Baltimore-i Értesítő, 1976 (12. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1976-01-01 / 1. szám
Charles Bartlett 5 Hungary’s capitalist needs BUDAPEST One of the surface inconsistencies of detente is the eagerness of the Communists to draw closer to capitalist economies which they regard as doomed by their own shortcomings. Hungary is busily emulating Moscow's scramble to attain economic intimacy with the West, particularly the United States The government is negotiating the liquidation of its pre-war obligations to American citizens in order to qualify far access to American loans as well as tor mem bership in the World Bank and the International Mone tary Fund Fears of contracting capitalism's fatal virus are not deterring tne commissars’ reach icr joint ventures with American corporations They rationalize out loud that corporations and capitalism are no longer as vulnerable as Karl Marx perceived them to be because everything in the West is being increasingly subordinated to the state and to social concerns You are coming in our direction, they say, so you may be saved. The real reason they are knocking on the door is that they have real problems and need help They seek guidance in technology and marketing as well as capital They are buying more than they sell in the West while their own enterprises pile up inventories for which there is no market Now they want to strengthen the industries which have an export potential, but their plans are blocked by a lack of capital The pinch is obliging the government to rescind some of the reiorms that were introduced in 1968. The idea then was to let the enter prise managers have far greater say in production schedules and marketing plans But the austerity means that the enterprises can no longer be left to set their own wage scales and expansion plans without creating problems for the general economy One Marxist dilemma arises from the necessity to put social concerns ahead of steps to achieve efficient production One recent edict declared "The cicse connection between wage increases and profit must be weakened because it is disadvantageous to workers in large enterprises. They' are engaged in heavy industry in which profit increases at a slower rate than average This can lead to wagetensions.” The state's tight control of prices can delay the impact of inflation, but as the prices of imports rise, the sfate needs to subsidize the domestic prices if they are to stay level. This creates a growing burden for the state and an irrational price structure As the distortions mount, the local economists concede their doubts that the workers gain from having their government repress inflation In announcing recent price rises, the party leader, Janos Kadar, risked a small joke "We hope,” he said, "that nothing will go up 56 per cent " Communist dogma aiso hampers the capitalist instincts without which Hungarians wouid be iess well- fed. less healthy’ and less happy The regime finds it crucial to tolerate the self- seeking exertions of some 11.000 small enterprises and some 4 million farmers who work private plots The latter send to market some 20 per cent of the agricultural production. Similarly, doctors stretch themselves to meet the needs by practicing for private fees after hours. But this private activity takes place under the wary eye of Communist ofiiciais whose taxes and harass- ments are persuading the younger generation that the future does not lie in entrepreneurial zeal. Many ieel tempted to pull back from unappreciated extra activity. "Why should I continue to live with the smell of pigs'” asks the farmer. But ii he and his counterpart.1; leave all livestock production tu the state, the national larder will be seriously diminished. The system is working well enough to be impressive in Hungary It has produced the first blush ci affluence, but it has cer taioly not kept paca v-itk. neighboring Austria- Enough problems have accumulated to discourage any disposition to pretend that the next phase of development can be accomplish ed without capitalist help Who was to blame for what went wrong ii. 1975? There are a lot of theories by a lot of different people. 1 didn’t talk to any qf them, but this is what they probably wouid have told me. President Ford: ‘‘Congress is responsible for everything that went wrong in 1975, and 1 want all the American people to know it.” Congress: "The Ford Administration is responsible for all our troubles. Every time we passed legislation to help the country, the President vetoed it." Ronald Reagan: "Both Ford and Congress must Jake full blame for the reckless spending in 'welfare, Social Security and giveaway programs that this great country cannot afford." Howard Cosell: "The Saturday night television audience who don’t even know a good live show when they see one.” Cher: "Sonny." Sonny: “Cher." Nelson Rockefeller: "Hi, fella. I sure enjoyed 1975. and Happy and I couldn't be happier the way things turned out." The oil companies: "The people to blame for 1975 are those who refused to let us raise prices and deregulate gas so that wc could search for oil and provide this country with the energy sources it so desperately needs.” ■ The bakery industry: "Earl Butz, for sending all that wheat to Russia.” Secretary of the Treasury William Simon: "All our troubles in 1975 can be traced to the fiscal irresponsibility of New York City." New York City Mayor Abe Beame: "1 have no one to blame but myself.” ' Patty Hearst: "I blame the San Francisco Police Department and the FBI who bdd nothing better to do than to hassle urban guerrillas." The Listerine Mouthwash Co.: "The FTC, that doesn’t even care it people catch colds or not." Squeaky Fromme: "The people who are trying to kill all the redwoods in California." Richard iNixon: "I don't blame anyonq. After all, the rats who drove me from office have a right takheir opinion, and 1 would be the last one to say the lying media and my political enemies are to blame for what happened to me this year. 1 think history should judge how shabbily everyone treated me in 1975 after I was driven from qfficc because I wanted to do what was right forv America.”. The CIA: "The American people, who are not willing to accept the fact we live in a dirty world and you have to use despicable, repugnant and illegal methods to protect everyone's constitutional rights." The FBI: “Whoever is responsible for what happened in 1975 is either dead or retire*!. We are asking for guidelines so we won't do the same thing in 1976.” f Ralph Nader: “The EPA, the FTC, the FDA, HEW, the FCC, EEOC, AEC, the LEA, NIH. NIMH, NAM, OBM, YMCA, YWCA, A & P , ETC., ETC., ETC.,ETC.,ETC.,ETC.” Henry Kissinger: “I am not responsible for anything, that went wrong in 1975."
