Sheboygan Is The New Prague.

Blog de Connard asks the question about a tired question and comes up with the right answer.

This past Sunday, The New York Times asked "Is Newly Liberated Kiev the Next Prague?" (hat-tip- Neeka)

I think I can take a stab at answering that question.

NO

[...]

And can we PLEASE stop throwing that moniker on any European city with an airport that's east of Vienna? Please? How many freaking new Prauges are there? Budapest was not the new Prague.  Bratislava was not the new Prague.  Krakow was not the new Prague.  Sofia was not the new Prague. Kiev? C'mon. I think at the rate we're going I'm going to be reading earnest articles in the Washington Post travel section in 2015 insisting that Omsk is the new Prague. Enough already.

Very funny. It's as if the MSM uses questions like this as shorthand for actually reporting on the political progress of former Soviet capitals. The practice is a way to sneak in the fact that the countries of central and eastern Europe are doing much better under democratic capitalism than they ever did under the Soviet system. But better to talk about tourism. That way, one doesn't get into the nasty situation of having to say something positive about western-style democracy.

Comments

[Maggie]

I think you give them too much credit..more than likely they are just trying to decide which is going to be the next "in" city to visit on their up-coming European vacations. In other words the "go-to place" - "if you will."

But, of course, it is a decision by "pack" mentality.

[Daniel]

Okay, I might be just a little overzealous when it come to the press, but I don't care...