol Hill. Addressing an illustrious gathering comprising US lawmakers and Indian diaspora at the Indian Embassy here, Ambassador …
Lessons: We need compassionate and caring leadership November 21, 2018 Source: Livingston County News / www.thelcn.com / By Bill Cook / Tonight I walked again through Wenceslas Square in Prague. It is not a particularly beautiful square, certainly no match for the nearby Old Town Square. It is hardly a square at all, but rather a half-mile long street that …
Velvet Revolution: Czechs and Slovaks celebrate anniversary of fall of communism and triumph of Vaclav Havel November 18, 2018 Source: Independent / www.independent.co.uk / By Joe Sommerlad / Peaceful student uprising brought oppressive rule to end, swept dissident playwright to power and spelled doom for Soviet Union in 1989. Citizens of the former Czechoslovakia will honour the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution this weekend. The uprising, entirely peaceful in spirit, …