“Tanks? No, thanks”
Statement by the Humanist Movement about the planned crossing of the US army across Czech Republic territory
In a few days a large US army convoy will be crossing the Czech Republic. More than one hundred armored cars with several hundred American soldiers shall cross our country from Bohumin, Nachod and Harrachov across Prague towards Rozvadov. Such a demonstration of power has no other parallel in Czech territory.
This comes at a time when the conflict in Ukraine intensifies and the tension between Europe and Russia does not calm down, rather, it gets worse. To organize military operations in such a tense situation does not help calm the situation down. On the contrary, it’s like adding oil to the flames. It is evident that if the situation between the USA and Russia escalates even more and if it grows into open conflict, we will find ourselves in the middle of a war zone. Though such a situation would be catastrophic for us, it would bring a fat profit to American weapons corporations yearning for conflicts and wars.
Unfortunately it seems that our political representation with CSSD and ANO in the lead does not see such a threat realistically enough, and they feel the need to incline towards one of the participating sides. Apparently they do not realize that through such action they help stoke the fire, which could affect the whole country and continent in the near future, and even grow into another dreadful global conflict.
If we allow a foreign army to cross our territory, we will lose a large portion of our independence, freedom and power. We will become a secondary member of the European community, involving us in dangerous army games of world powers.
This project needs to be stopped before it grows into something even more dangerous. If we do not speak up now, then when?
This is not a future which will be beneficial either to us, Czech citizens, or to the European nation. There are many ways to find peaceful solutions not only of the Ukraine conflict. The Czech Republic has the potential to set an example and take an active role in efforts to calm down international tensions; not by contributing to more growth of these tensions by getting involved in provocative military operations.
We call upon you to express your disagreement with the presence of alien forces in our territory. This time they shall stay for three days, next time it might be for three weeks and soon, it could be forever!
We deeply believe that any form of nonviolent protest is meaningful, as it has proved many times in the history (not only) of our country.
“Tanks? No, thanks”
Humanist Movement
Prague, 2015/3/28
