March 22nd, 2012

Press deliberately distorts issues to undermine Hungary gov’t, says German official

By

Minister of State at the German Chancellery Eckart von Klaeden has said the press was undermining the Hungarian government by spreading deliberate misunderstandings about its policy-making.

At an event held in the Hungarian embassy in Berlin, Angela Merkel’s chief official said, “I am convinced that the press wants to stir up bad news about the [Hungarian] government [by spreading] exaggerations and deliberate misunderstandings.”

He noted that the conservative Fidesz party had “a clear mandate” by having secured a two-thirds majority. Von Klaeden, a member of the CDU party, said reforms in Hungary should be implemented “patiently and comprehensively”. He added that based on his talks with Hungarian partners, the government is intent on advancing on the European path.

Visit www.hungarymatters.hu to receive Hungarian news agency MTI’s twice-daily newsletter.
Topics
Share
  • Szabad Ember

    Here’s a very gullible politician, or someone who is mainly interested in currying favor with Fidesz in order to secure juicy Hungarian government contracts for his cronies.

    • Cogito

      You are such a spineless bottom feeder. I would have thought that you appreciated the comments about Hungary and the Hungarian government by foreign dignitaries … oh, but your problem is that this is not blasting the government … therefore, the guy suddenly became a gullible politician sucking up to Fidesz for juicy contracts.

      And you call yourself “szabad ember”? You are neither. Szomeone who is “szabad” would be also free in his thinking and not tied into knots by stupid ideological demagoguery, and an “ember” would have a human-like rectitude to face his own duplicity.

      • Rottentomatoes

        Let us reverse the situation, let us assume that Mr Eckart von Klaeden is right, and that the press is trying to stir up bad news about the government with exaggerations and deliberate misunderstandings.

        Then why does MTI publish an article without actually asking Mr Eckart von Klaeden what exaggerations and deliberate misunderstandings he was referring too?

        Why does MTI just publish a brief slogan that serves no purpose except to tarnish Mr Eckart von Klaeden reputation, knowing very well that Angela Merkel does not quite agree with what is going on in Hungary today?

        Is this in fact a provocation against Angela Merkel since she told didn’t come to the aid of Mr Orban Viktor? Was this perhaps taken out of a private conversation at the Hungarian embassy in Berlin?

        So much left unanswered, one starts wondering why this was even published.

        I think we need to consult V:

        “People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.”

        • Cogito

          Oh, here is another bottom feeder. When Krugman, Scheppele, Kroes, Schultz says something heinously belligerent and groundless about Hungary and/or the Hungarian government, and the MTI, the Nepszava and the HVG run it in their headlines then that is a factual reporting. When the MTI reports on something that counters party the line, that dares to point out the duplicity of these attacks, then that is simply von Klaeden referring to “exaggerations and deliberate misunderstandings,” and a “a provocation against Angela Merkel.”

          I am not sure whether you actually read what you write, but if you do, how the hell can you look into the mirror? What kind of spineless, bigoted, hate-filled demagogue are you? I feel sorry for you, really. It must be a hard life to live like this.

          • Rottentomatoes

            “What kind of spineless, bigoted, hate-filled demagogue are you?”

            I question your sanity. Seek help.

            Until then, I can leave you with this:

            “While the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn’t there?”

          • Rottentomatoes

            “Where the people fear the government you have tyranny. Where the government fears the people you have liberty.”

          • Rottentomatoes

            “Where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who’s to blame?”

      • SE aka Szabad Ember

        @Cogito

        Ah, yes, your name-calling just confirms the fact that you have no argument to counter my post.

        I am completely free in my thinking, and I decide when what I see and hear is reasonable or just plain wrong. I freely came to the decision that anybody (foreign or domestic) who ignores all the evidence and says that “the government is intent on advancing on the European path”, is either gullible or lying. For evidence, see all the pronouncements to the contrary by numerous experts. Also, see the fact that the EU won’t allow the IMF loan that Orbán says he wants (after saying that he would never ask for one) until Fidesz changes the constitution to reflect European values and democracy.

        I got the impression that you think anyone from outside the country should not say anything about Hungary’s government, lest it be seen as “interference”; that’s only true if it involves any sort of criticism of Fidesz or its policies. I guess your idea of “free thinking” is to be free to think whatever Fidesz tells you.

        What ideological demagoguery and duplicity are you referring to, specifically? I never lied here, so you won’t be able to bring up any examples of my “duplicity” unless you fabricate them.

        • Cogito

          :) :) (i.e. you are a joke)

          p.s.; Yes, I call people names, but only those who deserve it. Maybe it skipped your fogy attention, but I do not call everyone names. I only call a spade a spade.

          • Rottentomatoes

            Seek help, great institutions in “Switzerland”.

          • Cogito

            Hey Rotten (I like the name, and I did not even have to come up with it) :)

            You seem to know quite intimatelt those institutions in Switzerland. How much time did you spend there? Did you enjoy it? :)

          • Rottentomatoes

            @Cogito

            Finally! I never thought you ask Cogito/Leto/Black George!

            I’m sorry it wasn’t actually Switzerland, it was Austria, near Gratz.

            If you haven’t figured it out by now, I can give you more clues.

          • Cogito

            @ Rotten

            “Finally! … Cogito/Leto/Black George!”

            Sorry, I think your treatment was unsuccessful. You should check in for another year or two.

            p.s.: Tel me, what is it like? Are the walls really padded?

          • Rottentomato

            @Cogito

            I’m sorry I haven’t actually been. But I know you are itching for another clue.

            The year was 2002.

          • Rottentomatoes

            @Cogito

            I’ll give you another clue.

            The year was 2002, and needles were involved.

          • Szabad Ember

            @Cogito

            “I do not call everyone names.”

            That’s true, only people who embarrass you by pointing out your lies and mistakes. I’m glad to be one of them.

            I’m glad you can smile while avoiding answering questions and challenges; it keeps me from feeling bad about destroying your credibility, as you conspicuously fail to give any examples of the “duplicity” you accuse me of.

          • Cogito

            @ Szabad

            “only people who embarrass you by pointing out your lies and mistakes. I’m glad to be one of them.”

            Oh, that is what you are trying to do, you are trying to challenge me … I was wondering what you were up to with all these unsolicited stupid comments… :) You are such a hopeless loser …

          • Szabad Ember

            @Cogito

            I give you so many chances to prove me wrong, yet you never do. All you do is call me names; who’s the loser? Yes, it’s you.

            By the way, when are your comments ever solicited? I’ve never once seen you wait to comment on someone else’s post until they invited your opinion. Hmm, I guess you could just see in their eyes that they really wanted to hear how you felt about what they just wrote! Not that you can actually see any of our eyes, but you can sense them, like a cockroach.

  • oneill

    It’s also not beyond the realms of possibility that this is yet another *creative* translation of the original from The Dear Leader’s poodles at MTI

    • Leto Muad’dib

      Certainly, you vile postcommie bastard.

      Orbán’s got long arms indeed, reaching even to, say, Tirol:

      -http://www.tt.com/csp/cms/sites/tt/Nachrichten/NachrichtenTicker/4520513-53/deutsche-cdu-verteidigt-ungarische-regierung.csp

  • Rottentomatoes

    We must not forget where Eckart Peter Hans von Klaeden, loyalties lie, with the KDNP.

    I think it’s time for another quote from V:

    “Artists use lies to tell the truth, while politicians use them to cover the truth up.”

  • Big Fish

    Media’s distortions. That’s terrible. Question is why are they doing this and who owns/controls these entities. Therein lies the answers.

  • wolfi

    It’s really strange that no report on this “very important happening” is available in the German news – only the Austrian radio mentions it …

    Mrs Merkel hasn’t defended Orbán yet – she keeps a starnge kind of silence on the Hungarian situation.

    Maybe she should send her foreign minister Mr Westerwelle (who is openly gay and usually takes his life-partner with him on official visits) to Budapest – wonder how the bigots in the Hungo government would react to that …

    • Leto Muad’dib

      @unwelcome German alcoholic commie idiot:

      No, she shouldn’t send that German fag here. You know, in case he hasn’t “married” yet, he won’t be able to do that here because marriage is defined as marriage constitutionally in Hungary.
      Your occassional presence, even if only 70 kms from safety, that is the state borders, is really more than enough for us.

  • American in Budapest

    There are no media distortions. Judges are appointed by the godmother of Viktor Orbán’s children. She selects them and also selects which cases they handle. On top of that, all new judges to five year probation. Who judges their performance? The government. So much for judicial independence.

    • Rottentomatoes

      One thing is for sure, Tunde Hando, was never democratically elected. She was appointed by non other than our President Dr Schmitt Pal.

  • olga

    @ Obnoxious in BP

    I see you are still living in that hellhole country aka Hungary with a bunch of trailer trash uneducated unwashed Neanderthals yet you won’t budge. Surely to God you could write the same garbage from some computer in the USA in the comfort of your Manhattan residence.

    If you could focus for a moment, the topic was not about the judiciary, it was about “Minister of State at the German Chancellery Eckart von Klaeden has said the press was undermining the Hungarian government by spreading deliberate misunderstandings about its policy-making.”

    Wolfi then posted that Angel Merkel kept silent on the Hungarian situation.

    Any other normal human being would question why he would go on the record and why Angela Merkel kept silent because it makes no sense unless there was some truth to it and he stuck his neck out because he was fed up with the unfairness. Weird how some people actually do that.

    According to Szabad Ember “Here’s a very gullible politician, or someone who is mainly interested in currying favor with Fidesz in order to secure juicy Hungarian government contracts for his cronies.”

    Jesus, what’s the matter with you people? If anyone has anything good to say about Orban there has to be some dastardly conspiracy theory behind it? I can tell you what is wrong with Orban – he is a poor “team player” and the EU is pissed off with him.

    Perhaps he should to be more of a team player when it comes to getting along with Brussels and maybe he made his share of mistakes since he came to power, I don’t know, but clearly Hungary is getting way too much negative attention under a microscope and Eckart von Klaeden had the balls to say it.

    So if wild horses could not drag you out of the country, please write some more relevant postings about how your Hungarian lessons are going because I am sure I am not the only person on this website who is truly interested in your progress.

    • justasking

      @Olga,

      “please write some more relevant postings about how your Hungarian lessons are going because I am sure I am not the only person on this website who is truly interested in your progress”

      Gee, I wonder if he got another table cloth? Do you think he did? I think he might have. Who has only one tablecloth?

      The guy listens to Bartok…he must have more than one tablecloth…he simply must.

    • Szabad Ember

      @Olga

      “If anyone has anything good to say about Orban there has to be some dastardly conspiracy theory behind it?”

      No, but when people say things that are clearly false (without offering any evidence), it has been my experience that something more is usually behind it. According to almost every expert organization from which I’ve read opinions on the subject, Hungary’s current government is destroying democracy. I haven’t read any articles in the mainstream press that have misconstrued the situation to be worse than it actually is, and even right-wing politicians all over Europe have said that Fidesz needs to be stopped in their attack on democracy in Hungary. Therefore, von Klaeden made a very provocative statement that gave me a reason to write what you quoted me as writing.

      I would have no problem with Orbán and Fidesz if they stuck to running Hungary like a normal right-of-center party, but they have done more damage to democracy here in two years than MSZP did in eight (though, to be fair, Fidesz was given much more power to destroy democracy than MSZP was). Few non-Hungarians really cared about Hungary for the first year after the election, even though Fidesz did plenty of things that demonstrated their lack of team spirit. The “microscope” was in response to very blatant moves towards autocracy, which is way more than Jörg Haider was ever given a chance to do. Therefore, you forget history when you accuse the EU of only picking on poor, misunderstood Fidesz.

      To be clear, I didn’t say there has to be a conspiracy; I also said he could be very gullible, and Wolfi supported me in this possibility by giving me another example of his gullibility. Therefore, you are being bombastic in this accusation of yours. That’s uncharacteristic of you; I wonder what prompted you to write it?

      • Cogito

        @ Szabad

        “That’s uncharacteristic of you; I wonder what prompted you to write it?”

        Oh, dear me, Szabad just blew Olga’s cover … he discovered the enemy … the wolf in sheep’s skin …

        • Szabad Ember

          @Cogito

          As usual, you have nothing of substance to write, yet you write it anyway.

          Olga has proven to be fair, honest, and willing to see the other side of things, so I give her the benefit of the doubt. You, on the other hand, have proven yourself to be incapable of honesty, reason, or even logic, so I treat you as such. You are not the enemy, however, since you pose no threat, and actually make your side look very shrill and silly. Thanks for the help, keep it up!

  • Aloof

    I’m with Wolfi here. I also couldn’t find one German publicly issued report regarding “Press deliberately distorts issues to undermine Hungary gov’t, says German official..”

    Then I read this 18 March article from DW (Deutsche Welle): “Hungary’s Premier Orban softens rhetoric”

    (Hungary) No longer a model child

    “But that does not mean there is utter chaos in this country,” cautions Hans Kaiser. “That is definitely not the case.” But even Kaiser, with six years of experience as head of the Budapest office of Germany’s conservative Konrad Adenauer Foundation, has noticed that “the entire social and cultural situation has gone lop-sided.” As far as the economy is concerned, he says, Hungary may well have been Europe’s model child “but that’s long since been over.” (Uhhh… MTI didn’t mention that above, why?)

    ‘Disastrous legacy’

    But Orban is only partly responsible for Hungary’s catastrophic budgetary situation. The preceding Socialist governments piled up far more debt over a long period, what Kaiser calls “an absolutely disastrous legacy.” Former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany eventually had to admit to having cooked the books. Gyurcsany “basically lied through his teeth,” Kaiser said. (There is absolutely no doubt about that.)

    As far as the EU is concerned, Orban has an image problem. Kaiser believes this is largely because of “the underlying desire to carry the internal Hungarian conflict to the European stage.” (No doubt about that and would love to know why he feels that is necessary? Is it to set up the EU as scapegoat if the grand plan all goes tits up for him or is it deeper than that?)

    On top of this, the Hungarian government and the EU, according to Kaiser also suffer from a mutual “inability to communicate,” which has pushed Hungary into a “very bad and insecure situation” in Europe. This, he says, is the only way to explain the deep hostility between Orban and EU Commissioner Nellie Kroes. Balazs, (Adam Balazs, Budapest Institute for a Democratic Alternative (IDEA), blames the Hungarian prime minister for this strife for casting “Europe as Hungary’s enemy.”
    (No doubt about that and fully documentable.)

    Jobbik is “very dangerous,” says Hans Kaiser, adding that there is “not really a functioning opposition in place.” Adam Balazs agrees that “at the moment there is no leading figure” who could bring together the “patchwork” of opposition parties and movements. (That is absolutely true.)

    For two years now, this means that Orban has had the freedom to do essentially whatever he wants. He has introduced well over 300 laws, “massively overburdening” his country, according to Kaiser. Among these is the internationally contested media law, which the Hungarian government had to dilute under pressure from Brussels.
    Orban’s changes have led the EU to launch several proceedings for breach of treaty against Hungary. His newly amended constitution is also causing much controversy for, amongst other things, dropping the “Republic” from the country’s official name. (True again and a view shared by Kaiser.)

    As much as Orban blows the nationalistic trumpet at home his advisors seem to have understood that he has an image problem when communicating with politicians and journalists abroad. Lately, Orban has shown himself more open to criticism. “We can always talk about it,” is his new phrase, along with, “We don’t want to worsen the conflict with the EU.” (Never heard that one reported by MTI.)

    ‘Economic matters will determine Orban’s fate’
    But at the end of the day, says Kaiser, it’s not about the heavily criticized media laws or about Orban’s nationalistic remarks at all. “His fate will not be determined by strange symbolic politics,” the analyst says, “but by whether or not he’ll manage to get the country back on its own two feet economically.”
    (Exactly what I’ve been saying all along. IT’S THE ECONOMY STUPID!)

    So here we have a well known GERMAN media outlet that presents a balanced and verifiable story versus whatever that BS posted by MTI above is supposed to be.

    That crap posted above reeks of absolutely disingenous domestic propaganda to not only fool but to flat out lie to the Hungarian people. OV’s kool aid drinkers apply the same method on these threads everyday.

    That can only verify that MTI can’t be trusted for whatever it “reports” and is just OV and FIDESZ’s mouth piece. What was reported above was typical cherry picked nuggets and other parts of it flat out lies that can not be validated as a public report.

    BUSTED… Big Time.

    (I’ve posted this 4 times already so where is it?)

    • Leto Muad’dib

      This already determines their tone and stance:

      The article writes “these remarks went down positively with the 200,000 supporters who had rallied outside the parliament building in Budapest, but much less so with the 100,000 protesters nearby.”

      But even the postcommie Népszabadság reports “bő tízezres tömeg” (roughly 10,000 strong) for the postcommie rally
      -http://nol.hu/belfold/ezrek_a_szabad_sajto_utjan

      :D :D

  • Aloof

    The hour glass of propaganda is almost up… the only numbers that matter now are the economic ones…

  • Leto Muad’dib

    A related piece of news:

    “Swedish Social Democrat MP Pagrotsky criticized Swedish Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Bildt that he did not put pressure on Hungary’s government.

    But Carl Bildt thinks the critics are wrong:

    I think this is a misunderstanding of how the European system looks like. We strongly supported the establishment of international institutions in order to determine these things. Then we will not undermine their work by in advance to say what is right or wrong, says Carl Bildt.”

    -http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=83&artikel=5028953

  • wolfi

    Something funny about E von Klaeden – he sure is gullible, some people even call him “Thick as a brick” …

    About 10 years ago when he was still reponsible for the Christian Democrats’ finances he got a (fake) call from a Swiss bank about a party account where several millions of Franks had been hidden by the former party finance manager …

    So he and two collegues immediately (starting in the middle of the night!) went by car to Zurich to talk to the account manager – people at the bank were a bit surprised, they didn’t understand …

    The whole affair was initiated, taped and photographed by the German satirical magazine Titanic …

    When they told the Christian politician in a bistro in Zurich he spilled his glass of beer on his pants …

    • Leto Muad’dib

      Tell us a story like this about Carl Bildt, too. ;) Or at least ask your ideological buddy, the Swedish moron.

    • Cogito

      Oh, the comrades swing into action! When a (Western) politician is bashing Hungary and the Hungarian government, they are truthful, upright people. When, however, they stop towing the comrades’ party line, the digging begins, and they will quickly demonstrate that that person is actually the devil-incarnate (while conveniently skipping over the facts and issues).

      Wolfi, in doing this, you are a perfect example of the lowlife, bottom feeder, and spineless, lying bastard image of the comrades. Thank you for your succinct illustration.

      • Paul

        “lowlife, bottom feeder, and spineless, lying bastard ”

        such a philospher…so sensitive apersonality….a treasure for humanity…but not really.

  • wolfi

    Well, non cogito, don’t you remember the kind of (baseless!) accusations that the right-wing loonies here have spouted against EU politicians like:

    Barroso (most of them can’t even spell his name correctly …) is a Maoist …

    Cohn-B is a pedophile

    and so on …

    The story that I described is real, you can look it up here (including pictures of Mr von K): -http://www.titanic-magazin.de/heftarchiv00-06.html?&f=0601%2Fschwarzgeld2&cHash=6aec2b54b467220241aa387212c694db

    The background is that the Christian Democrats really hid money in Switzerland – the court proved it …

  • Cogito

    You just don’t get it, you idiot, do you? You are just proving my point again. You are so incredibly dumb that you cannot even recognize it.

    p.s.: “baseless accusations”? Your body, Cohn-Bendit wrote a friggin book about his pedophile experiences.

    • Leto Muad’dib

      That’s so baseless like Barroso’s Maoist past: :D

      “Barroso’s political activity began in his late teens, during the Estado Novo regime in Portugal, before the Carnation Revolution of 25 April 1974. In his college days, he was one of the leaders of the underground Maoist MRPP (Reorganising Movement of the Proletariat Party, later PCTP/MRPP, Communist Party of the Portuguese Workers/Revolutionary Movement of the Portuguese Proletariat).”

      -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/José_Manuel_Barroso

      :)

  • olga

    @ Szabad Ember

    I addressing this question to you because you are one of the most vocal Orban critics who I believe is a Hungarian living in Hungary.

    So in your opinion, if an election was called in Hungary tomorrow, who would win?

    I get your point about about how awful Orban is and I get all that sarcasm about Viktorites and King Victor etc but
    this guy is going to be crowned Emperor before you or anyone else ever posts the name of the politician and his/her party who you think should be elected.

    Would it be possible for you or any other Orban critic to take a break and come up with a politician’s name and his/her party and the platform and explain what exactly this person and the party would do when and if they defeat FIDESZ?

    According to the Wall Street Journal

    “As the election year beckons, President Barack Obama finds himself in this odd position: The most important figure in his re-election effort may well be German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

    How can that be? Simple: The key to an Obama victory is an economy that feels as if it’s recovering. The biggest obstacle to economic growth right now is Europe’s crisis. And the largest voice in determining the path out of that crisis is Ms. Merkel’s. ”

    So Europe as a whole is in crisis,( I read that Canada’s economy is also tied to the European crisis) so the Orban replacement has a huge challenge – name the person and the party that you think can step up to the plate.

    • Leto Muad’dib

      I’ll tell you know now for a fact. :) His heart will go out to the goose-thief who lashes his eyes so convincingly and executed so well what IMF and the Eurocrats told him to do and he would do that exactly again. :D (Besides opening up the money taps to the pockets of his comrades, of course.)

      • Szabad Ember

        @Leto

        You see everyone except Orbán as someone who just does what they are told, but that’s only because you assume that everyone is a loyal simpleton like you and those in Fidesz.

        Bajnai was smart enough and good enough at economics to know that what he did was what was best for Hungary at the time. He didn’t do exactly what the IMF and EU told him to do, as you full well know (unless you have some proof somewhere that you’re withholding for a rainy day), so stop trying to pretend otherwise. He held out on the budget deficit and didn’t impose much austerity, unlike what Germany would’ve wanted. He, as well as the government before him, did have to follow the terms of the IMF agreement, though, just like Orbán will if he ever actually gets the IMF loan guarantee. He has said he will, so I guess you will mock him at that point, too, right? Oh, I guess I forgot about your double-standards… only praise for your master, no matter how many money taps he opens up into the pockets of his comrades!

    • Szabad Ember

      @Olga

      Sorry, I just read this post; I fell behind because I was out of range of the internet for a few days.

      I honestly don’t know for sure who would win an election tomorrow, since there are many factors at play, but I imagine that Fidesz and their appendage KDNP would get the most votes, since that’s what the polls say. However, they might not be able to govern, since no other party seems willing to join them. If the elections were scheduled for a few months from now, I imagine that a party would emerge from nowhere, like LMP did before the last elections, and it would do well, since there are so many dissatisfied voters.

      As for my personal preference, I would say that any party other than Jobbik would do a better job than Fidesz has, even though Fidesz has made Hungary close to ungovernable with all their cardinal laws and 9-year terms for political appointees. I say this knowing how bad MSZP was, and also knowing that any party in Hungary (and, indeed, in most countries) is capable of ignoring election promises and party platforms once it gets elected.

      You want me to name a name, though, so I will: Lajos Bokros. He’s not perfect, of course, but he is a true conservative, and he’s credited with getting Hungary out of a similar situation in the past. I would also be ok with Bajnai, and even Gyurcsány, since at least Bajnai didn’t actually join MSZP when he stepped in to fix the country’s finances in 2009, and Gyurcsány sounded like he hated MSZP’s lies in his infamous speech (though he really should’ve stepped down sooner, and maybe even called early elections). Also, Gyurcsány finally broke with MSZP, which means that he would only have himself to blame if he did something heinous; along the same lines, I’m betting that if Bajnai got back into politics, he would join DK or start his own party.

      I’m not happy with any of the politicians who would currently be able to command enough support to be prime minister, but that’s the point; we need to find someone who is honest and capable, and willing to work as part of a team, rather then let his or her personal ambitions rule his or her actions. Such people, however, are usually not willing to subject themselves to the treatment they would receive as candidates from Fidesz and the right-wing press (see the pre-emptive attack on Bokros). Who can blame them?

  • wolfi

    You guys are so funny in your stupidity …

    leto should use his two brain cells to think about the difference between “is” and “was” because:

    Horribile dictu – Orbán and the whole of Fidesz was “Liberal” once – OMG!

    PS: At least they claimed to be so, but probably even then they had some ideas about “Goulash Democracy” …

    • Leto Muad’dib

      Culturally I’m a Catholic (not a Protestant), so it’s okay with me that Fidesz repented their sin committed in their youth. :) What matters is they tread on MSZP/SZDSZ/Gyurcsány’s party strong enough now and they also lead a political line I basically agree with.

      Centerum censeo MSZP delenda est.

    • Leto Muad’dib

      PS:
      I might believe you that Cohn-Bendit is not a paedophile either. I don’t believe you if you say he’s not an ex-paedophile.

  • olga

    @ Leto M

    I guess Szabad Ember is still thinking aboute my question.

    I am not sure if there is such a thing as an ex-paedophile and I have no doubt Mr.CB is a brilliant man but I heard that intrview about his day care centre days and I felt sick to my stomach.

    If he were my father, I would not be calling on Nagypapa as a baby-sitter

    • Leto Muad’dib

      @olga:

      “I am not sure if there is such a thing as an ex-paedophile ”

      Hey, I certainly don’t think that either.. I was only sarcastic.

  • Leto of the Slums

    I love Orban. He’s the Leader I was Waiting For! I love Fidesz. It’s the best Party with the Greatest ideas.
    PS: Is there a max. of payment per day for the posts? Or can I post as much as I want?

    • Anonymous

      Spineless masquarading idiot.

  • olga

    @ Leto of the Slums

    re: \PS: Is there a max. of payment per day for the posts? Or can I post as much as I want?\

    There is no maximum on postings but you cannot earn more than $100 per diem in US dollars.

    Yesterday I received a $500 cheque is the mail from FIDESZ thanking me for my neutral postings and when I read the fine print I noticed the reward doubles if I post pro-FIDESZ opinions

    As I am meeting JA in BP in April and could use the extra money, I shall take advantage of the situation and shall ask all my friends to post pro-FIDESZ opinions on this website and I get a 10% cut when they receive payment. Moreover, they are thinking of patenting the idea in Canada and offering this \make money from home\ business on a franchise basis.

  • justasking

    @Olga,

    “Yesterday I received a $500 cheque is the mail from FIDESZ thanking me for my neutral postings and when I read the fine print I noticed the reward doubles if I post pro-FIDESZ opinions”

    Hats off to Fidesz for keeping their election promise regarding job creation.

  • Leto The Almighty

    Is it true that when you dream about Orban it means that Viktor is longing to see you? I’m dreaming about Orban night and day, but I have never received his invitation. Does anybody know how I can meet him, please?

    • Leto Akhbar

      Well, you should have gone to Kossuth square on the 15th of March and then you could have met him just like me and about 250,000 other people.

  • Aloof

    Cogito says: March 27, 2012 at 5:59 am

    “I was wondering what you were up to with all these unsolicited stupid comments…”

    And who “solicited” yours? Szabad Ember makes you look like the little narrow immature name calling kool aid drinker you are every time.

    I can’t recall a single post of yours that easily couldn’t be refuted by factual data or references. Szabad is absolutely right that you would hardly see people like he and I actually post here if it weren’t for the chronic cherry picking vague outrageous pablum puking that frankly is pretty unique to this site.

  • olga

    @ Szabad Ember

    re: “we need to find someone who is honest and capable, and willing to work as part of a team, rather then let his or her personal ambitions rule his or her actions”

    When you find this person, I hope s/he has a Canadian relative willing to get involved in politics over here.

    In the meantime, I believe you agreed FIDESZ would win if an election would be called today and I am not naive enough to think that Orban would win because everyone voting for him would be in love with him , but because there is still no one else to vote for.

    I am totally amazed that Gyurcsany is actually visible and makes political speeches as opposed to hiding under a rock which simply shows that he is hell bent on destroying any Socialist leaning party (whatever words like Socialist or Left really mean in Hungary) – kind of like Bernie Madoff drumming up business for financial advisers.

    I don’t think anyone on this website ever disputed that it would be in Hungary’s best interest to have a viable alternative to Orban and you said someone will emerge in a couple of months – hope you are right. I heard of Bokros but don’t know much about him, will check out some info when I get a chance.

    About Democracy and laws. I am not sure if the Treyvon Martin murder is making news 24/7 in Hungary like in North America but Canadians are in total shock learning about Florida laws that allow legalized murder and finding out that 20 other States have similar laws to Florida – my point is that the word “Democracy” is very much debatable and coupled with the Republicans’ obsession with women’s reproductive organs, many of us question just how Democracy is practiced in the USA – yet unlike Hillary Clinton whom I admire as a rule, I don’t see our PM putting in his 2 cents worth about his fear about Democracy being eroded in the USA.

    Can you imagine the world press covering an incident whereby a Hungarian vigilante shot an unarmed Roma because he looked “suspicious” and then not be arrested because the law was on his side? I would prefer living in a country with Orban’s new laws whatever they are, then living in a Democracy where 20 States have the “stand your ground” laws ; especially if I were the Mother of a Black male

    I do hope the Hungarian electorate who shares your feelings about Orban do not spend all their waking moments moaning about FIDESZ and concentrate on organizing a viable alternative for the next election because that would serve a purpose; it’s one thing to criticize a PM which of course is healthy and than God Hungarians can do that and another to be paralyzed by it and do nothing productive to ensure he is defeated or at least not have the same numbers at the next election.

    I do remember when Orban won his huge majority, I read in the Canadian news that such a large majority was unheard of and I know I would be very nervous even if the Liberals won by such a landslide – way too much power and since IMHO all politicians are ego maniacs, it’s simply not healthy for any country

    • Leto Muad’dib

      “I heard of Bokros but don’t know much about him, will check out some info ”

      Oh, here’s a bit of info for you: -http://index.hu/belfold/2012/02/29/plagiumgyanusnak_tarja_bokros_lajos_doktorijat_a_jesz/

      • Szabad Ember

        @Leto

        The article doesn’t offer any actual proof, just conjecture about Bokros’ doctorate. If any proof comes up, I would withdraw my statement. He has already proven himself to be a worthy politician, plagiarism or not, but I don’t trust someone who feels the need to fake things like that.

    • Szabad Ember

      @Olga

      I wholeheartedly agree with your opinion about the huge majority and the lack of sanity in the US, but I think that the US is a democracy, if not one that protects its citizens from each other. The good news is that there are states where there are actual protections, and most rules are state-based, so the only fear in such places is of the federal overreach that accompanies anti-terrorist and gun laws.

      I think the problem in Hungary is not that people don’t try to do anything to fight the loss of democracy, but that they get too easily discouraged, and are too easily mislead. Looking back at 1989 and 1956, Hungarians can be very protective of their freedoms. Being tricked into giving them up, however, is another thing entirely.

      Is there ever really anyone to vote for? Picking the lesser of two evils is standard fare for most electorates; including, I think, relatively enlightened places like Canada, Australia, and Germany. By the way, my remark about someone better coming along was only in the hypothetical situation of a snap election to be held in a few months time; without that snap election, I think it will be a lot longer before we see a reasonable alternative come along. Still, a coalition of all anti-Fidesz parties, minus Jobbik, could be something to get behind, since they would hopefully keep each other from stealing Hungary blind. That didn’t happen with MSZP and SZDSZ, though, so I’m not going to hold my breath.

  • DoubleH63

    @Szabad Ember

    “but when people say things that are clearly false (without offering any evidence), it has been my experience that something more is usually behind it”

    Just like you, little ‘fartúró’ with these kind of posts:” for every jerk who kills Roma in the name of Jobbik”, eh?

    • Szabad Ember

      @Double

      You get less and less sane by the day; where is the second quotation mark, and what kind of posts? I offer evidence often, especially if I write something that hasn’t been supported on this site before. The only evidence you ever offer is your own unique form of logic and quotes from extreme-right-wing sources.

  • DoubleH63

    @wolfi

    “Barroso (most of them can’t even spell his name correctly …) is a Maoist …Cohn-B is a pedophile”

    What’s up old STASI man? Age is creeping up on you fast? What happened to your great filing system? Barroso was called a plain Communist; Cohn-Bendit “the Cuddling” is the Maoist/Anarchist and a pedophile.
    [The interview about his interest could be still seen on You Tube, even though some chosen group tried to make it disappear. Here is a link for you to enjoy.

    youtube.com/watch?v=M0qvkg2nzg8

  • DoubleH63

    @Szabad Ember

    “Bajnai was smart enough and good enough at economics to know that what he did was what was best for Hungary at the time.”

    Are you trying to be funny? You have succeeded. ‘LibaJani’ (almost Hungarian?) cares for what’s best for Hungary? Just as much as EU/IMF loving Orbán the ‘Freedom Fighter’.

    • Szabad Ember

      @Double63

      “cares for what’s best for Hungary?”

      Yes, otherwise why would he take a low-paying (for him), thankless job, then drop back out of politics?

      “Why would he complain when Hungarian words are used in posts, or ask Procastinator if he was Hungarian, after said foreigner used the word ‘Fatherland’ in his comment?”

      As I explained at the time, it’s stupid and rude to post in Hungarian when most of the people here don’t even speak Hungarian. Of course, being stupid and rude is no problem for you, but I don’t like to make my fellow Hungarians look bad. As for the “Fatherland” remark, I don’t remember it, but probably I was asking because that sounded weird to me, too. Why don’t you paste the whole post here, so we can see it?

      If you don’t believe I’m posting from Hungary, just ask Erik; I’ve seen him mention in the past that he can see where people post from.

      Also, I am part German, ethnically-speaking, but I’m not Jewish.

      “your new favourite guy (SZE)”

      You’re pretty clueless; over half the time she doesn’t agree with me.

      “the only true option: Jobbik”

      The fact that you think that Jobbik has even a slim chance of gaining power in Hungary shows that you know nothing about modern Hungary. Do you even live here?

  • DoubleH63

    @olga

    [SZE] “who I believe is a Hungarian living in Hungary”

    Szabad Ember is as Hungarian as AiB. If he tells you differently, than he is a Pinocchio or if he is one, than he is not the smartest one around. Why would he complain when Hungarian words are used in posts, or ask Procastinator if he was Hungarian, after said foreigner used the word ‘Fatherland’ in his comment? As you know, no Hungarian would ever use that word referring to Hungary, no matter how bad their English is. [Just a couple of example who would refer to the homeland that way though: Germans and J*ws]

  • DoubleH63

    @Aloof

    “name calling kool aid drinker”

    Is it time for you ‘with a blood of Gene Simmons’ in your veins to look at the ‘Kool-Aid’ picture again as a reminder before you leave Hungary for good?

  • DoubleH63

    @olga

    How nice that your new favourite guy (SZE) comes up with a name for you as a viable option (Bokros), even though you asked him about a Party. [I guess, he is still dreaming up that one, which should materialize in the next few months.] Why is that? His true love (Bajnai, the ‘libatolvaj’) still sitting on the fence? So it is Bokros. Good choice. Even his own Party dislikes him. Yes, that’s right, I am talking about MDF – now called JESZ. How did they come up with that from ‘Jólét és Szabadság Demokrata Közösség’ – is a mystery. [Try to appeal to foreigners? Stupid, they are not the ones voting for you in Hungary.]
    Poor olga, I think you and the rest can keep fearing the only true option: Jobbik.

  • Curious George

    @Olga – poor MuMagyar63 is still trying to flog his expired jobbik Kool-aid here. MM knows no one is buying other than Ricsi (who’s probably his supplier anyway – these jobbo types live off each other).
    Anyway, Szabar Ember’s recommendation of Bokros & Bajnai makes sense, since they are the only ones with a track record & who have shown their ability to take responsibility & make hard decisions irrespective of what their party thinks. No one in the other parties have anyone like that.

    • Leto Muad’dib

      Yeah, these postcommie bastards have got good track records of executing IMF orders relentlessly indeed. Besides at least Bajnai has a track record of making small peasants robbed so blind so that they’d take their own lives.

  • DoubleH63

    @Szabad Ember

    Just so people on this site don’t think I am totally insane* I will tell you where you wrote that second quote I attributed to you as clearly false – shall we call it a lie? It was March 15th at 11:25 PM under the name SE aka Szabad Ember in the following thread.

    http://www.politics.hu/20120308/hungary-ties-with-neighbors-better-than-ever-says-deputy-pm/

    * I have to thank olga for vigorously defending me against these kind of accusations and not sending the ‘whitecoats’ for me just yet.

    • Szabad Ember

      @Double63

      Now I understand what you are going on about, and yes, I do believe that Árpád Kiss et al were acting in the name of Jobbik, even if they didn’t admit it (which they may have at some point, I’m not sure). Are you really trying to convince anyone that they were not politically motivated by Jobbik’s ideology? You would like to reap the benefits of a hateful brand of politics, but avoid the repercussions; how typical of extremists. The world will never know the truth of what Jobbik really feel or would really do with power, since it will never rule Hungary (since there is no huge German army behind them to install them in power).

  • DoubleH63

    @Szabad Ember

    Now I can see why you believe that jerks are killing Gypsies in the name of JOBBIK.
    Must be all the tear jerking stories you read on the Internet, like the following. No wonder!
    [Interestingly enough there is no police report or witnesses to this horror in Szekszárd.]

    http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1153487–refugee-claims-from-hungary-soar-un-reports

More content from Hungary's leading foreign-language media network
About Politics.hu | Become an All Hungary Member | Newsletters | Contact Us | Advertise With Us
All content © 2004-2013 The All Hungary Media Group. Articles, comments and other information on the All Hungary Media Group's network of sites are provided "as is" without guarantees, warranties, or representations of any kind, and the opinions and views expressed in such articles and columns are not necessarily those of the All Hungary Media Group.