Posted by
Bert Chapman on Wednesday, December 21, 2011 7:12:53 PM
This past week the world witnessed the death of two leaders of contrasting accomplishments, styles, and legacies. The Czech Republic's former President Vaclav Havel died leaving his country and Europe a freer and better place despite is current economic problems. Havel was a playwright who enjoyed the company of fellow intellectuals. Most importantly, he was an unswerving advocate of freedom and a staunch opponent of Communism. Havel experienced the evils of Communism at first hand when the Soviets crushed the Prague Spring movement in 1968 and during his imprisonment following his founding of the Charter 77 democratic reform movement within his country. Following his country's Velvet Revolution in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet bloc, Havel became President and achieved international respect for his integrity and for guiding, with the help of leaders like Vaclav Klaus, what would become known as the Czech Republic into a more democratic and prosperous future. The Czech Republic is now a member of the European Union and of NATO and is a valued contributor to the international freedom promotion agenda. Czech troops have served in Afghanistan and Iraq. Freedom loving people of all political persuasions should be grateful for Havel's career and legacy and extend our heartfelt sympathies to his family and to the Czech people.
In contrast, the death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il reflects the nadir of human political and moral existence. Kim let a significant portion of his people starve while he wasted precious national resources on building a nuclear weapons arsenal and maintaining an oversize army in hopes of forcibly reuniting with South Korea and imposing his Stalinist Juche nightmare on one of Asia's vibrant democracies and leading economies. Kim also continued his father's egocentric personality cult regime and sought to be worshiped like a God despite his dwarf like physical stature and nonexistent accomplishments. He maintained his country's isolation from global social, cultural, and economic trends and maintained a satanic hold over his people as demonstrated by the bogus emotionalism they experienced at his death when he went to meet God whose existence he denied and sought to replace with his own preening ego. While there is some debate over whether he died naturally or was murdered by his gangster colleagues, we can rest assured he is roasting in hell near other prominent demonic politicos who were killed earlier this year such as Osama Bin Laden and Muammar Gaddafi. Unfortunately, for North Korea his narcissistic Stalinist regime will continue under the leadership of his son and other mafioso colleagues in North Korea's military and government who will resist the delusional hopes of western leftists that they are capable of producing peaceful reform and opening to the outside world.
The deaths of both these leaders is a significant lesson in the dual extremes of human nature. Havel may not have been a saint but he was a man of integrity who recognized and successfully triumphed over the evil of Communism and helped make his country an honorable member of the community of nations. North Korea, in contrast, is an example of human depravity and its worst and remains a threat to regional and global security and freedom.