According to the study published by The Economist Intelligence Unit, a part of The Economist magazine, the Czech Republic ranks as the third most attractive country in the world for offshoring, after China and India. The English term "offshoring" still does not have a Czech equivalent, writes Jan Machácek in Hospodárské noviny Nov. 3.

Offshoring is a symbol of the first decade of this new millennium. It is a result of increased global competition, connections between continents and Internet connections. Americans now count their taxes and have their X-rays analyzed via Internet in the Indian city of Bangalore. In this country Air France, Lufthansa and Accenture have opened customer centers. However, no one can guarantee how long we will remain in third place. We have managed to achieve this rank mostly due to our location in the center of Europe, with a cheap work force and relatively good levels of telecommunications, roads and airports. Should we be proud that our country ranks with India and China, two countries where people are as poor as church mice? It would be better if this country were a global center of education and science, but we are not rich enough for that and do not do anything toward that end. Such investments will hardly turn this country into a Silicon Valley but we should not refuse them. The Hungarians and Poles still envy us, concludes Machácek.

The newly appointed Health Minister David Ráth has openly confessed that he has two families. Will this Czech society accept this? Can a Czech politician have mistresses or other, nontraditional forms of family life? asks Jana Bendová in Mladá fronta Dnes Nov. 4. Ráth is not the first or last politician to lead a life the same way many citizens do. But the question is not whether a politician should lead a more moral life than his voters do. Americans admire traditional values and want their politicians to lead lives that represent these moral and ideal values. But what are the values of the Czech society? Most people probably have no idea. That is why we are so tolerant. If most of us are guilty of unfaithfulness, divorce and quasi-bigamy, it is not an indication we are doing good things. We have politicians to govern our public affairs. An unfaithful person can still be a good politician, reformist minister or president who can positively contribute to the wellbeing of the state. King Premysl Otakar I was a terrible husband but a great ruler. But unlike in ancient times, we can now elect our politicians, concludes Bendová.