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Old Shatterhand goes to Washington


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March 5th, 2008 issue

If we saw this in a movie, we wouldn’t believe it: Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek waxing nostalgic about the American West as he flies across the Atlantic for a brash exercise in cowboy diplomacy. Then he meets with the head cowboy in the United States to cut unilateral deals and exchange patrician gifts and proudly declares himself “a statesman.”

It would be laughable if it weren’t so breathtakingly arrogant and misguided.
Perhaps it’s naive to think that a critical issue like the radar base could be debated and handled transparently, as this page has called for previously. But, by any standards, the way the process is proceeding is shameful, with deals cut in private meetings between top U.S. and Czech officials, government jobs and contracts dangled as bait, and the end of the Bush presidency, rather than real geopolitical concerns, driving the process. It’s particularly galling to see the visa waiver for Czechs who want to visit the United States being used as a bargaining chip. (Yes, we know that officials on both sides have denied the two issues are in any way connected. But, if you believe that, we have a bridge we want to sell you.)
It’s common for politicians approaching the end of their tenure to become concerned about their legacies and try to burnish their images; witness George W. Bush’s sudden interest in neglected regions of Africa. In the Czech Republic, the obverse seems to be at work. Secure in their seats after the recent elections, Czech officials have embarked on a silly season, without any apparent regard for how it will impact the country. Topolánek postures himself as the new hunting buddy of Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney; Jiří Paroubek goes to Syria, ostensibly to cut business deals; and Václav Klaus flies to New York City to continue thumping the anti-global warming drum.
Perhaps the simplest answer to why these men have embarked on such massive ego trips is, “Because they can.” Being stroked by special interest groups abroad and the leaders of the free world is a heady business, to which much better people have succumbed. But it ill-serves the long-term interests of the Czech Republic, particularly in relation to its European neighbors. Everybody wants Uncle Sam for a sugar daddy. But if this country wants cooperation and respect on the Continent, at some point it will have to start acting like a team player instead a rogue state concerned only with its self-interests. Or, more accurately, those of its leaders.
Realistically speaking, that’s not going to happen any time soon. So grab some popcorn and enjoy the show.  Sooner or later, these cowboys have to ride off into the sunset.


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