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| Europe |
| Appeasement Revisited by Vaclav Havel |
| 2005-02-11 |
| This all happened when the Iron Curtain divided Europe — and the world — into opposing camps. Western diplomats had their countries' economic interests to consider, but, unlike the Soviet side, they took seriously the idea of "dissidents or trade." I cannot recall any occasion at that time when the West or any of its organizations (NATO, the European Community, etc.) issued some public appeal, recommendation, or edict stating that some specific group of independently-minded people — however defined — were not to be invited to diplomatic parties, celebrations, or receptions. But today this is happening. One of the strongest and most powerful democratic institutions in the world — the European Union — has no qualms in making a public promise to the Cuban dictatorship that it will re-institute diplomatic Apartheid. The EU's embassies in Havana will now craft their guest lists in accordance with the Cuban government's wishes. The shortsightedness of socialist Prime Minister José Zapatero of Spain has prevailed. Try to imagine what will happen: at each European embassy, someone will be appointed to screen the list, name by name, and assess whether and to what extent the persons in question behave freely or speak out freely in public, to what extent they criticize the regime, or even whether they are former political prisoners. Lists will be shortened and deletions made, and this will frequently entail eliminating even good personal friends of the diplomats in charge of the screening, people whom they have given various forms of intellectual, political, or material assistance. It will be even worse if the EU countries try to mask their screening activities by inviting only diplomats to embassy celebrations in Cuba. |
| Posted by:3dc |
| #2 DB: interesting thought. I wonder what the UN would do with an honest, intelligent man at the helm? Have they had any since Dag Hammarskjold? May I recommend Havel's inaguration speech, as president of Czechoslovakia, from about 1990? |
| Posted by: mom 2005-02-11 6:00:33 PM |
| #1 Havel for UN General Secretary! (Yeah, I know...will never happen. I can dream, can't I?) |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2005-02-11 5:07:05 PM |