In his book "Disturbing the Peace," Vaclav Havel discusses an idea of another Vaclav -- Vaclav Belohradsky, a Czech philosopher who emigrated to Italy during the Communist era. This song is a takeoff on that discussion. mp3* score: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Songs for Vaclav Havel home *A donation of $1 is suggested for each song downloaded. Donations can be sent via PayPal to truecomedy@truecomedy.org or by check payable to True Comedy Theatre Company, at 212 East 13th Street #4A, New York, NY 10003, U.S.A. These donations will be used as follows: one-third of the total donations will be used to pay the artists, one-third will go to the Dagmar and Vaclav Havel Foundation VIZE 97, and one-third will be used for the general purposes of True Comedy Theatre Company, a 501(c)3 nonprofit tax-exempt corporation incorporated in the state of New York for the purpose of producing original plays and performance artworks. Contributions are fully tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Belohradsky's Idea History is written by the victors. So Belohradsky says, and he's basically right: resisting pressures to conform, intellectuals will have to put up a fight. Pundits lining up behind the victors take any fresh idea as a reason to scoff: occupying comfortable posts, doing what they're told and getting paid off. It's a Sisyphean task, so it figures efforts have to be repeated. Where I differ with Belohradsky: I don't feel that I'm defeated. Witness the mendacity of victors, stay independent, doubt their incantations of power, be a witness to the misery of the world, don't get pigeon-holed, disturb the peace.