Obit: Czech playwright, President Vaclav Havel

Subject: RE: Obit: Czech playwright, President Vaclav Havel
From: Paul Burke
Date: 25 Dec 11 - 07:36 PM

Havel na hrad. Allbright thought him a friend; I wonder if he thought her a friend.

Subject: RE: Obit: Czech playwright, President Vaclav Havel
From: TheFamousEccles
Date: 25 Dec 11 - 01:21 AM

R.I.P. Vaclav Havel

Subject: RE: Obit: Czech playwright, President Vaclav Havel
From: number 6
Date: 24 Dec 11 - 10:55 AM

An excellent article on Havel from Der Spiegel ... I think the title says it all.

A Moral Giant among Pygmies

biLL

Subject: RE: Obit: Czech playwright, President Vaclav Havel
From: foggers
Date: 24 Dec 11 - 07:40 AM

Yes - a true hero, a reluctant and modest leader and the best kind of revolutionary.

Subject: RE: Obit: Czech playwright, President Vaclav Havel
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Dec 11 - 11:27 AM

It has been an interesting contrast in the recent deaths of world leaders. Kim Jong Il comes across as a crazy zealot, and the administration left in place has coordinated vast public displays of grief as part of the program. We watch in amazement. On the other hand, the knowledge about Havel and his renaissance-man life has resulted in a much more genuine sense of grief. He's much more approachable, even in death.

SRS

Subject: RE: Obit: Czech playwright, President Vaclav Havel
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 23 Dec 11 - 07:36 AM

I am watching the funeral service on Cz TV now. At 12pm local time all the bells and sirens across Prague sounded for two minutes. The service is in St Vitus Church, Prague Castle.

The orchestra and choir are playing/singing beautifully.

Subject: RE: Obit: Czech playwright, President Vaclav Havel
From: alanabit
Date: 21 Dec 11 - 11:02 AM

One of the good guys. He rode out the final years of Communist tyranny and became a genial president. Ditto to every word of what Genie and Michael R. posted.

Subject: RE: Obit: Czech playwright, President Vaclav Havel
From: michaelr
Date: 20 Dec 11 - 09:06 PM

The "velvet revolution". That's the best kind, as far as I can see. Havel in Czechoslovakia and Lech Walesa in Poland are true heroes in that they managed to instigate (and see through) virtually bloodless uprisings.

May all the walls come down.

Subject: RE: Obit: Czech playwright, President Vaclav Havel
From: Genie
Date: 20 Dec 11 - 08:42 PM

I find it sad that our "main stream media" pay more attention to the passing of a relatively minor sports or entertainment "star" than to that of someone as exemplary and influential and courageous as Havel.

We could do with more poets and playwrights among our political leaders.

Subject: RE: Obit: Czech playwright, President Vaclav Havel
From: SPB-Cooperator
Date: 20 Dec 11 - 03:13 AM

guest post was me

Subject: RE: Obit: Czech playwright, President Vaclav Havel
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Dec 11 - 03:12 AM

I will be flying to Prague tomorrow - so I will probably be watching his funeral on Cz TV

Subject: RE: Obit: Czech playwright, President Vàclav Havel
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Dec 11 - 11:16 PM

There's something about special characters that do that in that form.

I heard an really nice interview with Madeline Albright this evening. She met him when she was Secretary of State and considered him a friend.

NPR interview.

SRS

Subject: RE: Obit: Czech playwright, President Vàclav Havel
From: Genie
Date: 19 Dec 11 - 10:57 PM

Aside: How come Havel's name comes out fine in the thread title when the thread's open, and in the thread itself, but not in the thread title on the main Forum page?

---

In general, it's best not to use special characters in thread or message titles. Thread titles give the most problems.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Obit: Czech playwright, President Vàclav Havel
From: Genie
Date: 19 Dec 11 - 10:56 PM

BBC News - World pays tribute to Czech statesman Vaclav Havel

Excerpts: [[Born in 1936 to a wealthy family in Czechoslovakia

Considered "too bourgeois" by communist government, studied at night school

Writing banned and plays forced underground after the 1968 Prague Spring

In 1977, co-authored the Charter 77 movement for democratic change

Faced constant harassment and imprisonment as Czechoslovakia's most famous dissident

Czechoslovakia's first post-communist president in December 1989

Oversaw transition to democracy, and 1993 division into the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Left office in 2003 and continued writing, publishing a new play in 2008 and directing first film in 2011]]