Let History Repeat Itself: From Havel to Zelenskyy
By Tom Rakusan, Contributing Author/ January, 2022
Mr. Rakusan recently retired from the Federal Government after 39 years with various elements of the U.S. national security community. Mr. Rakusan’s focus has been on Eastern and Western Europe, the former Soviet states, and across the Middle East. He has served in a multitude of locations in these regions, as well as in Washington, working these issues in the national security community within various national security settings over several Administrations.
Mr. Rakusan has also led several large organizations. In these and other senior national security leadership positions, Mr. Rakusan led innovation and created multi-disciplinary teams to tackle the Nation’s most pressing national security challenges.
Mr. Rakusan is currently employed with a U.S. private equity firm, focusing on investments in companies developing tools needed by the U.S. national security community.
Inspiration, Courage and Leadership
On February 22, 1990, former Czechoslovak President Vaclav Havel addressed a joint session of Congress. Havel was President at that point for two months. His address was inspiring, and represented the courage and leadership which the people of Central and East Europe exercised for decades against Soviet oppression, imposed via proxy communist regimes or directly, as was the case until 1991 when the Soviet Empire disintegrated. On December 21, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed a joint session of Congress. Zelenskyy has been President of his country for three and a half years. His address was inspiring and represented the courage and leadership which the people of Ukraine have exercised since the invasion of Ukraine in 2014 and decades, if not centuries prior.
A New Beginning
Havel’s speech was the start of a new beginning. His vision was not about the end of the Cold War – it was about the start of a new era in the region, an era without repression, Soviet dominance, servitude at the feet of the Kremlin and its puppets. It was about new prosperity and opportunity of everyday people without the necessity of political obedience. It was about the people of this region finally possessing their rightful place in the civilized world.
A Call to Arms
Zelenskyy’s speech in front of the Congress on December 21, 2022 was a call to arms. It was in some ways the opposite of Havel’s speech, and yet there are many parallels. Zelenskyy, unlike Havel, is at the start of his struggle, a violent struggle for the survival of Ukraine and of the world order established by the West in 1945. Havel in 1990 celebrated a new epoch, while Zelenskyy is calling for unity in a struggle to one day achieve the new epoch which Havel celebrated in 1990.
Much in Common
Havel, and the people of the region, fought for decades to rid their nations of Russian violence. Havel celebrated the end of that brutality. Zelenskyy’s struggle and the struggle of his people is only just beginning. And yet, both have much in common – both are leaders of their people and of the just cause – a struggle against injustice, oppression, and violence – kinetic and human. Both leaders have other qualities in common. Havel was a visionary, and Zelenskyy certainly is one. Havel communicated his vision as an author of literature and theater plays. Zelenskyy communicated his vision of the end of Ukraine’s subservience via comedy. Many made the mistake of portraying Havel as a mere poet, playwright and dissident. Many underestimated Zelenskyy as a mere comedian and actor. Havel described the oppression of the latter half of the 20th century in his works and portrayed a brighter future. Zelenskyy portrayed the injustices in Ukraine and a brighter future via the script of the “Servant of the People.” That television comedy was not just a comedy – it was his vision. Once Zelenskyy took the Oath of Office on May 20, 2019, he began implementing the script of the “Servant of the People,” episode by episode.
Distilling the Truth
Havel and Zelenskyy are both by training and temperament creative artists. Comedians and playwrights, especially absurdist ones, have to have an exquisite grasp of truth and the ability to distill that truth to those who are less gifted. Both had the ability to translate the experiences of people in lands far away about whom Americans know little, to put it into a context that made their struggle our struggle, to make a persuasive case that we have “skin in the game.”
Similar in Fight
Both men are heroes, similar in fighting against Russian and Soviet oppression. One came out victorious and exposed us all to leadership and courage so that Ukraine under Zelenskyy’s leadership comes out victorious as well. In the great words of A.M. Rosenthal, published on June 10, 1990, “…the fighters in the European Cold war did exist; they did fight; and they did win…” Let us hope Rosenthal’s words can again be celebrated in the context of Ukraine.