On November 17, 2004, the people of the Czech Republic celebrated 15 years of independence from communist rule. For the millions of Czechs who are old enough to remember what life was like behind the Iron Curtain, the contrast with their country today could not be more profound. For four decades, Czechs were virtual slaves within their own borders. They were told what they could and could not read, when and where they could assemble, how much they could buy and sell, and even what they could and could not say. They worked in state-owned factories, read state-owned newspapers, drove cars from state-owned companies, and ate food from state-owned farms. The result was a country whose economy and society were much poorer than those of Western European countries. Today's Czech economy is one of the most vibrant in Europe, with per capita income near $16,000 and a gross domestic product of $161 billion. Czechs are not only wealthier than ever before, they are also freer. Residents of Prague now can choose from more than a dozen newspapers. They can choose from an unlimited number of political parties -- five of them are now in the parliament -- compared to practically only one under communism. They can buy products from all over the world and sell them all over the world. They can travel to neighboring countries, form their own businesses, criticize the government, and assemble in city squares without fear of reprisal from government tanks. This book presents a long overdue restatement of Klaus' challenges to the socialist model and shows that his ideas are as relevant today in the struggle against the expansionary welfare state as they were in the struggle against communism. It consists of 45 of Klaus' most memorable speeches and lectures, organized into four chapters -- two of which look back at the lessons learned in the period after communism and two of which look forward to future challenges and opportunities.

On the Road to Democracy: The Czech Republic from Communism to Free Society

Politics & Social Sciences

Václav Klaus

Politics & Government

National Center for Policy Analysis

<p>The Competitive Enterprise Institute is proud to announce a provocative new book on environmental policy, Blue Planet in Green Shackles by Václav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic. President Klaus makes the case that policies being proposed to address global warming are not justified by current science and are, in fact, a dangerous threat to freedom and prosperity around the world. --- Klaus argues that the environmental movement has transformed itself into an ideology that seeks to restrict human activities at any cost, while pursuing an impossible utopian dream of a perfectly "natural" world. The supposed threat of human civilization against a fragile Earth has become an article of faith, especially in the realm of global warming activism. --- "The largest threat to freedom, democracy, the market economy, and prosperity at the end of the 20th and at the beginning of the 21st century is no longer socialism," writes Klaus. "It is, instead, the ambitious, arrogant, unscrupulous ideology of environmentalism." --- The publication of Blue Planet in Green Shackles - What is Endangered: Climate or Freedom? continues the Competitive Enterprise Institute's history of fighting alarmist climate policies. CEI has long argued that whatever challenges future climate changes might bring, the worst possible response is to restrict human freedom and slow economic growth and innovation. --- "Today, the global warming debate raging in both the United States and Europe has become extremely contentious. On both sides of the Atlantic, the debate has metastasized into cultural warfare against economic liberty," writes CEI President Fred L. Smith, Jr. in the book's foreword. "For that reason, pro-freedom voices are needed to reframe the debate to show how a free people can better address the challenges facing Western civilization. To that end, we are proud to publish Blue Planet in Green Shackles."</p>

Blue Planet in Green Shackles: What Is Endangered: Climate or Freedom?

Competitive Enterprise Institute

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Václav Klaus. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Václav Klaus

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Václav Klaus. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

On the Road to Democracy: The Czech Republic from Communism to Free Society

Blue Planet in Green Shackles: What Is Endangered: Climate or Freedom?