Czech it out:
The president of the European Union on Wednesday slammed U.S. plans to spend its way out of recession as "a road to hell."
Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, told the European Parliament that President Barack Obama's massive stimulus package and banking bailout "will undermine the liquidity of the global financial market."
A day after his government collapsed because of a parliamentary vote of no-confidence, Topolanek took the EU presidency on a collision course with Washington over how to deal with the global economic recession.
So your own country has its own rather major problems, but you think this is a good time to slam the new leader of the world's most stable democracy?
So, you're OK, but I'm not OK? Is that what you're saying?
One European Union official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said the comments reflected that, unlike other Eastern European countries like Hungary, the Czech economy has proved relatively resilient.
Right. So you are doing "relatively" well, and therefore you have a leg to stand on for your grandstanding. Gotcha.
"He is sitting in the Czech Republic," the official said "where growth is holding up relatively well and a fiscal stimulus makes no sense."
"He has never been in favor of a big fiscal stimulus — though he did not argue against it at the E.U. summit."
Oh, but argue against it only after the fact? I see. Not very Prague-ressive in former eastern bloc countries, are we?
Analysts in Prague said that Mr. Topolanek was eager to show Europe that he was still politically relevant despite the collapse of the government. They noted that his railing against interventionism was consistent with the liberal economic ideology of his center-right Civic Democratic party.
I have just one question for you, Mr. Topolanek:
Could you send me a copy of "We, The Living"?
I've got your "road to hell" right here, pal
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Update:
Title edited.
Also, it has been pointed out that Mr. Topolanek's comment is akin to the wailing of a dinosaur stuck in a tar pit:
The Czech Republic's three-party coalition government must step down after losing a parliamentary no-confidence vote today over its handling of the economic crisis.
The vote was a huge embarrassment for the prime minister, Mirek Topolanek, because it came just days before Barack Obama visits Prague next week for talks with Czech and European officials. The Czech Republic is also in the middle of its turn in the EU's rotating presidency.