Czechoslovakia Quotes

The Jews are a peculiar people: things permitted to other nations are forbidden to the Jews. Other nations drive out thousands, even millions of people and there is no refugee problem. Russia did it, Poland and Czechoslovakia did it, Turkey threw out a million Greeks, and Algeria a million Frenchman. Indonesia threw out heaven knows how many Chinese — and no one says a word about refugees. But in the case of Israel the displaced Arabs have become eternal refugees.

Make my skin into drumheads for the Bohemian cause.

It is not enough to stare up the steps; we must step up the stairs.

I know that men are not equal; nowhere on the earth or in Nature is there equality—there is variety .... The natural variety must be organized through the division and gradation of functions and work; no organization of men is possible without superiors and subordinates, but it must just be an organization, and not a privilege, not aristocratic coercion but mutual service.

Resistance to absolutism is characteristic of democratic progress.

The communist experiment should never be forgotten otherwise it may be repeated.

The big thieves hang the little ones.

Don't talk to me about socialism. What we have, we hold.

I call on the Western democracies and primarily on the leader of the free world, the United States: Do not repeat the dreadful mistake of 1938, when enlightened European democracies decided to sacrifice Czechoslovakia for a convenient temporary solution... Israel will not be Czechoslovakia.

... we have no dynasty of our own and no liking for a foreign dynasty.

I seem to be the only Western playwright not personally acquainted with the new President of Czechoslovakia [Vaclav Havel]. I envy him though. What a relief to find oneself head of state and not have to write plays but just make history. And no Czechoslovak equivalent of Charles Osborne snapping at your ankles complaining that the history you’re making falls between every possible stool, or some Prague Steven Berkoff snarling that it’s not the kind of history that’s worth making anyway. I wonder whether Havel has lots of uncompleted dissident plays. To put them on now would be somehow inappropriate. Still, he could write a play about it.

If you have sacrificed my nation to save the peace of the world, I will be the first to applaud you. But if not, gentlemen, God help your souls.

The Pact of Munich is signed. Czechoslovakia as a power is out.

By the time I returned to Czechoslovakia, I had an understanding of the principles of the market.

There was a joke in Czechoslovakia: The Communist Party dance, it's one step forward, two steps backward, and everyone is still clapping.

I escaped from my home country, Bulgaria, to Czechoslovakia and then to the West.

Our foreign policy has from the beginning endeavored to take into account the realities and to work accordingly, But it has never dropped from its high moral ideals; it wanted to be and, I think it really and truly was, idealistic and founded entirely upon moral principles

Not only are there no free lunches, but there are no free systemic changes either.

Democracy needs leaders, not masters.

You know what happened, you know, in 1938: France, England, you know, just sold out Czechoslovakia to Hitler.

We want a market economy without any adjectives. Any compromises with that will only fuzzy up the problems we have.

I once said that democracy is a discussion. But real discussion is only possible where men trust one another, and honestly seek the truth. Democracy is a conversation among equals, the thinking of free people open to complete publicity—the word "parliament" has a fine meaning, if only we could give it body!

The only thing wrong with NATO is that we don't belong to it.

The Presidential function is difficult and full of responsibility. It calls from the incumbent a plenitude of his physical vigor. I am aware I am no longer strong enough for the task. Wherefore, I resign.

Czech Republic is an important part of central Europe. It's clear that we must participate in European integration. I am convinced that the Czech Republic - or, in the past, Czechoslovakia - would have been one of the founding members of the EU if it hadn't been for the communist takeover in 1948.