Final Word from Monday, January 31, 2011
Should Czech politicians and oligarchs be worried about the Tunisami rippling through the Arab world? To a degree, yes. The protests are increasing the legitimacy of all those across the globe who are protesting against unjust and corrupt regimes. A few individual Czech politicians and byznysmeni might drown as the waves of protest rise and fall with greater consistency. At the same time, there are few signs so far that these specific Arab protests will lead to positive change. Many of the same people who were in charge before will remain in charge after it's over. Only if the protests accelerated the gradual slide toward a truly major Western financial crisis would Czech leaders need to get seriously worried. The people in control in New York, Paris and London will likely survive anything, but whether this also applies to Prague is something that should indeed keep the Czech "elite" awake at night.
Glossary of difficult words
Tunisami - a new word that combines "Tunisia" and "tsunami" to signify the spread of protest across the Arab world;
to ripple - to move or cause to move in a way resembling small waves.