Who Cares About Vaclav Havel?
It's disappointing that President Barack Obama isn't attending the funeral of the great Vaclav Havel. I heard rumors that he might not be attending, which brought back memories of him dissing the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, but hoped he'd do the right thing. But the White House has sent notice of the official delegation, and President Obama is not on the list. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton is going and former President Bill Clinton will be with her. But what sort of message does it send that our president won't be paying his respects to one of the champions in the great fight of the 20th Century against communism?
United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron, Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and many other world leaders will be attending.
But our participation is almost more reminiscent of Russia's. They're going to be represented by their Presidential Ombudsman for, um, Human Rights. OK, not quite that bad.
But can't he tell that this is an important occasion? If not for him, than for so many of the people in his country who love and admire the work of Havel (along with Reagan, Thatcher, John Paul II and the other heroes who vanquished this oppressive enemy)?
It would be one thing if he were just giving back Churchill busts and the like but making sure to attend important events commemorating the victors in the Cold War. But when you put it all together, it leaves something of a bad taste in the mouth, no?
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Comments:
Re: Who Cares About Vaclav Havel?
The message is that there is nothing that is as important as the vacation of The One.
Jun '10
Re: Who Cares About Vaclav Havel?
This is shameful. I think Obama has a hard time letting a man or woman of superior moral courage and talent take the spotlight from him.
Havel was one of the great fighters against totalitarianism; I just don't think Obama thinks the fall of totalitarianism in much of eastern Europe is that big a deal.
Jun '10
Re: Who Cares About Vaclav Havel?
True. The weather in Hawaii is probably a lot better than the weather in Prague.
Aug '10
Re: Who Cares About Vaclav Havel?
I suspect there's a better chance that Obama would attend the funeral of Hugo Chavez before he'd attend the funeral of Vaclav Havel. He's more politically in tune with the former.
Re: Who Cares About Vaclav Havel?
Or Fidel Castro....
Dec '10
Re: Who Cares About Vaclav Havel?
Is he still bitter that his side lost?
Jun '10
Re: Who Cares About Vaclav Havel?
This one really has me irritated, so I'm playing amateur psychologist.
The hard left mindset views the past as largely irrelevant. Tradition means nothing.
Condorcet claimed that “[a] young man now leaving school possesses more real knowledge than the greatest geniuses,”and that “everything that bears the imprint of time must inspire distrust more than respect.” Thus, the past (meaning anytime prior to the One's accession to office) means little or nothing, including the momentous events in Eastern Europe and the USSR in the late 1980s and 1990s. So, in Obama's mind, Havel was "so 1990s" and so was Clinton.
Any merit in this kind of analysis?
Apr '11
Re: Who Cares About Vaclav Havel?
On the bright side.....
1: When he's playing golf he's not screwing up the country.
2: He's not desecrating the memory of Vaclav Havel with his presence.
I'm not sure he recognizes the existence of another side.
Mar '11
Re: Who Cares About Vaclav Havel?
I happened to be in Prague today. Long story.
But many Czech parents cared enough to bring their children out to the spontaneous memorials set up in Prague Castle and Wenceslas Square. A sample of my photos:
Oh, and I happened to notice this one peculiar flag flying amidst the memorial candles:
Yeah, probably shouldn't go to that funeral, eh Mr. President? Nah.
Aug '10
Re: Who Cares About Vaclav Havel?
Maybe he looked at the national checkbook and decided His and Her jumbo jets to Europe were too much?
Nah, I don't think so either...
May '10
Re: Who Cares About Vaclav Havel?
A good funeral is a terrible thing to waste. Events like these provide world leaders the opportunity to actually talk to each other without all the bureaucratic ugliness of "summit" meetings. A lot can be accomplished between hymns.
And as long as the planners don't seat delegates alphabetically they're alright. Otherwise you'd have Iran, Iraq and Israel in the same pew and risk WWIII.*
(*Yes, Prime Minister, "A Diplomatic Incident")
May '11
Re: Who Cares About Vaclav Havel?
Has Obama ever explained why he did this? Has he ever even been asked?
Apr '11
Re: Who Cares About Vaclav Havel?
Didn't Vaclav Havel call BS on catastrophic man-made global warming a few years ago? We can't be celebrating the life of a "denier."
Sep '11
Re: Who Cares About Vaclav Havel?
It is shameful. And what a contrast. Havel was a man with a truly great intellect--a fertile and creative mind. He was also quite humble, even shy. While I am sure he had ambition, one gets the sense he would have been perfectly happy (perhaps happier) had he never entered political life. But he knew when his moment came and he also likely knew what he was giving up--the quiet, productive life of a writer.
Jun '10
Re: Who Cares About Vaclav Havel?
In other words, Havel was the un-Obama?
Oct '10
Re: Who Cares About Vaclav Havel?
Boots on the Table: On the bright side.....
1: When he's playing golf he's not screwing up the country.
2: He's not desecrating the memory of Vaclav Havel with his presence.
I'm not sure he recognizes the existence of another side. · Dec 22 at 8:55am
"He's not desecrating the memory of Vaclav Havel with his presence."
I believe @BOTT has correctly called it.
Nov '10
Re: Who Cares About Vaclav Havel?
Ningrim
Has Obama ever explained why he did this? Has he ever even been asked? · Dec 22 at 9:07am
The bust was on loan, and had already been scheduled to go back. They asked him if he wanted to keep it and he declined, so it went to a British ambassadors office down the street from Biden's house.
Or you can believe Beck's theory
Jan '11
Re: Who Cares About Vaclav Havel?
If the Jesuits taught me anything, it's that people never ...never ... ever ... forget who came to the funeral.
Golden opportunity to show respect. Obama's on vacation.
Any bets on whether Eastern Europe will have a picture of Obama golfing that day?
Apr '11
Re: Who Cares About Vaclav Havel?
raycon
Boots on the Table: On the bright side.....
1: When he's playing golf he's not screwing up the country.
2: He's not desecrating the memory of Vaclav Havel with his presence.
I'm not sure he recognizes the existence of another side. · Dec 22 at 8:55am
"He's not desecrating the memory of Vaclav Havel with his presence."
I believe @BOTT has correctly called it. · Dec 22 at 9:25am
Opinions vary. I guess you like Obama a little more than I do. I rank him right up there with the gay pedophile we have as a Mayor here in Moscow on the Willamette (The People's Republic of Portland).
Sep '10
Re: Who Cares About Vaclav Havel?
A friend of mine -- during the Attack Watch debacle -- got himself signed up for Barack Obama's sycophantic campaign e-letters. This morning, he got an email inviting him to pass along holiday wishes to the President and his family. Here's what he sent:
His final message to me: "you remember the old maxim: don't get mad, get even."
As Instapundit would say: "heh".