It is amazing what one can learn (and understand) if one looks into the actual politics of the missile shield rather than paranoid fictions being spun by many.

First, it is worth point out that the missile shield agreement that the Czech’s signed with the US was part of the reason that it’s government fell. From ABC News back in March: Missile Defense Critics Welcome Czech Govt’s Fall

Czechs opposed to hosting part of a U.S. missile shield hailed the collapse of their government as the latest setback for a defense system whose fate was already in doubt.

A 101-96 no-confidence vote that saw four ruling coalition lawmakers side with the opposition Tuesday embarrassed Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, a staunch shield supporter, days before a visit by President Barack Obama and midway through the country’s European Union presidency.

This hardly sounds like a situation in which the country in question is going to feel abandoned or betrayed, now does it?

But it gets better, as Joshua Tucker has public opinion data from the Czech Republic on this subject up at the Monkey Cage wherein he notes that “over the past three years, a nearly unchanged two-thirds of the public has been opposed to construction of the radar.” He has a chart up at the link.

As such, it is likely that the public response in the Czech Republic will, in fact, be directly the opposite of betrayal.

3 Responses to “More on the Politics of the Missile Shield (Czech Politics, Specifically)”

1. Buckland Says:
   September 19th, 2024 at 9:05 am

   First, it is worth point out that the missile shield agreement that the Czech’s signed with the US was part of the reason that it’s government fell.

   It’s interesting that a government fell partially because of signing an agreement, but the successor did nothing to back away from it. Could it be that politicians can be demagogic on a security issue for an election then adopt the predecessor’s sensible security policies after the election?

   See warrantless wiretaps or Guantanamo for more information.

2. Below The Beltway » Blog Archive » The Czechs Won’t Be As Upset About The Missile Defense Decision As The Neo-Cons Think Says:
   September 19th, 2024 at 9:16 am

   [...] development of a planned missile defense system won’t be viewed so badly in Eastern Europe, Steven Taylor points to this article from March revealing that it was support for the system that led to the [...]

3. Steven L. Taylor Says:
   September 19th, 2024 at 9:23 am

   Yes, it is possible. However, the likelihood is far less a parliamentary (or, in this case, mixed) system). When the governing coalition falls over a vote of no confidence over a specific policy issues it is highly, highly unlikely that the new governing coalition will turn around and adopt that measure.

   Further, you are ignoring the fact that the (then) governing coalition couldn’t get the measure through the parliament for over a year. As such, your scenario is so unlikely as to be near a 0% probability in my estimation.

   Really, of the arguments to be made about this situation, one of the most difficult to sustain in the face of rather overwhelming evidence is that notion that the Czech public is upset, en masse, over this move. A minority (a decidedly small one in electoral terms) is upset, but not the whole country.