Magyar News, 1996. szeptember-1997. augusztus (7. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1997-04-01 / 8. szám
REFLECTIONS ON “March 1 5th” Dr Alexander Havadtoy ch 15, 1848 is still the most painful sore point in our nation’s history. It was an enormous undertaking, gigantic effort - and tragic downfall. We can almost visualize the young people of Pest gathering at the Pilvax Coffee house, marching enthusiastically carrying national flags with the good citizens of the capital to the National Museum, where the young poet, Petőfi, recites from the steps his famous poem, and we repeat the words: “Rise, Magyar: ‘tis the country’s call.” We hear the call of governor Louis Kossuth: “The nation is in peril!” And the brave young men join the National Guard by the thousands. We see the “hussars” of General Görgey, the brilliant soldiers of the Generals Damjanich and Klapka as they move from victory to victory. After the battles of Nagyparlo and Komarom, the Austrian army is forced out of the country. Then enter the Russians. The Habsburgs in their inglorious defeat call upon their royal cousins in Moscow to come to their rescue. Facing the enormous Russian army, Görgey lays down the arms. The Habsburgs take brutal revenge. The Prime Minister is executed, thirteen Generals are hanged in Arad. When we think of them, the anger and the shame are still burning in our hearts. What can we learn from the glory and tragic defeat of 1848-49 today? What should be our attitude toward the present predicament in which we find our nation? It is our sacred duty to assess realistically the present state of our affairs, to find our future possibilities and to define the road on which we must proceed. Seven years ago suddenly and unexpectedly the Soviet occupation came to an end. This quick change shook up the whole nation. The dictatorship had ended, now they had to stand on their own feet. Before they could blame for everything the occupying forces, now they could blame only themselves. Before they could complain about the poorly functioning economy, the failures of the disastrous five year plans, now they had to find their way in this frightening market economy. The enormous national debt, with which the Communists tried to prolong their rule, had to be repaid. The educational and the justice systems had to be reformed, the relationship between the church and the state had to be newly formulated. These enormous tasks vastly surpassed the strength of the first freely elected administration of Prime Minister Antal. The gravest problem was the lack of a healthy middle-class that could think and act in the interest of the nation. The old middleclass was destroyed, killed, exiled or impoverished, and their children forced out of the country. In 1956 alone 250,000 young university students and skilled workers left the country. During the ensuing years another half-a-million relatives and friends followed them. Left in the country were the offsprings of the Communist nomenclature who were not interested in the issues of national survival. Under their protection, the culprits of the dictatorship could not be brought to justice. They were protected by their well heeled relatives in the West. While the first freely elected government struggled to solve the almost insurmountable problems of the country, the Communist party leaders consolidated their powers, and with the wealth which they accumulated during the Soviet occupation, re-organized their party units to win the election of 1994. The Hungarian people, just like the people of the Old Testament after their Egyptian captivity, wanted to return to the fleshpots of slavery. In those days - they said - everybody had a job. The pay was meager, but at least it was secure. The stores were empty, but one could bring home from the factory or the shop what ever he wanted. The work ethic had sunk so low, that stealing from the job was no longer considered unacceptable. These were the fleshpots to which they were longing. The ill informed public, for the press is entirely in the hands of alien forces, could not understand that it was exactly the poor management of the economy which brought about the downfall of the Communist regime. Yet the nation reelected, with absolute majority, the very same people who ruled Ütem under the Soviet occupation and mismanaged the economy. The victory of the Communist, who now call themselves Socialists, was greatly assisted by our American diplomats in Hungary. The U.S. State Department mistook the patriotic parties for dangerous nationalistic forces that must be stopped by all means. Thus our own diplomatic corps threw its support to the cosmopolitans, that is the formerly Communists, and assured their stunning victory. And all this happened right before the eyes of 1.7 million Hungarian- American citizens who could not even protest such a misplaced policy. Today it’s absolutely clear, even before our statesmen, that without the healthy cooperation of patriotic elements no state can survive. Patriotism is a necessary force which alone can energize a people to rebuild the institution of the state. These elements must be encouraged and not repressed if we want to assure the survival of a nation. After three years of Socialist reign, it has become clear that the fleshpots, about which the public was dreaming, remained a mirage. The economy is in dire straits. The inflation is escalating, and the public debt is daily increasing to well over 30 billion dollars. The Western markets remain closed to Hungary, while the Eastern clients, such as Yugoslavia, Iran and Iraq are under international blockade. Russia is not in the position to pay for Hungarian goods. The population is sinking into deeper and deeper poverty, while the newly rich thin upper class, (continued on page 2) Page 1
