Final Word from Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Will a Czech politician dare to stand up and announce that the floods that have caused at least Kč 5bn in damage are a good anti-crisis exercise? After all, the floods will require people to rebuild their homes, buy new cars and replenish their pantries. This will give the depressed economy a big boost. And of course there are the billions of crowns in highway and railroad contracts, which have brought twinkles to the eyes of many a construction manager. Perhaps if the rains continue, the country's economic problems will be washed away! But of course this is absurd and insensitive. Destruction and death through floods isn't the way to rebuild a shattered economy, any more than wars and wasteful government projects have been in the past. Politicians won't praise the floods, but they will eagerly adopt policies and programs that over the long term could be just as destructive.[Czech Republic water]
Glossary of difficult words
floodgate - a gate that can be opened or closed to admit or exclude water, esp. the lower gate of a lock;
to open the floodgates - to make it possible for something to happen that was not previously possible;
to replenish - to fill something up again;
pantry - a small room or closet in which food or other items are kept;
to bring a twinkle to the eye of - to cause someone to light up in expectation.