Two news items today bring out my lightish and seriousish side:
Borders Iron Curtain Between Poland And Czech Republic
There is a village in the Jeseniky Mountains called Bila Voda (Clinton would like it, because in English it means White Water). It is just a few yards away from the border with Poland and there is a very similar Polish village just that close to the border with Czech Republic. The people from both sides of the border are friends and if they want to visit each other, all that seems necessary to do is to cross a ditch and walk about 50 meters or so.
· They wish it was that easy, though [via Czechout: Petr Bukovka]
Cold War River
You spend the second half of your life getting over your first half:
Cold River has no great debates or brilliant insights about politics. But it is political through and through because the characters are nothing, and mean nothing, outside of the political situation in which they find themselves...
· Overnight Success takes 20 something years for survivor-writer [Dual Loyalty]
· Judicial system, lack of witnesses and societal indifference blamed [PraguePost]
Iron Curtain Germany, 17 June 1953: politics and memory
Fifty years ago, on 17 June 1953, people in communist East Germany rose against their rulers - and were crushed by Soviet tanks.
· What does this event mean now and who owns it today? [OpenDemocracy ]
· Are the June days trauma or triumph, national wound or source of pride?
· Narrative of June 1953
· Inherent violence of its communist adversary
