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May 16th, 2007 issue

No tyranny here

“… 45 years of totalitarian tyranny.” Or rather, 45 years of fairly benign socialist government (“Heroes’ welcome, News, May 9–15).
Most people had quite a reasonable standard of living — perhaps not as high as in the West, but vastly higher than in most other countries. The governments were no more “tyrannical” than most governments are. And, unlike in the present-day West, people realized that they were being fed propaganda.
I think you must have some chip on your shoulder about the old regime.
Sarah Livingstone
Prague
On zero growth
Martin Hrehorčák should be ashamed of himself (“On birth: Dr. H and the women,” Tempo, May 9–15). Our planet is creaking from hopeless over-population … and he is making the problem worse.
John Williams
Prague
Wedding trade
How many of those 9 percent of marriages are genuine (“NGOs protest new residency law,” News, May 9–15)? Thousands of people come here every year, pay 20,000 Kč to a woman to marry them, and can live here and claim welfare for the rest of their lives. It is hardly unreasonable to want to stop this fraud.
Australia changed its rules a few years ago so that new permanent residents now have to wait two years before being eligible for welfare.
Sally Amis
Prague
Institutional living
I think this article is painting far too black a picture of inability of these children to adjust to the “regular” life (“No place like home,” News, May 9–15).
I know there also are huge problems in Western countries (including Canada) with foster homes that are alternatives to “children’s homes.” Children living in those foster homes are probably as likely as children in institutional care to be eventually involved with unsavory facets of future life.
The 80 percent failure mentioned seems to me to be extremely unlikely.
I know several people in Canada (me included) who are doing quite well with their lives even if they spent part of their life in the “children’s homes” in communist Czechoslovakia.
Children have a great capacity to adjust to injustices of life.
Jiri Hubacek
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
I don’t think it is too black a picture, as Jiri Hubacek is writing. He is just one of the lucky 20 percent that succeed.
Mike Smith
London


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