1 On Hope, inspired by Barron Trump. On Trust, inspired by Ivanka Trump

 I am 86, I wake up several times during the night. Two days ago I woke up around midnight; I turned on my computer, googled the YouTube, and there I found 'Barron Trump Speech Shocks the Entire World at His Father's Inauguration'; Barron was 10 years old. I listened: 'Today is a day of celebration, a day of change, a day of hope, a day of reflection, never losing the sight of future we are building together.'

Hope thus described can be very powerful. I experienced this kind of hope when I was somewhat younger than ten years old Barron. Born in December 1938, in July 1943 I was 5 years old, and I remember my aunt running downstairs and shouting with glee 'Mussolini was overthrown'; we celebrated that event. And of course, we celebrated the final capitulation of Germany in May 1945, our liberation. But in 1948, when I was 10, our hopes of going to live in freedom were crushed: the Communists took power, which they held until 1989.

Our hopes revived in the Spring 1968, when we attempted to reform the communist system, creating 'Socialism with Human Face'. This hope was crushed by the Soviet Red Army in August 1968.

In 1977 I opened a philosophy seminar for young people who were, like my son Lukas, barred from any form of higher education because of their parents' involvement in Prague Spring 1968. In May 1978 I invited Oxford Academics to our seminar: 'We live in Czechoslovakia, I and my friends and students. A year ago we decided not to respect any more the current illegal practice of state functionaries, who arrogate the right to decide who may study and what, who may teach and what he may teach. We decided to study philosophy together... In view of the fact that I do not get post and my telephone may be confiscated any day [my telephone was confiscated a few days after I sent the invitation to Oxford Academics] we cannot rely on normal means of communication. Allow me to make a suggestion which seems to be most practicable. We study philosophy together every Wednesday, from September to June, always at 6pm in my flat: Prague 7, Keramická 3. Whenever you come, you will be welcome. Dear friends, you will make us happy if you answer our request for cooperation and we are looking forward to having you with us.'