ZKH writes: Handzuš said it for us too, let’s not leave him alone – WE ARE

Summary of the week by Zuzana Kovačič Hanzelova. The article continues under the video advertisement Handzuš did it for us too, he deserves support. Two reports this week pleased me – the fundamental position of hockey player Michal Handzuš and the firm position of the Polemic group. Handzuš left the Slovak Ice Hockey Association because of their apparently neutral attitude towards a player in the Russian KHL. I know next to nothing about sports, but whenever it rubs at least a little on the non-sports world, it reveals the mental world of many people. For years, I had conversations with colleagues from sports about their craft. It always seemed to me that sports editors are not journalists, but statisticians. That they are more fans than journalists. That they interact with the respondents, ask them non-critical questions and do not bring any fundamental topics except whether the match ended 2: 0. Their explanations for years were that this is how it works in our country. That otherwise they would not be interviewed. Sovereignly, the most hackneyed argument has always been that “politics does not belong in sport”. However, sport does not exist in a vacuum. There was always politics in it – Věra Čáslavská, Colin Kaepernick, but also Muhammad Ali, who refused to fight in the war in Vietnam even at the cost of losing his title. Sprinters Smith and Carlos raised their fists against racism in 1968. At the same time, and the opposite is true, many politicians abuse sports to promote their vision of the world. This is especially true for the KHL and Vladimir Putin. When the war started, I asked Jindřich Šídl about it in detail in this podcast. Loading… Putin has been using sport for propaganda for years (2/3/2022)” I met Michal Handzuš twice. Once in Pohoda, when he and his wife sat behind me during the day and they talked for a long time about what books they were going to buy for their children . The second time in our studio, when he came for an interview. A bright and well-rounded person who has clear and firm attitudes. We have invited Miroslav Šatan for an interview several times, unsuccessfully. It is probably better for him, the rest of us would probably find out more about his inner world of thought, and we would be disappointed. There would certainly also be questions about conspiracies, and the sparrows have been chirping for a long time that Miroslav Šatan would not get away with it so easily. concert of the group Zóna A. Pankáč Koňýk has been taking pictures with Marian Kotleb and the leading names of the neo-Nazi scene for the last few years. (source: Instagram/Polemic) For too long we sat quietly and were silent during every difficult discussion. For too long with the lush people kept quiet just to avoid getting into trouble. For too long, we’ve valued people who don’t move anyone and don’t speak their mind under any circumstances. Maybe that’s also why half of the nation is in complete confusion of mind and can’t even say whether Ukraine or Russia should win the war. But it’s not just about the war – also because most decent people have been silent so far, many could steal with impunity. In ministries, offices, in municipal politics. Judges often repeat that Štefan Harabin is Štefan Harabin. But most of them were silent when he had a sleepy ride of destruction of justice for years. Michal Handzuš will certainly get a lot of hate. He’s probably not used to it. He could use all the more support. With his stance, he stood up for all of us and defends our stances as well. It is not banal or self-evident. He could be quiet and not cause trouble. Like others for decades. I am also attaching our recent conversation where we talk about sports. About his view on motivated parents of children, on the support of sports in Slovakia and on the decimation of sports facilities due to covid. So much so that I think it was already heard in the questions and podcasts I did. After years, however, I should be able to better filter the distaste and hopelessness of politics, which is why this week’s newsletter is rather positive. The founder of the Patagonia brand decided on an unprecedented step. He adjusted the ownership structure so that the company would never go public and all profits would forever go to the fight against the climate crisis. “Our shareholder is the planet Earth.” Sure, you could cynically point out that such a decision is easy for a billionaire. And yet we have a world full of billionaires who plunder the planet rather than help it. In Slovakia, we still have a specific group of millionaires who got rich from the state after 1989 and returned to society just such an upstanding middleman. Yvon Chouinard is, by the way, the gentleman who very awkward. He openly says that it is time for brands not to be silent and to become more vocal especially in political topics. He is convinced that the young generation expects the brands they wear to speak out against evil. He set the bar high himself – even in the days when Trump cut corporate taxes, Patagonia announced that it would donate all the money saved. Inspirational. Handzuš, Polemic and Chouinard. Book of the week: A crash course in genius. I have already mentioned NBS vice-governor Ľudovít Ódor several times – he is one of my favorite respondents. He had a brand new, still hot book published. I already bought it, but for now it is sitting in the bookstore waiting to be picked up. Either way, the Quick Course in Genius from the economist Ódor will undoubtedly be an unprecedented experience and a perfect gift under the tree (yes, Christmas is coming). Ľudovít Ódor will help you understand complicated issues such as quantum mechanics, GDP, space, world changes and challenges. All this accompanied by Shooty’s cartoons. Do not hesitate and buy, it will be a wonderful experience. (source: Source: FB Ľ.O.) Podcast of the week: Hidden Brain I have a good friend, Danka, who has told me about the Hidden Brain podcast several times. It wasn’t until months later that I actually got to him and listened to two parts – one about whether it’s easier to just not know about some things. The second part examined religion – why it came into being, what it helps us in, and what science says about the kind of god we actually recognize. Did you know that those who believe in a God who punishes cheat less than those who believe in a God who loves and forgiving? Hidden Brain has many parts, I’m gradually going through interesting episodes. This week I recommend the part Is it better to know? If you asked yourself if you would have a happier life if you didn’t know some things and lived in sweet ignorance, Hidden Brain will tell you more about it. Sometimes I wish I knew less about Slovak politics. But about that some other time. Interviews of the week: Čaputová and Dzurinda This week I interviewed two different types of prominent politicians – President Zuzana Čaputová and former Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda. Each of them represents a different type of politics – both are good to listen to. Zuzana Čaputová answers questions directly, which is unusual for a Slovak politician, so we managed to catch a lot of them. We also talked together about value issues and the direction of Slovakia. Mikuláš Dzurinda does ask himself a question here and there, but he revealed more about how he envisions his political retirement – in active party politics. Both of these conversations were refreshing at a time when here people just shout slogans and emotional abuse at each other. You can find both of them on our SME diary YouTube. But the biggest joy for me was an interview that will never get as much attention as the mentioned two. Cellist Jozef Lupták is a rare positive person who does many beautiful things. His festival Konvergencie is also taking place these days. We talked together about classical music, instruments, but also about society and life. It caressed my soul and made me very happy. Musical dot Jozef Lupták plays beautifully and today’s musical dot is from him. Together with Boris Lenko, who plays the accordion, they will mentally transport you somewhere on the banks of the Seine. Get their Libertango like this on Friday. You won’t regret it. If you’ve made it this far, you’ve read the twenty-first issue of my newsletter ZKH writes. If you liked it, I will be happy if you spread it among other people or on social networks. Reading again in a week.