Calling for referendums on the matters of national security is among those things.
Earlier today I received a Facebook message from an unnamed individual who then tried to lure me to join a cause for ending the Star Wars, the cause for stopping the efforts to build an American radar station on our territory. The members of the cause are primarily non-Czechs who are stressing out the importance of adherence to democratic principles in the Czech Republic, in this case respecting the opinion of the majority. In its “manifest” filled with factual errors and demagogies, the group is also expressing solidarity to Mr Tamas who decided to hold a hunger strike in a shop window until the Czech government reverses its opinions on the radar base. Since this is highly unlikely, I wish Mr Tamas a joyful hospital stay in upcoming weeks.
From one point of view this initiative sort of makes sense. Really, if 70% of the population doesn’t agree on certain measures, they probably shouldn’t be taken. Unfortunately, those 70% (and more) of the Czech citizens are generally vulnerable to the loud omnipresent propaganda. This propaganda is spread by people who are brave enough to resist the facts and publicly congratulate Hezbollah for “its defeat of Israel”, all that on the website of Socialistic Solidarity, an extremist fraction proudly adopts Trotsky’s ideas.
Regrettably, a roughly same percentage of Czechs disagrees on the latest cost-cutting measure introduced in January in health care. If the marginal fee faced a public vote, it probably wouldn’t survive and would have to be abolished, despite its positive impacts on the budgets and productivity of doctors. The same fate would unsurprisingly await any changes to the tax system or sick pays (where the Czech Supreme Court has already spoken for the public and voted the changes unconstitutional). Certain things simply aren’t popular; nevertheless, they are necessary.
It would be an unprecedented move to have the people decide on national security. Contrary to the popular belief, the market isn’t always right, and in this area there is not a chance to correct mistakes of made in past. The opposition is again very strident, but the grounds for considering Iran, Syria or North Korea as potential threads are valid. In case of an attack, we would be crying for help. But we are not willing to make any efforts which would serve as a deterrence or prevention. Considering the help the U.S. have played in the past in formation and liberation of our country, it’s dolefully hypocritical that we’re refusing to have the radar base here.
Lately, even the fiercest opponents (except for the communists, naturally) on our political scene have reversed their stands and now, with hesitations, agree on having American military personnel and technologies on our territory, as long as they will later become a part of the anti-missile shield that should be built under the auspices of NATO (ergo the United States).
It’s shameful the ideas of the person who wants to remain anonymous is spreading (on behalf of the Non-Violence organization) get so much attention. While I respect everyone’s right to express his opinion, I fundamentally disagree with and despise Tamas’s ludicrous efforts that are aimed to delude the public into believing it’s omnipotent. The public should simply in no way have a binding say in the matters of national security.
