The UK Parliament voted twice to defy its government last week. First, they rejected the government’s negotiated terms for leaving the EU. Second, they voted that the UK cannot leave the EU without a negotiated agreement. Since the EU has declared they will not improve the terms rejected by the first vote, it appears that the UK can neither accept any agreement nor accept that there is no agreement. Brexit is, officially, an utter mess.

This year, the United States and Czech Republic mark the 30-year anniversary of the inspiring and world-changing events of the Velvet Revolution.  The people of Czechoslovakia took back their freedom and ended decades of Communist oppression.  We also commemorate 20 years since the Czech Republic joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).