Czech Republic Approves Constitutional Right to Own Weapons for Self Defense

[HeavyDuty]

Do they still have the Pet Parade?

I believe so - I used to have to cover that every year when I worked for the Suburban Life.

[cheby]

I agree. I've repeatedly heard EU colleagues talk about getting mugged as if it was no big deal. They simply hand over their cash when threatened.

EU is not all the same. France vs Poland, for example. They are going in opposite directions.

[Clusterfrack]

EU is not all the same. France vs Poland, for example. They are going in opposite directions.

Agree. I don’t have any Polish colleagues, unfortunately. One 60 yr old Israeli colleague has actually been injured twice resisting mugging while abroad at meetings.

[luckyman]

Agree. I don’t have any Polish colleagues, unfortunately. One 60 yr old Israeli colleague has actually been injured twice resisting mugging while abroad at meetings.

I really like working with the Polish guys. But at least with my team they are significantly more pessimistic (realistic?) than Americans, and the speed that gossip travels is amazingly fast with them.

[cheby]

I really like working with the Polish guys. But at least with my team they are significantly more pessimistic (realistic?) than Americans, and the speed that gossip travels is amazingly fast with them.

They didn't study history in American schools, I am guessing

[Snapshot]

Here is what the most interesting thing about this to me:
Pretty much all the Eastern European countries are going to absolutely opposite direction compared to the US. Gun rights and individual freedom are just some of those issues. Countries such as Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary are not into the neo-marxist cultural revolution we are experiencing here. Why? Because they have been there before.

This. And they know from direct personal or close family experience that it was not good. Not good at all.

[luckyman]

They didn't study history in American schools, I am guessing

Considering most of them actually still live in Krakow, your guess is correct [emoji1]

[cheby]

This. And they know from direct personal or close family experience that it was not good. Not good at all.

I am afraid Americans have no concept of what an awful place we are heading to.

[Joe in PNG]

I've seen a mix of attitudes from my coworkers of various nationalities, and sometimes it varies according to region of the country they are from.
So, with Canadians, the Albertians tend to be more pro-firearms, while those from the Vancouver area think firearms an abomination.
My Romanian/ German friend who lived under Ceausescu & was forced to fight in the civil war is very pro gun.
My English & German coworkers are typically anti gun, as are a good part of the Aussies I've talked to.

But, even in the USA, the attitude varies. The New York City or urban California people tend to be more anti, while us deplorable flyover types tend to have permits.

[Hot Sauce]

Here is what the most interesting thing about this to me:
Pretty much all the Eastern European countries are going to absolutely opposite direction compared to the US. Gun rights and individual freedom are just some of those issues. Countries such as Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary are not into the neo-marxist cultural revolution we are experiencing here. Why? Because they have been there before.

I understand the point that you want to make, but this isn't a great analogy to support it. This is painting with too broad a brush.

Hungary, for instance, while certainly not turning pro-Marxist, is not some kind of ideal to aspire to.

In the past decade under PM Orban and his party, their political system has turned increasingly toward an authoritarian version of democracy. Colloquially it is referred to as de-democratization. They hold up Russian governance as a model of sorts. And you see some of the same signs as with Putin's early rise: repression of and spying on the free press, attacking judicial independence, and a general and intentional eating away at democratic institutions and checks/balances.

Hungary has indeed been here before, most notably in the mid 1930s and early 1940s.

Negative experiences with Communism/authoritarianism/any other political system don't immunize societies and countries against making the same mistakes again in the future. People are not that smart, and collective memories are not as long and vivid as they ought to be.