The hassle factor

Communist Party Chair Miroslav Grebeníček said on Nov. 17 that not all was bad under the old regime. People lived normal lives, raised children and realized their dreams, he said. But even those who have good things to say about Communism have trouble defending the hassles of everyday life - the meat lines, the restrictions on personal freedoms and the true believers who pestered people. The revolution might have brought new problems, as Grebeníček noted, such as joblessness, crime and moral crisis, but the "hassle factor" has been drastically reduced. Average people probably only encounter state-sponsored hassle today if they visit a government office, are stopped for a random police inspection or get on an airplane. Otherwise, they're left alone to make the most of their lives. The Communists are mainly upset because they aren't making much of theirs. KSČM Chairman Velvet Revolution