Foreign Policy interviewed Former Czech President, political prisoner and playwright Vaclav Havel on Barack Obama and the costs of moral compromise.

Question: How, as president, do you decide when these small compromises are worth it and when they might lead to something more dangerous?

Havel: Politics, it means, every day making some compromises, and to choose between one evil and another evil, and to decide which is bigger and which is smaller. But sometimes, some of these compromises could be very dangerous because it could be the beginning of the road of making a lot of other compromises, which are results of the first one, and there are very dangerous compromises. And it’s necessary, I think, to have the feeling which compromise is possible to do and which, could be, maybe, after ten years, could be somehow very dangerous.

I will illustrate this with my own experience. Two days after I was elected president, I invited the Dalai Lama to visit. I was the first head of the state who invited him in this way, directly. And everybody was saying that it was a terribly dangerous act and issued their disapproving statements and expressions. But it was a ritual matter. Later, the Chinese deputy prime minister and the foreign minister came for a visit and brought me a pile of books about the Dalai Lama and some governmental documents about what good care they have taken of Tibet, and so on. They were propagandist, fabricated books, but he felt the need to explain something to me.

I had a press conference with this minister of foreign affairs. And he said, “It was wonderful, meeting, because we were speaking openly. Mr. Havel gave me his opinion, and I explained the opinion of our government. I gave him this book, and he thanked me for it.”

This was unbelievable! Why did they feel the need to explain their point of view to the leader of such a small nation? Because they respect it when someone is standing his ground, when someone is not afraid of them. When someone soils his pants prematurely, then they do not respect you more for it.

Jennifer Rubin has more on Vaclav Havel’s advice to Obama.
Via Larwyn

Comments (26)

Just_Saying

December 10th, 2009 | 11:27 pm | #1

I didn’t realize there was a correct time to “non-prematurely” soil your pants. Different culture, I guess…
.

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December 10th, 2009 | 11:28 pm | #2

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spayandneuter

December 10th, 2009 | 11:47 pm | #3

Interesting article from Rolling Stone on Hopeychangey’s sell out to Wall Street.

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/31234647/obamas_big_sellout

–

December 11th, 2009 | 12:04 am | #4

“Vaclav Havel on Obama: Soiling Your Pants Prematurely Will Not Gain You International Respect”
lolz ;) Bozo the Wee Wee Mastersissy.

December 11th, 2009 | 12:19 am | #5

Obama is an IslaMarxist bully..

the more he kicks US.. the more he
feels like an International big shot..

irony, if you want to call it that, is..

it makes him look small, ergo, US even smaller.. :-(

jonyjoe101

December 11th, 2009 | 12:20 am | #6

“soil his pants” that sums up our fearless leader perfectly.
The bully’s usually avoid a fellow bully.

December 11th, 2009 | 12:23 am | #7

Just_Saying @ 11:27 pm #1

no, what you incorrectly realize are metaphors..

MVH

December 11th, 2009 | 12:28 am | #8

That comment by Havel calls to mind something Gene Duncan, USMC, Ret., wrote in his book, Dunk’s Almanac, regarding inexperienced leaders. They fail because they’d rather “be liked.”

Yup, describes Obama, perfectly. Notice the Obama/Conyers “confrontation.” Obama took Conyers’ disagreement personally; instead of taking the disagreement for what it was: A difference of opinion. Obama called it being “demeaned” by Conyers!!!!

Ergo, “If you don’t agree with me, you must not like me!” Better go change the Pamper. Waaaaaaaaaa!!

marybel

December 11th, 2009 | 12:33 am | #9

Wow. Havel really is really quite a master with a turn of phrase. THAT man has something rather titanium about him, don’t you think? Unfortunately for us, BHO is decidedly gelded by comparison.

Havel’s comment should justifiably leave a mark.

ogee

December 11th, 2009 | 1:33 am | #10

Video. Backmanns second call to action. Time is of the essence. Please send to everyone you know and blogs you go to.
http://www.breitbart.tv/bachmann-on-the-b-cast-a-conservative-call-to-action/#

maverick muse

December 11th, 2009 | 4:35 am | #11

Havel has true grit.
Love that Czech.

Agent 99

December 11th, 2009 | 5:10 am | #12

The delay in BHO going to COP15 was planned HOW CAN THE USA SAY NO when the EU has done this http://my.att.net/s/editorial.dll?pnum=1&bfromind=7406&eeid=6988561&_sitecat=1505&dcatid=0&eetype=article&render=y&ac=3&ck=&ch=ne&rg=blsadstrgt&_lid=332&_lnm=tg+ne+topnews&ck=

December 11th, 2009 | 7:23 am | #13

Try this: Obama is a coward in the face of our enemies. He is a resolute adversary of the US and its allies.

mike191

December 11th, 2009 | 7:33 am | #14

Havel should be required reading by our “smart power” ,state department.

bill-tb

December 11th, 2009 | 7:36 am | #15

Being a captive of communism sure makes one a perceptive realist.

If Pelosi is for it; it can’t be good; Senate ploy: backdoor to activate Public Option; Congressional Purple Haze, thanks to SEIU « VotingFemale Speaks!
December 11th, 2009 | 7:40 am | #16

[...] Foundation: Does Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Violate the Constitution? Gateway Pundit: Vaclav Havel on Obama: Soiling Your Pants Prematurely Will Not Gain You International Respect Sister Toldjah: Cook Political Report: Dodd’s chances at reelection do not look good – plus [...]

down with dems

December 11th, 2009 | 10:26 am | #17

Makes you look at Obama’s “wee wee’d up” phrase in a whole new light.

0bama Nobel acceptance speech: Mixed reviews « Spin, strangeness, and charm
December 11th, 2009 | 10:29 am | #18

[...] Vaclav Havel is not impressed. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)West Point speech: We’ll [...]

uberVU - social comments
December 11th, 2009 | 10:49 am | #19

Social comments and analytics for this post…

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December 11th, 2009 | 10:55 am | #20

Earth to New World Order Deniers..

Eco-economic Warfare and the Planned Collapse of Western Civilization

[It is people such as Maurice Strong, Mikhail Gorbachev, Al Gore, and Ted Turner that are at the forefront of the UN’s environmental/ depopulation agenda, at least at the visible/ gofer level. The four are also members of,
or have close connections to the Club of Rome. It is the Club of Rome
that has been guiding the environmental movement since its creation at the Rockefellers’ estate in Bellagio, Italy in 1968.
It’s aim is to reduce a large majority of the global population, as well as manufacture crisis through which the world can be “united” under a one world government, as was admitted in their 1991 publication, titled The First Global Revolution.]

The First Global Revolution:
Blueprint for a new global order

[“In searching for the new enemy to unite us, we came up with the idea that pollution, the threat of global warming, water shortages, famine and the like would fit the bill. In their totality and in their interactions these phenomena do constitute a common threat which demands the solidarity of all peoples. But in designating them as the enemy, we fall into the trap about which we have already warned, namely mistaking symptoms for cause. All these dangers are caused by human intervention and it is only through changing attitudes and behaviors that they can be overcome. The real enemy, then, is humanity itself.”]

1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Part 1)

1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Part 2)

too bad they felt the need to try & pull off such a scam; what a shame; we would have been way ahead of the game had they only been honest with us.. but no, they need to make their billions first & damn who lives or dies due to their lies.. also too bad there’s no part 3, etc..

btw, and albeit i suggested the theory many moons ago; i no longer need to be convinced that Obama was chosen to transition US into the New World Order.. i was truly hoping to be wrong, but can’t deny it any longer.. *sigh*

Dan Collins