Waiting for the man

Those on both sides of the CzechTek dispute have gone so far in actions and words that irony is now the only recourse (with due respect to those injured). The most remarkable outcome of CzechTek is that the two Václavs have seen eye-to-eye for the first time since they agreed in 1990 not to agree on anything. Now if they could only hold hands like Mitterrand and Kohl. Klaus and Havel have something else in common; Klaus is honorary chair of ODS and Havel, not to be outdone, seems to be vying for the same recognition from the Greens. Of course he could have won more points if he had brought his pal Lou Reed along for an encore of Metal Machine Machine, the unlistenable album that's such an inspiration to technos. That would have scared away even the toughest members of the riot squad, and then we wouldn't have to listen to all this "cucumber season" talk of police brutality. [Czech Republic Francois Helmut France Germany French- German relations Velvet Undergound]