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February 28th, 2007 issue

Remembering Ronald
[Prague 6 Mayor Tomáš] Chalupa’s question (“On a Reagan monument,” Opinion, Feb. 21–27), and much of the debate in general when it comes to giving credit for the collapse of communism, misses the point. If you want to dole out praise based on grandiloquent bombast or symbolic gestures, Ronnie and Gorby are more than eager to angle for it.
But if you want to at least give credit to someone who made a more direct impact on the erosion of communist rule in East-Central Europe, a much more persuasive case can be made for John Paul II. His role was largely symbolic, serving as a sort of moral beacon keeping a candle burning in the Vatican, but his visits to Poland — especially his first, in 1979 — had much more profound effects. The pope’s visit galvanized Polish society. Remember, the preparations and organization of John Paul’s visit was undertaken by ordinary believers without the help of the Polish regime. That practical experience, not to mention the profound impact of witnessing a million people standing with the pope and against the regime, played an important part in paving the way for the emergence of Solidarity the following year.
Of course, historians who try to approach this question dispassionately as a general rule prefer not to get bogged down in doling out individual credit, but instead focus on systemic factors (the growing financial insolvency of communist governments, for example), the growing discontent, the crisis of legitimacy and any number of other social developments less glitzy but more substantive. If you want to maintain this sort of “great man” view of history, then Edward Gierek would have to rate highly for raising prices and provoking strikes of Polish workers. But I don’t see Czechs, or Poles, for that matter, rushing to build monuments honoring Gierek for his role in precipitating the collapse of communism.
Scott Brown
Seattle
Visualizing disaster
There is no evidence that this woman used a “crystal ball” (“Czech Republic, prepare thyself: The end is nigh,” Opinion, Feb. 21–27). Instead of sneering, perhaps you could take the trouble to investigate the matter. For example, has she successfully predicted other events? Many animals can predict disasters, so it’s not unreasonable to suppose that some humans can as well.
Sally Amis
Prague
Olympic gold
Who will benefit from the billions of crowns spent chasing the dream (“Burning cash,” Business, Feb. 21–27)? And whose dream is it anyway? The citizens of the Czech Republic? The unfortunates who have to foot the bill via their taxes?
I don’t think so. It’s the dream of a few, just a few. The big players. The opportunists. The politicians. Get back to the real world. Put your citizens first and the Olympics where they belong.
Tony Marlow
Cvikov, north Bohemia
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