Final Word from Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Asymmetric warfare is often associated with terrorism and insurgency, but it's also playing out in Czech politics on social media. Those in control - the politicians, police, prosecutors, courts, oligarchs - hold almost all the cards. They can lie, cheat and steal, because they have the firepower. Others who play entirely by the official rules have no chance. That's where the social media come in. Humor, irony, exaggeration and, it's true, sometimes flat-out lies are the only real defense against officialdom gone amok. We wrote today on Facebook and Twitter: "Hey, Prouza, it's Pokorný again. Change of plans. You're not getting Industry. You're going to the Interior. Růžička will be in touch. Don't screw it up the way that idiot Milan did." We have no evidence for the implicit accusations in these few words, but anyone who follows the situation knows exactly what we're saying. And also gets a good laugh out of it. If any of the slandered parties are foolish enough as to respond, it merely makes matters worse for them. That's the beauty of asymmetric warfare. It favors the little guys. [Czech Republic Radek Miloš Bison & Rose Wagner ministry Tomáš Chovanec]
Glossary of difficult words
asymmetric - having parts that fail to correspond to one another in shape, size or arrangement;
insurgency - the act of rising in active revolt;
to hold all the cards - to be in a very strong or advantageous position;
firepower - the destructive capability of guns, weapons or a military force;
flat-out - without hesitation or reservation;
officialdom - the class or entire body of officials;
to go/run amok/amuck - to behave uncontrollably and disruptively;
to screw something up - to make a mess of something.