Klaus keitossa

Tsekin presidentti Václav Klaus piti viime perjantaina puheen CATO instituutin seminaarissa Facing a Challenge of the Current Era: Environmentalism.

As I said, we already succeeded in getting rid of communism. But – along with the predominant view at home and elsewhere – we erroneously hoped that the attempts to suppress freedom and to centrally organize, mastermind, regulate, control the whole society (and economy) were already matters of the past, an almost forgotten historic relic. They are, to our great disappointment, still there. I see more examples of them in Europe and in most of international organizations than in America itself, but they can be found here as well.

The reason is that there are new, very popular and fashionable “isms” which again put various issues, visions, plans and projects ahead of individual freedom and liberty. It is social-democratism (which is nothing else than a milder and softer version of communism), it is human-rightism (based on the idea of mostly positive rights applicable all over the world), it is internationalism, multiculturalism, europeism, feminism, environmentalism and other similar ideologies.

Communism is over, but attempts to rule from above, are still, or perhaps again, here.

Wow! Käykäähän lukemassa, kuuntelemassa tai katsomassa koko puhe. Huomatkaa että CATOn nauhotuksessa 20 minuutin puhetta seuraa varsin mielenkiintoinen puolen tunnin kyselysessio.

Paljonkohan tsekit pyytäisi välirahaa Václavin vaihdosta Tarjaan? Paljollako arvon lukijat osallistuisivat kolehtiin?

[Via Lubos]