But why is political support for the unreconstructed Communist Party so fervent? It would appear that in spite of favorable economic developments, many still suffer from the effects of the fundamentalist, 19th century-style capitalism that seems to have taken root in the Czech Republic with a vengeance following the fall of communism. For example, the totalitarian, pre-1989 regime managed to discredit trade unions. As a result, most employees in the Czech Republic seem to lack basic labor protections. Many of them, it would seem, are the victims of brutish, aggressive and unethical behavior by employers --- and often, there is nowhere to go for help.

Czech employers' obsession with youth seems a strangely old-fashioned idea, particularly in comparison with their international counterparts. A number of large companies in the United Kingdom now operate schemes whereby special preference is given to hiring employees over 50. These companies have found that such employees are economically beneficial: they are often much more experienced and more efficient than the youngsters. They are also much more grateful for the chance to work.

In the Czech Republic, on the other hand, age discrimination rules without hindrance. Britské listy has reported the cases of several employees who have been ruthlessly sacked, after many years of work, shortly before their retirement. One of them was a secretary at a leading Catholic publishing house in Prague and the daughter of a Catholic intellectual who was killed by the communists in the 1950s. With her pay of just Kč 9,000 (