Final Word from Thursday, April 17, 2014
Granted, a bit of bid-rigging at Česká pošta by employees of one of Andrej Babiš's minor companies, Agrotec, isn't in the same ballpark as a past finance minister helping a would-be oligarch to rip off OKD. It is the same effing sport, though, to quote Jules from "Pulp Fiction." Theft is theft, and Babiš will have to be more careful now about accusing ČSSD of being part of the established system of corruption that has existed over the past 20 years. Anyone familiar with how business works here knows it's impossible to become stinking rich in old sectors of the economy without greasing some palms. Not surprising, Agrofert and ANO reacted to the Agrotec allegations precisely the way people tied to ČSSD and ODS always reacted to corruption scandals in the past: See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. What was it Babiš said about politicians who don't know how to manage and who look on as the country gets robbed? [Czech Republic NWR post office]
Glossary of difficult words
granted - admittedly; it is true;
in the same ballpark - in the same range; of the same magnitude;
to rig - to manage or conduct something fraudulently so as to produce a result or situation that is advantageous to a particular person;
would-be - desiring or aspiring to be a specified type of person;
to rip off - to engage in fraud or deceit; to steal;
effing - a euphemism for "fucking";
stinking rich - extremely rich;
to grease the palm of - to bribe.