Czech Out

Or
Velvet Underground
(Kudos to Don)
Vaclav Havel, the man who ended Czechoslovakia, has died at the age of 75. The dissident writer spent years in and out of prison and under police surveillance for his incessant whining about Communism. He became the voice of the Czech people, driving the Prague street demonstrations that led to the Velvet Revolution, so named because the peaceful transfer of power took just weeks to complete and did not involve a shot being fired. And because Havel played Mel Torme at full blast to drive the Commies out. Pretty soon oppressive yokes were being shaken off throughout Europe, Iron Curtains were falling and forgetful old guys in the US were taking all the credit. Havel was elected the first president of Czechoslovakia, broke that and became president of the Czech Republic, setting the West-leaning path that had the country joining NATO in 1999 and the European Union in 2004, a move that has really paid off for them. Havel was a star in the West for his well publicized love of Lou Reed and Frank Zappa, who was named “special ambassador to the West,” but at home he was mocked for being naïve, for marrying a former actress best known as a topless vampire, and for staying a little too late at the party and meddling in politics long after it was time for professionals to run things. But then the West has a long history of backing the wrong ponies in international affairs.