pres impresses prague, prances before princes that pricked the depraved...

For much of my life, the word "dissident" meant

• Someone who hates those things for which Americas stands
or
• Someone who loves what America says it's about but is sadly driven to killing innocent people because America is full of hypocrites
or
• Socialism will be really cool when it takes over the U.S. - all we have to do is show everyone how awful the U.S. really is!!

S H O W N

In this room are dissidents and democratic activists from 17 countries on five continents. You follow different traditions, you practice different faiths, and you face different challenges. But you are united by an unwavering conviction: that freedom is the non-negotiable right of every man, woman, and child, and that the path to lasting peace in our world is liberty. (Applause.)

This conference was conceived by three of the great advocates for freedom in our time: Jose Maria Aznar, Vaclav Havel, and Natan Sharansky. I thank them for the invitation to address this inspiring assembly, and for showing the world that an individual with moral clarity and courage can change the course of history.

I know the president believes this. I believe he will be recognized as one of them someday.

espresso beans to powerline