The American Hungarian Federation (AHF) voiced “concern and perplexity” in a letter to Democrat Senator Benjamin L Cardin over his recent remarks concerning Hungary.
In its letter dated July 12, AHF said that several remarks in a statement by Cardin, published in the Congressional Record last Thursday following events in Budapest during Transatlantic Week, were unjustified.
The letter, signed by AHF head Frank Koszorus Jr, said that Cardin seemed “ambivalent” about Hungary’s Fidesz winning last year’s general election with an outright majority, and warned that countries “whose liberty was denied for over four decades by the force of tanks” must only be judged objectively, rather than on the basis of “generalisations and speculation”.
In his statement, Cardin said that while Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s two-thirds majority support in government is “not necessarily a bad thing … the Orban government has used that supermajority to push through one controversial initiative after another.” Among such initiatives he mentioned the media law, the citizenship law and the new constitution, as well as changes to the Constitutional Court, measures to reduce early retirement for soldiers and police officers and changes to the ombudsman system.
AHF requests an opportunity for representatives of the American Hungarian community to meet Senator Cardin to discuss the situation in Central and Eastern Europe.
Oh, the comrades at the MTI did it again. They supposedly report on the American Hungarian Federation “striking back at US senator over critical comments.” Except there is very little (2-3 sentences) in the MTI piece about what the AHF had to say, while the ‘very objective’ MTI news creators made it sure that they re-report at length the essence of the beloved senator’s slurs against Hungary. Don’t you just love these guys?
The AHF’s letter, as one might expect, had much more to say than the MTI reports. For example it “expressed its steadfast conviction that judgments be ‘objective, fair, balanced and based on facts and not generalizations and speculation.’ It also urged the Helsinki Commission not to ignore the Hungarian minorities but to publicly and privately encourage Slovakia and Romania ‘to build tolerant societies by respecting the rights of their Hungarian and other minorities and the rule of law.” Senator Cardin had earlier joined Congressman Kucinich and former Governor Pataki to laudably speak out against the Slovak Language Law.’
So, for objectivity’s sake, here is the link for what the AHF actually had to say:
http://www.americanhungarianfederation.org/news_BenCardin.htm
Thanks for that letter, newsreader.
By the way, it is also interesting that the Washington Post did not bother to note the Cardin chap’s sally. Blithering like he did is pretty ‘old hat’ these days — well worn out my his fellow travellers months ago. (I wonder if Cardin can even identify Hungary on a map of the world?)
You are welcome.
Only 10% of US Senators own a passport. A very well-informed and well-travelled bunch, but they are happy to give advice.
No one really cares, but that statistic has been debunked and is wildly off. But who cares, really?
Hey everybody! Happy Erik put the comments tracker on home page…
Well, I read the letter and here is a direct quote:
“First, Hungary had never been an empire – until it was
dismembered by the Treaty of Trianon in violation of the vaunted principle of self-determination, it was a
self-contained, geographically and economically coherent and durable formation in the Carpathian Basin
and boasting the longest lasting historical borders in Europe. When Hungarians fell under the domination of
the Habsburg Empire, they rose up twice seeking to regain their independence.”
Hungary was an empire. “Horvatorszag” never had a substantial Hungarian minority and Hungary had not business denying the Croatians their right to independence.
In fact, the Hungarians oppressed the Slovaks and Croatians. Persecuted the Jews after WWI and expelled the few remaining Germans after WWII.
There is no smoke without fire but I very much doubt that Cardin has any real insight into the overall situation in Hungary apart from the fact that, like him, most of our politicians are superfluous to requirements and tend to cause the problems that so many seek refuge in palinka to forget.
Is this why Orbi legalized the local stills that produce the the stuff in great quantity…?
Frank Koszorus Jr is a Fidesz lobbyist… the American Hungarian Federation is a website, nothing more…
Most Hungarian Americans consider the Orban Government illegitimate. Read it in the Wall Street Journal.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703806304576242442777657096.html
Of course. Murdoch is not known for his habit of pulling out all stops to break governments and people he does not like. And (again of course), Murdoch knows much more about the views of Hungarians on the legitimacy of their government than do the Hungarians themselves. Isn’t that so, Mrozek, in your dreams about what ought to be?
Just recently, the influential journalist Robert Fisk, once a noted columnist in Murdoch’s The Times, recounted how Murdoch ensured that none of his articles that castigate Israel’s behaviour in the Lebanese and Palestinian situations are published. Fisk left The Times, and went to the Independent. Of course, Mrozek, Murdoch’s hacks are always informed and independent journalists. They never are mere megaphones of Murdoch’s political biases.
Do not be too reliant on Murdoch’s once-considerable political influence, Mrozek. He is being clobbered hard in the UK, from both sides of the political spectrum. And I believe he is coming up for a clobbering in the US.
Certainly, Murdoch’s hairy heart is buried in the MSZP-LMP camp, just as your is, even though you have no connection at all with Hungary. But then, the MSZP-LMP camp represents only a gratifyingly small part of Hungarians. ‘Most Hungarians’ are the Fidesz-supporting camp, as the last election and the currently high level of Orbán’s approval-rate show. So much for Murdoch, the Wall Street Journal, and your jaundiced camp. Hungary is doing better than it ever has since the last Orbán government. We know that Orbán is the best caretaker of the nation we have had since WWII. We shall re-elect him. If he loses any part of his 2/3, it will go to Jobbik. Your camp, Mrozek, is as dead as any disease-raddled mongrel deserves to be. We made sure of that in the ballot box, a little over a year ago.
But how can Orbán be the best caretaker of the nation when we all know that his administration is filled with Jews? And how can Murdoch’s hairy heart be buried in the MSZP-LMP camp, if his papers tend to back nationalist governments that are the local equivalents of Fidesz? And, most important, how can a heart be hairy?
Erik, I posted my reply to your queries twice today. But it disappeared both times. Each time, there was a comment about my post awaiting moderation (or whatever).
Yeah, Murdoch is SO known for his “socialist” tendencies! (end sarcasm) Good to see none of the clinically insane here came to their senses while I was away.
Yes, Murdoch is a raging socialist, planning to give all his wealth to charity and retire to a Tibetan monastery. Did you ever consider writing adventure stories?
Erik. The Spitting Image program with its life-like puppets made fun of Murdoch and the gutter press for years.
Hacking has been going on for a long time in the UK and was condoned by the police, politicians, media, and so on (allegedly). Why? Cash! That’s why! Nothing new there.
I wouldn’t describe Orban Viktor’s role as “caretaker”?
I view him more as an “undertaker” insofar as the Hungarian corpse has been cremated and the remains scattered across the Great Hungarian Plain where the ghosts of the Past whistle down the wind…
“Certainly, Murdoch’s hairy heart is buried in the MSZP-LMP camp”
Now elle creature has done its very best yet …
This is so funny!
Third and last try!
‘But how can Orbán be the best caretaker of the nation when we all know that his administration is filled with Jews?’
They are Hungarian Jews, not ziobolshies. Although I am no longer sure about Lázár.
‘And how can Murdoch’s hairy heart be buried in the MSZP-LMP camp, if his papers tend to back nationalist governments that are the local equivalents of Fidesz?’
Murdoch’s backing is attracted to the promoters of Zionist interests. I am not actually aware of his ever having backed nationalist governments, except Israeli ones. But certainly he has backed Labour governments in the UK and Australia, and taken stands against them, willy-nilly. But there, all governments are ZOG.
‘And, most important, how can a heart be hairy?’
Erik, let loose your poetic imagination!
Well, well, lunatics feel irritated
Five hours grilling by an educated select committee of the News of the World trio, Rupert & James Murdoch, and the ginger, Reb. Brooks,revealed nothing as to the perpetrators of the hacking scandal.
An empire spanning the world with 53,000 employees wasn’t built in a day without ruthless and dedicated application and a lot of risk-taking by com-in-chief, good old Ruppy! The NI shares have bounced back today and things are starting to look rosy in the garden once again.
The only real drama (or comedy) at the hearing was a halwit named Marbles chucking a foam pie at Rupert and being ko’d by his Chinese wife for the trouble.. What a farce!?