Odpočívej v pokoji, Václave Havle!*

[htpcl]

Zdravim vas, pratele!  Hi, pals! Sure, we've all been talking about Kim Jong-il and North Korea these days, but did you know that another big figure of modern history has left this world? Václav Havel, the "father" of the modern, post-communist Czech Republic.

The following excerpts contain some of the words Václav said throughout his political

Comments

[abomvubuso]

He had the confidence of a leader of a nation which had always been capable of giving more to the world than taking from it - something not many peoples could say about themselves.

And that confidence was absolutely justified. The nation that gave to the world St. Wenceslaus, Jan Hus, Antonin Dvorak, Bedrich Smetana, Franz Kafka, Miloš Forman, Martina Navratilova, Jaromir Jagr, Dominik Hašek, and Eva Herzigova, and Silvia Saint if you like; and also kolače, knedliky, Becherovka, Pilsner Urquell, Starobrno, Budvar, Gambrinus and Staropramen; the country of Hradčany, Vyšehrad and Stare mesto; of Karlovy Vary, Česky Raj and the High Tatry... has ALL reasons to be proud of itself.

Btw I think apart from Havel, we ought to mention Alexander Dubček, an equally heroic giant in Czecho-Slovakian history.

[htpcl]

I once had roast deer with blueberry sauce and becherovka in Praha. It was divine.

[underlankers]

A great man and perhaps the only nationalist I have no contempt for. May he RIP.

[luvdovz]

It's kind of symbolic that Havel has the same name as the patron saint and godfather of the Czech nation, Vaclav IV.

[ddstory]

Turns out that the moment being ripe with opportunity for change is not enough. You need the right person at the right place at the right moment to make things happen.

[sealwhiskers]

A much better man than Walesa and Hitchens. Many forget that he was a writer before he turned to politics, and a great one at that. Not an asshole or glib or narcissistic. A real brave risk taker and humanist. And he didn't turn rampant right wing either after the "velvet" revolution of the Czech republic.