Final Word from Thursday, April 27, 2006
Revenge is sweet, but few Czechs take it. At least physically against their oppressors from the past. Rarely is a heavy-handed former StB agent, a trigger-happy border guard or a former Communist bigwig hunted down and knocked around for what he did under the old regime. Tony Soprano would break some knees or fit some concrete shoes, but not Czechs. Forgiveness probably isn't the reason. Time heals wounds is perhaps a better explanation. In this light, the beating yesterday of Communist Vice Chair Jiří Dolejš is curious. He's too young to have caused much damage under totalitarianism, and he's one of the more reform-, market- and EU-minded Communists. Dolejš says the attack was politically motivated, and ČSSD was quick to jump on this theme. But it seems at least as likely that someone was sending Dolejš a message about something he would prefer to keep to himself.[Czech Republic KSČM secret police]