White Mountain 2025
Saturday was the 405th anniversary of the Battle of White Mountain, which from today's vantage point was a foreign invasion by an ideological European power encroaching on the state-building of a Bohemian people free to choose its own government and destiny without coercion of any kind. The imperialist power took the capital in short order and confiscated and redistributed the assets of the local oligarchs (although they weren't yet called that), thereby creating a new globalized elite. For the next 300 years, an authoritarian regime reigned and was disdained. Czech belligerents are again preparing to ward off an invading ideological power, promising to reclaim sovereignty in key areas, to work with like-minded regional resisters and to take steps to anchor the crown in the Constitution. Unlike the nationalists of yore, though, today's face vast imperialist armies embedded in all facets of Bohemian and Moravian life and risk being surrounded from all sides when their White Mountain arrives.
Glossary of difficult words
vantage/vantage point - a place or position affording a good view of something;
to encroach - to intrude on (a person's territory, rights personal life, etc.);
coercion - the action or practice of persuading someone to do something by using force or threats;
in short order - rapidly;
to disdain - to consider to be unworthy of one's consideration;
belligerent - a nation or person engaged in war or conflict;
to ward off - to prevent someone or something from harming or affecting one;
resister - one who resists, esp. one who actively opposes the policies of a government;
of yore - of long ago or former times;
to embed - to attach (a journalist or other person) to a military unit during a conflict.