On top of the arrests at Chicago’s prestigious Art Institute yesterday we had this development in Chicago https://blockclubchicago.org/2024/05/05/chicago-cinco-de-mayo-parade-canceled-due-to-gang-violence-police-say/ . The…
August 15th, 2023
This development here in Chicago of arrests at Chicago’s Art Institute over pro Palestinian demonstrations sort of stunned me. (See…
He is already saying the same things as the regime. It seems to be Viktor the second.
Hungarian economy March 2024 vs March 2023 Export: -15% Import: -20% So the trade balance is much better ... https://www.portfolio.hu/gazdasag/20240506/csunya-ami-a-magyar-gazdasagban-tortenik-684419
Having broken through at Ocheretyne, the Russian troops are only 15 km from Pokrovsk. The capture of this hub would…
In the last 4 years, The debt of the Hungarian central government has gone up by 66.10%
Debt in 10^12 forints:
2023.06.30: 47.92754, of which 74.41% are owed in forints
2021.06.30: 37.41529, of which 81.96% are owed in forints
2019.06.30: 28.85402, of which 81.02% are owed in forints
Source:
https://akk.hu/statisztika/allamadossag-finanszirozas/kozponti-koltsegvetes-adossaga
Observation:
First the government borrowed more from the Hungarians.
This pool dried up by 2021.
That is why they resorted in 2023 to the desperate attempt to force the banks and other financial institutions in Hungary to buy government bonds.
The gross debt of the Hungarian central government.on June 30, 2023 (in 10^12 forints)
A:= Calculated by the Treasury (akk.hu)
B:= Calculated by the National Bank of Hungary (mnb.hu), published on August 18.
A= 47.92754
B= 56.3411
Gross consolidated debt of the total government
(total = central + social security + local):
= 50.2424
https://statisztika.mnb.hu/timeseries/ahtadatok_hu.xlsx
https://statisztika.mnb.hu/adatok-idosorok
A crazy article in the Hun /Fidesz ***expletive deleted*** on how everyone who is against the wonderful Fidesz must be paid by the international liberal marxist mainstream …
https://hungarytoday.hu/foreign-minister-complains-about-the-intolerance-of-the-liberal-mainstream/
Whenever I’m in the mood for some real idiocies to laugh at I look for one of these sites like the Ungarnheute in German.
https://ungarnheute.hu/news/us-deutsche-sponsoren-der-ungarischen-oppositionsparteien-ungewollt-enttarnt-33447/
For so much stupid stuff you need an education. 🙂
Can you imagine the feeling of horror that some Fideszniks must have watching thw Szigliget Festival news – where a Lesbian couple is shown?
Deutsch Tamas probably dirtied his pants …
https://dailynewshungary.com/sziget-festival-in-trouble-government-office-investigation-for-lgbtq-video/
Now if someone told them that one of the Barbie (Most successful movie this year) actors is a trans person how would they react?
Like Kuweit – just forbidding the movie?
If you’re interested just look up the actor Hari Nef …
There is zero understanding of the economic problems of Hungary in the USA. I had an argument with a full retired US Army General several hours ago. He was pontificating on the coming economic collapse of Russia.
I wrote him: Well if Russia is a disaster due to war and now raising interest rates to 12% then what is Hungary? The Hungarian central bank has raised its interest rate by 100 basis points to 11.75%, back in August 2022 almost doubling it from 5.9% at the beginning of June. It is now formally at 13%.
I do not believe in the “economic collapse of Russia”. Russia had no debts until before the war, please improve me if it is not true. Russia has oil, gas and other valuable raw materials that are cheap but are taken by India and China. If the US Army General hopes that Russia will go bankrupt, Ukraine will arrive in Crimea before that. Many believe that in Hungary milk and honey flow but … it is a belief. Good if you can replace the belief with knowledge.
There is among some maybe many retired US Army Officers almost a desperation for a definitive Ukrainian military victory over the Russian Federation.
The last military fiasco in Afghanistan was hard for many US officers to accept.
So now some are pinning their hopes on Ukraine. I went through that after the South Vietnamese collapse in 1975.
I still have problems with that experience, but I am distant enough from the war in Ukraine not to turn a blind eye to the possibility there will not be a great ultimate Ukrainian victory over Russia in this war and the West will force a peace agreement on Ukraine short of restoration of all of its territory. I have actually been accused of being pro-Putin in heated arguments.
Our debates among retired officers are also driven by our Army ranks or pay-gradeat retirement. The lowest ranked General is O10 and I was a lowly 0-3 and retired from the reserves on top of that. It’s hard for a general officer to accept not being right in a discussion with a lower ranked officer.
We all know each other’s rank, it actually a public record in the USA. I still show deference to those who attained higher rank than myself. It was instilled in us. But being an 010 does not make one one a genius either.
Those debates could perhaps be interesting to Europe.
But debates also happen here, and they are very close to where tha action plays out.
Previous wars and possible problems relating to them are not on the table.
What is on the table, is a real war going on in Ukraine.
Istvan no one can say whether Ukraine can regain its territories. But the great power USA did not win in Vietnam, nor in Afghanistan.
The Russians were in Afghanistan for 10 years before the Americans and did not win anything. Why should it be different in Ukraine. Even in the “holy” scriptures there is David against Goliath.
Sadly there is zero understanding of Hungary’s economic problems in Hungary as well…
Yes, because economic systems are not taught in schools. No one understands that the Hungarian tax system distributes money upwards because the biggest burden is borne by low-income earners and the rich pay almost no taxes. Unfortunately, I have never read an article by Hungarian “journalists” explaining this in simple terms. While from German journalists Orban’s economic system was already more than ten years ago slammed. But well if you know nothing you can not get excited. This promises an even “rosier” future in Hungary, earlier it was the communists – today it is the same criminals. Is it not so?
Yes, of course education is important here but so is a captive media and a largely ineffective opposition… re the last point, the names might have changed but the faces remain the same and in that sense you are correct.
If Hungary has an “opposition”, that’s the only word I’ve read about.
#1
Refugees & migrants arriving in the European Union
Country of entry (from January 1 through August 13, 2023):
Italy: 98,438
Spain 18,235
Greece: 14,328
Cyprus: 2,687
Malta: 231
Total: 133,919
Country of origin:
Tunesia: 18.2%
Egypt: 16.9% (new!!)
Bangladesh: 13.4%
Côte d’Ivoire: 9.7%
Syria: 8.9%
Guinea: 8.5%
Afghanistan: 6.6%
Pakistan: 5.2%
Eritrea: 3.6%
#2
The Hungarian government, which shouts loudly against immigration, just made it easier for “guest workers” to enter Hungary. It wants to import hundreds of thousands of Asians to build and work in the new Chinese electronic battery factories.
I was riding a pretty empty bus in Budapest, when about 50 Vietnamese, all freshly arrived young males, stormed it.
#3
On August 16, the next phase of the Russian-Hungarian agreement to build the Paks 2 atomic power plant started.
See
HIVATALOS ÉRTESÍTŐ 42. szám, August 14, 2023
Signed foreign minister Szijjártó
Have written about this befure:
I had contact wth a group of guest workers from India (working at the Suzuki plant near Esztergom), helped them with shopping at the Lidl.
Some spoke English quite well, others had their smartphones trying to translate …
They made a very good impression on me.
Well, if Hungary doesn’t want them, Germany will take those qualified workers with a “Kusshand”.
I have some experience with people from India, employed on the basis of competitive wages.
These people were very disciplined and resourceful, very able to assume responsibility and learn. As another group of Oriental workers (from Pakistan) was already established, it soon became evident that the Indians were superior problem-solvers and far less dependent on a moral and economic compass based on religious doctrines.
Michael, you’re absolutely right!
Of course one of the reasons for thi might be that India has a gigantic potential of people – it is now the mostpopulous country in the world (China has lost, is second place).
So there are many really intelligent and industrious Indian people I’ve met over the last 50 years already.
Some had moved to Singapur, some to the UK and USA and some evn to Germany where of course they had to climb the language barrier.
#3
Celebratory signing with Russia on August 18, 2023
https://www.facebook.com/szijjarto.peter.official/
Kind a’ funny:
https://dailynewshungary.com/trumps-top-hungarian-man-is-disappointed-in-pm-orbans-party/
Sebastian Gork (remember him from articles in HS?) is asked as an “expert” on Hungary …
Another Trump hangaround with death-cult potential.
Great cartoon. Gorka has been following the “peter Principle”.
Thank you Misi and a toast, for pointing to the mechanism that seems to govern the far right hierachy!
Of course, Gorka, after a long time of sucking up to like-minded power freaks (like Orbán), investing, but not having the charisma, wit and weight to make his way to the front line in Hungary, must have felt a big rush when Trump catapulted him to a much higher layer of power than he otherwise qualified for and still thinks he belongs in.
Hanging on to whatever is left of that, logically evokes some downward kicking. And where this bizarre character finally reaches the end of the line, is most likely pathetic by comparison. His gun slinging Trump-supporting activity will decline gradually and my bet is that he will settle for a house at the “cheap” end of the Balaton, renting rooms out to tourists and complaining about the times.
Gorka the Bestie n does not want to live in Hungary because Fidesz is as corrupt as MSZMP. Not even antisocial people like the Bestie n want to live in Hungary.
„Gorka worked for Fidesz in the nineties, therefore he knows PM Orbán and his methods. He said: „I had high hopes that the “conservative” side would not become as corrupt as the former communist MSZMP. I was wrong about that. It is enough to look at Lőrinc Mészáros. 😀
Putler’s friend Orbanistan … Nexta writes:
„The son of the head of the #Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergey Naryshkin, lives in #Budapest and has a residence permit in #Hungary. This is reported by investigative journalist Sergei Yezhov. Naryshkin’s son is registered in the center of Budapest on Bécsi ut. The owners of the house are linked to Hungary’s pro-Russian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.”
“EU and NATO country Hungary does not want NATO troops on its soil in view of the Russian troop buildup on the Ukrainian border. “We do not need additional troops on Hungary’s territory,” says Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto. … The foreign minister also spoke out against further sanctions against Russia because they would “not work.” … Just last week Orban paid him [Putler] a visit. The main topic was Russian gas supplies. At the same time, Orban wanted his visit to Moscow to be understood as a “peace mission.”” 😀
Has Orbán done a turnaround?
With a lot of fanfare he opened the new (?) Hungarian factory of Rheinmetall – which is an important supplier of munition and spare parts for weapons to Ukraine.
https://hungarytoday.hu/rheinmetall-plant-in-zalaegerszeg-inaugurated/
He probably has other things on his mind, right now. TheSwedws will probaly watch this with some interest, but a Bofors factory in Hungary or Turkey is an unlikely outcome.
Orban to Host Turkish and Serbian Presidents on Hungary’s National Day | Balkan Insight
Crazy!
World athletics championships in Bufapest starting today and …
the presidents of Serbia, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, as well as the emir of Qatar are scheduled to pay working visits during the championships
several Western Balkan leaders such as the president of the Bosnian Serb Republic, a representative of the presidency of Bosnia, as well as former heads of state from Czechia, Austria, and Slovenia
All autocrats and fascists will be part of the glorious Greater Hungary Day!
dailynewshungary.com https://dailynewshungary.com/press-autocratic-world-leaders-come-to-budapest-to-meet-orban/
1000 years of Christian reproduction.
Don, thanks a lot!
I also had a good laugh seeing this on PesterMerkur but had no idea how to copy it – must be getting old …
right mouse click on the photo “save graphic as” on the PC, assign name ready … later to upload.
Sportwashing dictatorships has become high fashion.
One of the older tricks in the book, by now.
“Shoot Orban” – with the wrong spelling.
Anti-terror unit investigates.
jöjj but lőj (in imperative cum subjunctive)
These are the verbs with tricky conjugations in Hungarian:
jönni vs lőni, szőni vs főni
menni
lenni vs tenni vs hinni
venni vs veszni
Orban with the Tatar leader MINNIKHANOV yesterday.
(Tataristan is part of Russia, Orban’s neighbor in his home village Felcsut is Putin’s Tatar-Russian oligarch)
This Tatar-Russian leader was put on the sanctions list by the US government on January 26, 2023.
https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20230126
https://telex.hu/belfold/2023/08/19/rusztam-minnyihanov-orban-viktor-tiltolista-veto-ukrajna
Kipchak languages include:
Volga Tatar, Bashkir,
Crimean Tatar, Karachay, Balkar extinct Cuman;
Siberian Tatar; Kazakh, Karakalpak, Nogai;
Kyrgyz;.
Remark:
The Chuvash language, the only surviving Oghur language, from which Hungarians borrowed lots of words in ancient times,
is NOT a Kipchak language.
English: ox.
Hungarian: őkőR
Chuvash: vököR
vs
Turkish: öküZ
The word HungaRian came from
On (10) OghuR
and not from
OghuZ
The Bild newspaper reported that Erdogan will meet in Hungary with Vladimir Putin’s representative – Rustam Minnichanov, the president of the Republic of Tatarstan [today Sunday]. Reportedly, an agreement is to be agreed upon aimed at reviving the grain agreement. However, such an agreement would be dangerous for Ukraine, as it would allow Moscow to legitimize the export of grain.
Telex does not write anything about it? Orban will try everything to harm Ukraine and to bring shitt hole countryskings to the EU.
After Ukraine made it clear that it will not extend the transit agreement with Gazprom, which expires in 2024, the search for alternative supply routes to the EU has begun. Hungary is counting on the Turkish Stream gas pipeline.
Bild newspaper for all its problems does run some stories not covered elsewhere. I read their stuff pretty critically to be honest.
That’s good wolfi and I said it before Bild is a tabloid magazine but often better than Telex.hu, which often sell tabloid as news. Telex had also written about this. And … there are a few credible German newspapers that refer to “Bild” and quote it. I think there are sometimes political “geniuses” who think my information brings Bild.de best for them … ?
World Athletics Championship 2023 Orban style!
The link
Just had to laugh like mad reading this on King Stephen:
https://hungarytoday.hu/king-stephens-life-work-reminds-us-that-we-have-a-lot-to-lose/
This guy who blinded his relatives and filled their ears with wax.
The best about him probably was that all his sons died – so the next Hungarian kings were decendants of his enemy-
If you want to know more about him:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_I_of_Hungary
blinded (his cousin, I think) and had molten lead (not wax) into his ears …
Thanks, Phil, for the correction – found it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vazul
Do the Fideszniks have any idea at all that almost all later kings of Hungary were descendants of Vazul?
Unbelievably funny!!!
Putin’s fellow dictators came to see Orban’s fireworks & the new athletic stadium in person yesterday,
The friendly eleven:
The Kipchaks:
(
the Volga Tatar of Russia (he was the only one shorter than Orban),
the Kyrgyz,).
The Oghuz:
(
the Turkish,
the Azeri,
the Turkmen.).
The Karluk:
(the Uzbek.)
The Kazakh president did not come.
Putin’s Pan-Slav allies also visited:
(
the Serb,
the Bosnian Serb).
The most important visitor, in my opinion, was the moneybag, the Qatari emir.
Two former corrupt prime ministers also attended the summit:
(
the Czech,
the Austrian).
https://444.hu/kepek/2023/08/21/meghivta-e-orban-viktor-a-baratait-tuzijatekot-nezni-a-karmelitaba
Shouldn’t Orbanistan leave the EU and join the other ***stans?
But wait, O1G also wants to help the rest of the Balkan to join the EU???
And they all want money from the EU!
Maybe they really believe that the extreme right wing and fascists will rule the EU soon?
Were there any representatives of the EU or the USA at all – the ambassadors at least?
Questions, questions …
Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s Press Secretary reportedly said three weeks ago “the presidential elections in Russia are not real democracy, and Putin will win.” he has not been heard from or seen since. 😀 The same in orbanland – elections are not real democracy.
The “funniest” comment on X:
He went on vacation with Luna-25, the location is called Peskov Crater.
Back to Hungary:
In discussions on Hungary in Germany sometimes people would say:
But Fidesz has a clear two thirds majority in parliament!
And when I answered:
But they got less than half of the votes …
… that is the dark side of power.
And the Peskov Crater is on the dark side of the moon!
I guess – in 2024 Ukraine closes its gas pipeline for Russian gas, the biggest customers are Hungary and Austria. Apparently, the only way to divert the gas or to open up other gas sources is via Azerbaijan – Armenia – Turkey possible? This could lead to further tensions also with Putin. The Tagesspiegel writes unfortunately only in German:
“New gas alliance with Azerbaijan Orban turns away from Putin.
Hungary’s prime minister was previously considered a friend of Russia in the EU, he needs the energy from there. Now he is making a change of alliance to Azerbaijan, Moscow’s opponent in the war over Nagorno-Karabakh. … ”
Orban would burn up Hungary if it served his primitive instincts.
János Kárpáti did a story on Klubrádió today that made no sense to me, and it wasn’t totally because of my weak Hungarian auditory processing skills either. An American online magazine that has been published since 2000 called The Globalist, was cited as having a solution for the Orban problem in NATO. The story using the Globalist argument stated that in order to create peace in Ukraine, NATO should offer Putin the withdrawal of at least one ex-communist Eastern European country, and this would most likely be Hungary led by Viktor Orbán.
I guess it’s a trade, the problem being under NATO’s rules there is zero ability to force out Hungary, nor is it likely Orban would agree to such a trade since he likes having some semblance of power within both the EU and NATO by being effectively a spoiler. I suspect Putin likes that too. Probably this was some form of satire that went beyond my comprehension.
I think you are right about that article being non-serious. Perhaps they powdered their noses a little too much?
The loonie is back …
Tucker Carlson ranted at CPAC in Budapest, seems he hates Ambassador Pressman.
https://ungarnheute.hu/news/ungarn-inspiriert-amerikaner-indem-es-nicht-radikal-ist-meint-der-us-starjournalist-76926/
Absolutely crazy!
Seems Hungarian media don’t know that he was told to f*ck off by Fox news. But he is the right kind of fascist for fidesz.
Now wait until this appears in english language media.
The loonie is back …
Tucker Carlson ranted at MCC Fest in Budapest, seems he hates Ambassador Pressman.
https://ungarnheute.hu/news/ungarn-inspiriert-amerikaner-indem-es-nicht-radikal-ist-meint-der-us-starjournalist-76926/
Absolutely crazy!
Seems Hungarian media don’t know that he was told to f*ck off by Fox news. But he is the right kind of fascist for fidesz.
Now wait until this appears in english language media.
I corrected my mistake – CPAC was a few months ago.
Here in English:
https://hungarytoday.hu/hungary-an-inspiration-to-americans-by-not-being-radical-says-u-s-star-journalist/
Do these guys know anything about *ucker Carlson’s position?
This agrees nicely with fascist fidez a***kissing Putin.
Wolf – It’s nearing the peak of the hot season in Hungary. There’s nothing else for the media to do, but to sit in their air-conditoned offices and shovel shit.
Hungary inspires Trumpians by not being as radical as American Republicans who want to rig legal elections to win, says US star Puffer Carlson in his usual alternative truth, sounding like high-volume diarrhea. Orban has been faking elections for some time, Carlson speaks pure envy. Although he is also responsible for a few hundred thousand covid deaths. What are these people it disgusts me.
https://t.me/grey_zone/20171
Putin just murdered Prigozhin and 9 other people
https://meduza.io/feature/2023/08/23/krushenie-samoleta-evgeniya-prigozhina
Take it easy! It might just as well be a disappearence stunt.
At this point, nothing (as in 0) is confirmed or credibly attested.
Wagner’s channel:
Prigozhin & Utkin are dead.
“The murder of Prigozhin will have catastrophic consequences. People who gave orders do not understand the mood in the army and the moral spirit.”
“Пусть это станет для всех уроком. Идти всегда надо до конца.”
Let this become a lesson for all. You always have to go to the end [if you start a rebellion].
https://t.me/s/grey_zone
Until harder facts are on the table, I’m sceptic.
Especially the expressions of demoralization and regretfulness sound very suspicious and by all means very un-Russian.
It’s clear that the Russian scene isn’t big enough for both Putin and the Sausage Maker, but they both stand to win a bigger piece cake by the latter staying with the blood-diamonds and slave labor mining.
If the old Silverback appears in on of his usual chest-slapping national addresses and the Sausage Maker really went up in smoke, I say that would be a high, if not desperate stake for saving face.
It could easily backfire – and the African ventures become more risky.
Dead passengers:
Dead crew:
The current Ukrainian front line can be seen on a map on
https://meduza.io/feature/2022/02/26/karta-voyny-v-ukraine-posmotrite-gde-idut-boi-segodnya
Prigozhin exactly two months ago, on June 23:
“After 2014, […] the DonBass has been looted by different people, some of them were from the presidential administration, some from the FSB [secret service]. sometimes oligarchs were involved such as Kurchenko.
These people have stolen money from the residents of DonBass.”
“Why did the “special operation” [the war against Ukraine] begin?
At the border of DonBass, “the Ukrainians had various volunteer, let us say nationalist formations and also the Ukrainian army.
We exchanged gun fire, we hit them, they hit us, and this was going on for 8 long years from ’14 to ’33
There was nothing extraordinary on February 24 [2022]. Now the [Russian] Department of Defense is trying to fool the public and the president that there was a crazy aggression by Ukraine, that they were about to join forces with NATO to attack us.
But the February 24, so-called special operation was started for completely different reasons.”
[…]
As far as I am concerned, Zelensky, when he became president was ready for am agreement.
All you [the Russian leadership] had to do was to come down from mount Olympus and make a deal about Eastern Ukraine, where the population is genetically [?] Russian.
And what is happening now? We are killing these Russians.”
“In the first days of the war, Shoigu killed thousands of Russian soldiers.:”
“The psychotic bastards, the psychotic bastards decided, it is all right if we throw a few thousand more Russian guys in the meat grinder.”
[Shoigu] must be tried and punished for destroying the lives of tens of thousands of boys.
“What is this war for?
The war was needed so that a bunch of creatures who just go on parties and have sex could show how strong the [Russian] army is and the generals get medallions.
It was started not to demilitarize or de-Nazify Ukraine, but [for Shoigu] to get an extra star with emboridery around it. […]
Second, the war was needed by the oligarchs. It was needed by the clan that now effectively runs Russia.
[… lots of bad things about the lavish lifestyle of the oligarchs]
They do not care about the country, the people, the war, only about themselves.
The second most important task of the operation was to appoint [Putin’s friend] Medvedchuk as a kind of president of Ukraine.
[…]
Why didn’t we trade the Azov soldiers for our soldiers instead for this gangster Medvedchuk?
So “our holy war against those who offend the Russian people, who humiliate them, has become a racket or a rat religion. It has been elevated to the status of the law, a national ideology.”
Are you getting a little carried away, here?
Nothing (except death) prevents the voices you quote from calling an end to the Ukrainian campaigns and starting a peaceful course.
Five Eyes := (USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand)
West := (Five Eyes, EU)
The anti-West economic, political and potentially military alliance BRICS is expanding.
2009-2010:
Brazil
Russia
India
China
South Africa
2023:
Iran
Saudi Arabia
United Arab Emirates
Egypt
Ethiopia
Argentina
Question:
To what extent do Hungarians generally accept that they, politically and socially, behave in overall conditioned response to professionally applied mass-manipulation??
The same question could be put to Americans.
The mental division and the side-lining of basic democratic principles applies equally here.
This problem exists everywhere:
In parts of East Germany the fascist AfD is the strongest party – in my hometown they didn’t even get 5%, the Greens are the strongest party among us Schwabs.
Is it a coincidence that we have Bosch, Daimler-Benz, Porsche and many other global players?
Today, almost 100 years after the (young) German democracy caved in to extreme political and economic pressures, it’s good to see how a stable economy and public allowance for a high level of welfare today, seem to “immunize” a community against divisive political action. Few, if any, countries in Europe have undergone the transition away from dictatorship and the resulting self-damaging social practices as quickly as West Germany. True – They did get a lot of help, but they used that help wisely. By contrast, the totalitarian bent in East Germany and Hungary seemingly draws most nourishment from all the help they recieve.
Sharing the Fascist legacy, should make a basis for comparison, of sorts, and it strikes me that Soviet Communism is the most obvious difference.
The mainstream media in the USA totally would deny that. The logic is only Republican controlled media like FOX news undermines democratic values. I would argue that when a company like Disney controls ABC news, or the owner of Amazon Jeff Bezos buys the Washington Post they too can undermine democratic values.
I find it interesting that Russia and Hungary can be characterized as having an oligarchy, but the concept is not applied to our own billionaires here in the USA.
I suppose the US is coming closer to the criteria for Oligarchy (or mafia state).
The real tipping point would be if legislation is passed only for the purpose of directly accommodating a narrow circle of business-persons’ private business interests, to the point of allowing monopolies and securing bigger parts of public budgets for investing in those businesses.
Of course, the political organisation responsible for this “sale” of legislation needs to be protected from opposition.
If someone believes that there was an opposition in Hungary then they are two nobodies and a trumplover. 😀
Orban Viktor has no money for education? … of a separatist movement.
„Bosnia: Orbán fraternizes with pro-Kremlin Serb leader
Milorad Dodik, president of the breakaway Bosnian Republika Srpska, will receive funds totaling 118 million euros from Hungary. Dodik announced this at a press conference in Banja Luka on Monday (Aug. 21), reports the Sarajevo Times.
Of this amount, 18 million will be used to purchase agricultural machinery. 70 million will be used to make up for the money that was missing after Germany withdrew from some projects earlier this year due to Dodik’s separatist policies. …“
Teachers union put on a show says teacher who is not in union. Now she is sailing teacher no joke but not bad either.
“… They are both disappointed in the teachers union. It put on more of a big show than really made a difference, Varga says. However, only a fraction of Hungarian teachers are also members of a union. Molnár and Varga are not. …” 😀
In the Sonline.hu it is written “A fallen soldier can never be an enemy” I don’t think he means the Roma and Jews who were killed by Hungarians.
“… Hetvenkilenc évvel ezelőtt, 1944. december másodikán érték el a szovjet csapatok Kaposvárt, majd a Margit-vonalig nyomultak előre. Négy hónapig, 1945. március 28-áig folytak itt harcok.
– Jelentős veszteségek voltak mindkét oldalon, a zalai olajmezők védelme volt a legfontosabb feladata a magyar–német csapatoknak. A mai adatok szerint nem három-négyszáz, hanem közel kétezer elhunyt szovjet katona van eltemetve – mondta el Puskás Béla, a Somogy Temetkezési Kft. szenior ügyvezető igazgatója. Hozzátette: az emlékművet 1945-ben hozták létre, 2023 év elején orosz támogatással elkezdődött a felújítás, amelyet Úr Tibor végzett el munkatársaival. …”
Well thousands of Hungarian Jews used effectively as labor slaves were also killed in combat areas. The gendarmes and Army men who guarded these “slaves” were mostly members of the anti-Semitic, fascist Arrow Cross Party.
A correspondence between the State Security Center and the Minister of Defense from 1942 (recovered in the Hungarian War Archive – Hadtörténelmi Levéltár) contributes to the still very scarce historical evidence that during World War II homosexuals were also targets of state control in Hungary. The correspondence contemplates whether or not to use homosexuals as forced labour within the wartime Labour Service System and has attached a list of altogether 993 alleged homosexuals. The phrase ‘officially registered homosexuals’ is used in the correspondence, supporting the idea that the list was based on a Hungarian police registry.
Igen, munkáskatonák voltak, és a fronton kellett ásniuk a lövészárkokat. Ennyire tisztelték a zsidókat. Az oroszokat ezért ünneplik ma is!
This interview with Tucker Carlson https://magyarnemzet.hu/kulfold/2023/08/tucker-carlson-a-demokracia-parodiajat-eljuk-ma will likely receive no coverage here in the USA.
It is in many respects remarkable because it demonstrates what an acolyte of Orban Tucker Carlson has become. Carlson’s observation that the USA wants regime change in Russia is not a surprise to me, Zelensky came very close to stating that last week when he made it clear the entire Putin government needed to be put on trial for war crimes.
Of course we wanted regime change in Russia even during the 1917 Russian revolution. US and Japanese Imperial forces occupied Vladivostok during the Russian civil war.
I am no Putin supporter but it’s pretty clear the US government would like to see regime change in Russia very much Eve while President Biden denies adamantly the U.S. supports any such policy. Our experience is that democratic change cannot be brought externally to a country from the outside it can often create nationalist anti-imperialist movements.
I don’t doubt for a second that Carlson regularly get’s a fat check from Orbán, as do many other far-right media persons and politicians who defend him in public and boost his image for Fidesz propaganda purposes.
Has anyone seen this site (in English) yet, found it by accident:
https://civilek.info/en/2023/08/25/all-like-the-guys-you-can-39-t-see-the-end-from-here-said-the-two-thirds-orban-viktor/
If you red their articles Hungary has become the greatest country in the world since being ruled by O1G.
Does any sane person believe this crp?
Yet another Hungarian propaganda outlet.
Orban on August 25, 2023:
‘I need another ten years to achieve my goals’
The Orban who tolerates only idiots next to him? 😀
In today’s post-covid world there are really crazy connections!
Naomi Klein has an interesting (but rather long …) article on her doppelganger Naomi Wolf (also Jewish) who turned from a liberal feminist into a Querdenker who after Covid appears regularly on rightwing shows like Tucker Carlson’s and Steve Bannon’s claiming Covid is a hoax by Soros and Bill Gates and all the other conspiration theories.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/aug/26/naomi-klein-naomi-wolf-conspiracy-theories
I also learned a new word fpr this “Querdenken!:
Diagonalism …
Apparently the Russians have completely exhausted their supply of good Kentucky Bourbon and Japanese Whiskey which is also pretty good.
The Russians are now importing from India a cheap blended whiskey called officers choice, the Russians exhibiting their dark humor are joking “it’s the only choice they have left.”
I would stick with Vodka if I was a Russian combatant. That stuff looks more risky than Ukrainian artillery fire.
The Russians have a long tradition of coping with hangovers from drinking rotgut brandy,
“… Whoever is attacked can count on Hungarians [If you have Hungary as a friend, you don’t need enemies anymore.], that was roughly the message of Hungarian President Katalin Novák, who visited Transcarpathia. The historic region in the far west of Ukraine borders Hungary, Romania Slovakia and Poland. A large Hungarian minority lives here. …
“I bring you the strength of 15 million people, of 15 million Hungarians, here to Berehowe, to Transcarpathia, to Ukraine,” Katalin Novák said during an ecumenical service in the town of Berehowe. 😀
“The hope, the security, the certainty, of a common future, even if we cannot see the way to it now.” … “What now?
Narrator: Hungary (Hungarian [ˈmɒɟɒrorsaːɡ]) is a landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of about 9.7 million.
See here
Errrr… and the point here is…?
The question is curious Reader.
Of course, it is about the Hungarian Ukrainian friendship that has long been an enmity if you read the news and 15 million Hungarians that Ms. Novak brings as you can read.
Yes, I do and I get what Ms Novak is saying but I wasn’t sure what your point was, it doesn’t really matter though.
Different rabbit same pit –
If a teacher goes on strike and doesn’t get a raise, it’s the teachers’ union’s fault I read. Not the Fidesz not they themselves as teachers who all restrictions for 10 years obediently went along. If I hear such a thing from a teacher then it is better she remains sailing teacher. Where is the point here … but it does not matter for Germany.
Orban governs by decrees because of the “war situation”.
E.g. Decree 205/2023 (May 31) : tax on interest was increased from 15% to 28%, effective July 1.
https://nav.gov.hu/ado/szja/Szocialis_hozzajarulasi_adot_kell_fizetni_a_kamatjovedelmek_utan
But after the Athletic World Championship of 2023, Orban wants to hold the Olympics too.
https://24.hu/sport/2023/08/26/orban-viktor-olimpiarendezes-atletikai-vb/
Millions of tourists, Sziget Festival, Athletic World Championship, but “war situation” at the same time?
Mockery of the common sense.
The von von von Defense Minster wants to reintroduce “Hungarian Hussar” regiments in the army, but without horses.
https://hvg.hu/itthon/20230826_Visszahozzak_a_huszarokat_a_Magyar_Honvedsegbe
Szalay-Bobvrovniczky:
“The Hussardom is the essence of our national character in uniform”
Hussars without horses are like armored infantry without armor. Finding identity is difficult as an enfant terrible.
That reminds me of what happened here near Esztergom a few months ago:
An older Roma (my wife might say gypsy) died who was obvously the boss of a kind of clan. So for many days there were parties with a lot of drinking, talking (or rather screaming …) and loud music.
Dozens of cars were there – mainly large really old Mercedes and BMWs which wouldn’t be allowed to run in Germany any more, making a lot of noise, stinking and producing large patches of engine oil on th sidewalks- horrible!
Several neighbours had problems parking their cars and/or entering the garages – all space was occupied by those cars, even the bus that ran once every hour often had to stop and wait because of idiotic parking on both sides of the street.
Then the body was brought home – in a long, long white Cadillac.
And then off to the cemetery – in a carriage drawn by four horses and accompanied by dozens of people and by four hussars on horses in there typical white uniforms …
It was kind of funny if you werent directly involved.
The best story:
One of our neighbours followed the show in a distance with his cart and collected all the horse shit – he told me that’s the best fertilizer you can get.
So of course the image of the Roma ain’t so good around here …
What you observed is typical for a mafia-state.
The message from Orbán/Fidesz is clear: “You let us manage the politics, without interference, and we will turn the blind eye to how you make your money – as long as we get our cut”.
Yes, the refugee/migrant business must bring a lot of money. Fidesz let more than a 1000 human smugglers free, they just had to promise to leave Hungary, and right now Austrians found a small truck with more than 50 people on board!
Well, that is a politically interesting action, especially knowing the government’s official “views” on migrants.
I would worry a lot more about the cross-border connections with the Ex-Yougoslavian and Albanian drug-kartels and how they (indirectly of course) finance the far-right and anti-democratic politicians.
“Szalay-Bobrovniczky stressed that the Hungarian government had begun building its armed forces even before the outbreak of war in Ukraine, “based on the long-term political reality that peace requires force.“” 😀 really?
This Magyar Nemzet story https://magyarnemzet.hu/belfold/2023/08/mi-tortenik-tobb-mint-huszonharom-ezren-erkeztek-ukrajnabol-magyarorszagra likely is correct there is again an increasing out flow of Ukrainians to into Hungary and into other EU nations. Really here in the USA we are getting virtually no reporting on the ongoing population loss in Ukraine as the war goes on and on.
Putin is clearly executing his war of attrition on Ukrainian forces but also on civilians. We are hearing from our US military leaders in the USA (including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Milley) not to expect any possible end to the war until deep into 2024 at the earliest.
I have to recognize that Orban’s media is always presenting a defeatist agenda regarding Ukraine. But there is a growing demoralization among US supporters of Ukrainian efforts to militarily expel Russian occupation forces.
This Kyiv Independent article depicts the grinding character of combat near Bakhmut https://kyivindependent.com/inching-forward-in-bakhmut-counteroffensive-ukraines-hardened-units-look-ahead-to-long-grim-war/
The media coverage Putin’s elimination of Yevgeniy Prigozhin and his commanders in the USA has been huge and based on nothing but conjecture. Meanwhile the situation with ground combat in Ukraine is getting ever bloodier and Zelensky has obviously authorized daring drone attacks on Moscow itself in response to direct Russian missile assaults on civilian targets all over Ukraine.
All of this is not good in the least.
George Lazar has a lot of intereting info on the crazy connection between Hungary and the US extreme right:
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0FWnQ5jwDTHPQhV5iVuhwkc2MB5stK57arJhSrE1HEa2NpvtvHAxU3WFZbFzcFnW6l&id=508220147
Orban’s coded speech on Friday at the Tranzit Festival in Tihany means Hungarians have to serve Hungary and as everyone knows Hungary is only Orban. That would be the most beautiful mission in the world. The opposition would be followed by a large financial groups that have clear intentions and are looking for their agents. With it Orban means the Jews. Hungarians could not thrive in the European Empire, says Viktor Orbán. That Orban wants to leave the EU he already said several times.
“The Hungarian government has the greatest legitimacy in Europe, and therefore Hungary can pursue the most sovereign foreign policy on the continent, with the national interest at heart, the Hungarian foreign minister said Saturday in Tihany. … ” 😀
History distortion also exists in Hungarian textbooks Putin does the same?
“Hungary’s 1956 revolutionaries were fascists, claims new Russian history textbook” Telex wrote.
Boris Palmer, the mayor of Tübingen, formerly a Green, left the party on 1 May 2023 after an inner-party rift and is now a non-party member. In my opinion, he is a populist, so I am not surprised by the following.
“Budapest/Tübingen – Tübingen’s Lord Mayor Boris Palmer will appear on 5 September at Budapest’s Mathias Corvinus College (MCC), an educational institution closely linked to the government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Palmer will give a lecture and participate in a subsequent discussion at the invitation of the German-Hungarian Institute, which is part of the MCC, the press office of the city of Tübingen confirmed on Monday in response to a query from the German Press Agency. ”
In a dispute with protesters outside a migration conference in Frankfurt am Main, he used the word nigger several times. After sharp criticism of him, he said “That is nothing other than the Jewish star. And that’s because I used a word that you attach everything else to.” That’s moronic.
Bravo Boris, now you are where you belong.
I must admit that I was really devastated by Boris’s last statements, used to vote for him.
And if you visit his facebook site youll find that he also supports german “feminist” Alice Schwarzer who is “anti-trans”and a friend of Sahra Wagenknecht.
Wagenknecht has just (ok, several months ago …) left the communist Left Party and she is a supporter of Putin, sorry “peace” asking for stopping support for Ukraine!
I cant eat as much as I want to throw up!!!
Sorry wolfi but under his green cloak he was more CSU if not worse. Boris Kálnoky (today MCC) also such a phoney, German journalist tried for years to prove that the German media denigrate Hungary. The irony speaks for itself.
Eva used him as a source for a while. I wrote a comment in Hungarian Spectrum on the source used and the comment was deleted. It took her a few more months to come up with it herself. 🙂
Spread the word
Viktor Orbán-influenced university plans outpost in London | Politics | The Guardian
One thought on “… Bence Szechenyi, a U.S. citizen of Hungarian descent and former staff member of the MCC in Budapest, said: “MCC is explicitly political and has a conservative agenda that they push subliminally and explicitly.” Staff told me how they ensure that all invited speakers are ideologically in line with their conservative mission. …”
If you want to push something subliminally and explicitly in the UK then it is not Conservative because the UK has been that for a long time. Subliminal is instincts like hate fear flight that fascism plays with … Orban too of course. 🙂
Michael, youre abslutely right – and Fidesz is “expanding”:
MCC, which is lavishly funded by Orbán’s government – in 2020 it received more than £1.3bn in state money and assets – already operates in the UK through a deal with the Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation, which promotes the ideas of the late British conservative philosopher.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/aug/28/viktor-orban-influenced-university-plans-outpost-in-london
But no money for schools in Hungary …
I doubt if any country in the EU (except perhaps Poland?) would accept such a construction in the gray zone between education and indoctrination.
Perhaps Brexit already affected the insular mindset of the British, to a point where Orbán (as with Hitler in the 30’s) is seen as something positive?
I see how effective the Hungarian school scene is at indocriation of the youth.
The Horthy-era national project gained a lot of momentum under Orbán.
Of course the legacy an intellectual like Roger Scruton (died in 2020) is exactly the kind of material a fascistoid dictator like Orbán can misuse, in order to appear respectable to a broader Anglican audience.
Today the Washington Post’s premiere columnist Max Boot wrote this opinion piece https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/08/28/ukraine-russia-red-lines-putin-biden/ The crux of his argument is “…recent experience suggests that, for all his bluster, Putin is rational enough not to escalate a limited war that he is already losing into a wider war with NATO that he cannot possibly win.”
Now Mr. Boot has extensive ties to US intelligence services. He has argued repeatedly for the use of covert military forces to be used by the USA internationally. (See for example https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/01/09/avoid-vietnam-fiascos-win-terror-war-learn-lansdale-friendly-persuasion-max-boot-column/1013646001/)
What Mr. Boot’s definition of winning a tactical nuclear war, or that matter a strategic nuclear war is not clear at all. Maybe Boot believes any Russian war with NATO will stay at a conventional level, but that is not clear at all.
We already know Russia has a dead hand system to initiate full nuclear war using predetermined targets in the west. (It’s more politely called Perimeter in Russia).
The Russian dead hand system can automatically initiate the launch of the Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) by sending a pre-entered highest-authority order from the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Strategic Missile Force Management to command posts and individual silos if a nuclear strike is detected by seismic, light, radioactivity, and pressure sensors even with the commanding elements fully destroyed.
Supposedly it is normally switched off and is supposed to be activated during times of crisis; however, as of 2011, it was said by the commander of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces, Colonel General Sergey Karakaev in an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda, to be in a fully operational state. Are sites in Hungary targeted? Since Hungary is still a NATO nation I would presume so.
Indeed an article like Boot’s promotes Orban fake peace plans that are a cover for supporting Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Of course we also have to recognize that Putin in March 2022 raised the status of Russian nuclear preparations to what he said was combat status. That could mean Perimeter has been turned on. Are those the actions of a rational man?
„Are those the actions of a rational man?“
Wiki means under Political beliefs:
„Boot considers himself to be a “natural contrarian”.[32] He identifies as a conservative, once joking that “I grew up in the 1980s, when conservatism was cool”.[33] He is in favor of limited government at home and American leadership abroad,[34] believing America should be “the world’s policeman”.[35]
Boot was one of the earliest proponents of the US invasion and occupation of Iraq.[36] In October 2001, in an article titled “The Case for American Empire”, he proposed that the USA must greatly increase its military engagement against other countries and compared his proposal to invade Afghanistan and Iraq with the American role in defeating Nazi Germany. He wrote:[36][37]
Once Afghanistan has been dealt with, America should turn its attention to Iraq … Once we have deposed Saddam, we can impose an American-led, international regency in Baghdad, to go along with the one in Kabul … It is a matter of self defense: [Saddam] is currently working to acquire weapons of mass destruction that he or his confederates will unleash against America … To turn Iraq into a beacon of hope for the oppressed peoples of the Middle East … This could be the chance to right the scales, to establish the first Arab democracy, and to show the Arab people that America is committed to freedom for them.“
As you can read, he is often wrong. He is a contributor to The Washington Post. A lot of hot air and crystal ball from Boot.
Another thing we know, is that from the beginning of the conflict, every time Ukraine has been given more, better or newer weapons, which Russia itself have used relentlessly from the start, against Ukraine, Putin and his echo chambers have flashed red lights, waved red lines and made all kinds of insinuated threats (incl. nuclear) directly to every country involved and of course Nato – and immediately after that, launced massive propaganda campaigns, which contemptuously belittle and ridicule the initially red-lined military aid.
They still know that it would inevitably be an own goal to introduce nuclear arms in the conflict, or they probably would have done it already (my assumption).
If we see the conflict as a boxing match between two fighters (I know it’s not a very serious approach), Ukraine is the younger, smaller and undermatched defender, but technically superior, and Russia the big old champ and challenger with heavy feet and a glass jaw – Ukraine is far ahead on points, by jabbing the bigger opponent through the parades and scoring a few clean hits, while taking odd Russian hits, clammering and head-butting in the stride. The first and only long count of the match was on Russia, after which holding and throwing odd punches below belt and behind the neck should have disqualified the side several rounds ago.
Die Presse writes “Hungary uprising an act of fascists? Putin’s textbook becomes a problem for Orbán
The withdrawal of Soviet soldiers from the Warsaw Pact states is also described as a mistake. The falsification of history is quite uncomfortable for Putin-understanding Orbán.
Hungary stands out in the Ukraine war with its friendly, neutral attitude toward Russia. But its proximity to Moscow puts Viktor Orbán and his government in an awkward position these days. For a new textbook in Russia for eleventh graders not only rehabilitates Stalin and defends the Ukraine war. The 400-page textbook also reinterprets the 1956 Hungarian uprising as an uprising organized by the West and describes the withdrawal of Soviet troops from the former Warsaw Pact states from 1989 onward as a mistake. Among others, the Russian investigative platform “Meduza” reported on this.
Hungary’s Foreign Ministry kept the ball rather flat in response. “In 1956, the people rose up against the communist dictatorship. That is an obvious fact and not a cause for debate,” it said. Orbán’s government, however, refrained from explicit criticism of Russia, which otherwise always reacts very sensitively to historical controversies.
“The Hungarian crisis was triggered by Western secret services,” the textbook says, according to Meduza. There is also talk of radical rebels, former soldiers of fascist Hungary, who took up arms and committed murders. The Hungarian uprising, the work of Western intelligence services and fascists? This is the story that Russia keeps telling, for example, about the Maidan revolution in Kiev. And even earlier, the Soviets spread similar narratives. …”
To be honest, Orban’s Hungary can be called fascist, but also the communist era and before that the Arrow Crosses up to today’s Jobbik and Co. speak of it. Thus it is clear that Orban is probably not surprised. He also regularly repeats his hatred of Ukraine, which has been in a defensive war against Orban’s friend Putin since 2022.
Tucker Carlson has a “Doku” in which Orban explains after Yeltsin everyone would have been happy that Putin is coming. 😀 I am not.
That textbook interpretation of 1956 was the standard Russian version used right up to the collapse of the Russian Communist Party.
Eva’s old friend Charles Gati in his 2006 book “Failed Illusions” using declassified US documents proved the Russian argument was a lie.
The USA did not have the capacity to create the 1956 revolt.
The US was strongly critical against the Warsaw Pact invasion of Hungary, but interestingly from a cold war perspective, at the same time, after Russia threatened to nuclear bomb London and Paris, the US chose to side with Russian demands that Britain, France and Israel withdrew from Egypt (Suez).
This led to a cooling of relations between the US and France/Britain and caused the resignation by Prime Minister Eden.
Russia gained a lot of international prestige by that event, which (internationally) overshadowed the invasion of Hungary.
Istvan I think the Hungarian traitors Rákosi or Ernő Gerő would have sounded the alarm if the American secret service operated extensively in Hungary. From this point of view, even without scientific proof, it is illogical or impossible that any intelligence service other than the Hungarian-Russian one had a widespread influence. From the wood of these Stalinists one “carved” later such as Orban.
Years ago I read that his father-in-law was also in the secret service or had great influence. Do you know anything about it?
The US based Wall Street Journal today published this article “Ukrainian Drones Strike Deep Inside Russia, Hitting Military Airfield, Other Targets.” It is behind a paywall.
But the article indicates that the Ukrainians have rapidly improved their drone technology and are now striking Russian targets very deep in Russia with some precision.
The drones have limited explosive power but certainly are hitting Russian airfields and have destroyed nuclear capable Russian bombers.
The US nukes according to this article https://bigthink.com/the-past/nuclear-weapon-accidental-detonation/#:~:text=For fission and fusion bombs,, won’t take place. Are not likely going to happen based on drone hits using conventional explosives. But Russian nuclear weapons may not be at that level of fail safe technology. I really prefer not to find out.
Those Ukrainian drones are proving themselves very effective. The costs involved in spotting and attttacking the drones with advanced radar and rockets far outweigh the costs of the drone operations. For its small size, the 30+ kilo payload packs a punch of some substance.
If you ask me, Ukraine has the upper hand in the conflict. They understand the nature of the Russian fatigue tactics and rely on foreign support for the long run. Peppering Russian locations far from the fronts adds a factor of psychological leverage with limited expenses, compared to the Russian efforts to counter those moves, while maintaining an image of total control.
If Putin is nearing defeat he will surely resort to tactical nuclear attacks on Ukraine. Numerous of the United Russia Party called for a Russian strike on Estonia today in response to an air assault on a Russian air base the Russians claim was launched from Estonia.
Yet another bluff? I hope so. For now Putin’s military objective seems to be just killing as many people as possible. The Russians are happy to concede land losses in return for Ukrainian casualties.
This could well be a situation where we can be happy about Putin’s absolute monopoly on political decisions.
As long as Russian casualties are undisclosed (never mind the Ukrainian figures for now) we can only guess, and Western analysts (conservatively) point to a steady 1:3 ratio in favor of Ukraine), everything points to the time-factor working for Ukraine.
Adding the stress-factor of increased attacks in Russia to that, Russia might see itself in a sharpened defensive (although invasive) situation and choose a more destructive tactic, I agree on that logic,, but what could they possibly gain?
There isn’t any hardware on their shelves that goes uncountered.
Of course this delusional Orbán stunt has to find its way to international media.
Let’s hope the Americans dont swallow the Hungarian KoolAid.
Hungary’s Orbán urges US to ‘call back Trump’ to end Ukraine war in Tucker Carlson interview | AP News
At least the Ukrainians have watched the interview.
Now Ukrainians are laughing at Viktor Orban, and they were worried that he had been on Russia’s side for too long (nepszava.hu)
I watched it yesterday on Elon Musk’s X site. Orban of course lied repeatedly, but Trump supporters, who the interview was targeting, could not care in the least.
The only comment by Musk about the interview I could find was Hungary is trying to address its low birth rate.
I don’t recall that coming up in the interview at all.
Orban’s non-existing success:
Live births in Hungary:
2009: 96,442
2010: 90,335
2011: 88,049
[…]
2021: 93,039
2022: 88,491
https://www.ksh.hu/stadat_files/nep/hu/nep0006.html
January-July live births:
2020: 53,011
2021: 52.484.
2022: 50,356
2023: 49,659
https://www.ksh.hu/stadat_files/nep/hu/nep0064.html
For people who know the disastrous financial and material situation of the MAV which has been suffering under the regime since 2010, this article shows the new level of incompetency of the administration
.János Lázár sent a harsh message to the management of MÁV (szabadeuropa.hu)
János Lázár ordered the renovation of the Budapest-Hegyeshalom line, but MÁV does not have the money for it (szabadeuropa.hu)
The order for immediate repair will have to do with the fact that the connection crosses the Austrian border, and disruption would mean the regime loses its face. In the meantime, local connections are just closed, preventing people to be able to go to school or work.
Tíz mellékvonalon állítja le a vasúti közlekedést a MÁV (444.hu)
The closing may have to do with the fact that there is not enough material to move the trains (:
A mentesítő mozdony is lerobbant, egy harmadiknak kellett behúznia a komáromi személyvonatot Székesfehérvárra (444.hu)
former Republic of Hungary,
current Sycophancy of Hungary:
Orban quotations have been placed on the wall of a renovated public high school for the students to read every day.
https://telex.hu/zacc/2023/08/31/orban-viktor-kijelentesek-magyarorszag-het-torvenye-jedlik-anyos-gimnazium-fala-csepel-budapest
Sycophancy is eternal in Hungary.
The school was first inaugurated on comrade Rakosi’s birthday in 1952.
https://444.hu/2023/09/01/nem-csak-orban-idezet-nemeth-szilard-neve-is-felkerult-kotablan-a-csepeli-gimnaziumra
Overheard at a beach of the Balaton:
‘The turnover of our enterprise is 8 billion forints.
We are in danger, we are too big. Somebody from the NER [ruling party, Orban’s circles] can spot us, and make an unrefusable offer.
So we have to cut our enterprise into 4 pieces to look smaller.’
Really? Why not just buy a business with appropriate debts?