Vaclav Havel said that people struggling for independence wanted money and recognition from other countries; they wanted criticism of the Soviet Empire from the West and more diplomatic pressure. But Havel said that the were things they wanted; the only thing they needed was hope. Not that pie in the sky stuff, not a preference for optimism over pessimism, but rather an "orientation of the spirit." The kind of hope that creates a willingness to position oneself in a hopeless place and be a witness, that allows one to believe in a better future, even in the face of abusive power.
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