Magyar News, 1997. szeptember-1998. augusztus (8. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1997-09-01 / 1. szám
THE PAIN OF TRANSITION by Justin Margitay-Balogh Before my trip to Hungary. I had many preconceived notions about where Hungry stood politically, socially, economically, and intellectually. I thought that Communism and all of its remnants had been dispelled from Hungary. I also perceived that Hungary had adopted their new Capitalist system and was prospering in it. As I look back on it, these ideas were naive and foolish because no where at any time throughout history was a drastic political change ever easy on a society. During the first couple of days in Budapest. I saw or heard nothing that changed any of these ideas. If one visits Hungary as a tourist one will see a beautiful country with friendly people. One w ill be in awe with the city of Budapest and its marvelous landscape. One can very easily be wrapped up in the beauty of the country and totally disregard the social state of Hungary. Fortunately or unfortunately, this was not the case for me. I say this because my ignorance was bliss; I never had to give Hungary and its non-existing problems a second thought. Now the problems weigh heavy on my heart and on my mind while the frustration of not being able to do any thing fills my soul because of my lack of influence. On the fifth day in Hungary. I had the pleasure of meeting a twenty year old university student by the name of Anne. She was the daughter of one of my father's colleagues. and the plan was that our fathers would spend the day together while we would spend the day with each other. I joyously accepted; spending time with someone my own age and who spoke perfect English would be a nice change. She told me that she was studying physics. My first thought was that she is a very’ smart girl with a very promising future. Unfortunately, I was only half correct. She told me that she was one of the best students in her class, and she wanted to become a teacher at the university. This information just cemented my notion of her learned future. Then, she proceeded to tell me how the economic system in Hungary is based on the factory worker. Teachers, doctors, and nurses were on the lower end of the pay scale. She was very’ fearful that she would have to give up her goal of becoming a teacher due to the realistic demands of making a living. Anne and 1 continued to talk for hours about life, love. fear. joy. and Hungary . She spoke with such love and concern for Hungary and about its problems. She dispelled ail of the preconceived notions I had about Hungary in just a few hours. Hungary is in the middle of a harsh transitional period whose outcome will affect the future of the Nation for a very’ long time. The Hungarian people have left a system that was very oppressive and have been thrust into a system that allows for personal thoughts and opinions. When a government has given a society no choice in its future, people stop thinking in terms of how can they make their country better for all who live here. This is w hat has happened to the Hungarian people. They are not used to this new type of freedom, and this new freedom is very confusing to them. The political revolution has been staged, but there still is a great deal of need for social, economic, and educational reform. Communist ideology still remains in the areas that have not yet been reformed. This shows most in the institution of education. Communist ideology has always been anti-intellectual; this was based on the fear that the intellectuals would try to fight the establishment. Ever since Mao Tse Tung's 100 Flowers Campaign eliminated the intellectuals of China. Communists have used physical intimidation and political influence to oppress the intellectuals. Now under the new system of Capitalism in Hungary, this ideal still remains, but the means of oppression are totally different. This is just as dangerous because the means are of an economic nature. Now, intellectuals are kept out of the teaching profession by economic starvation. In Hungary, teachers are at the bottom of the pay scale; their monthly wages are around 20.000 ft. This is the equivalent to a person making less than 125 US. dollars a month. As one can see. it would be impossible to live off that meager amount of money. This is a huge problem because teachers are being forced out of the profession because they don't have enough money for food or to support their family. Hungary has always been at the forefront of scientific technology, but if these intellectual minds cannot pass their knowledge on to the youth, then all is lost. The repercussions of this could mean the end for Hungary because a country with no national education and the absence of a valuable section of the middle class has no way to progress and inevitably will become slaves for other nations. Social reform for the elderly is also a problem for Hungary. Many of the elderly people never thought to start a retirement fund because there was never any need to do so. Undcr the Communist government's social system, they were taken care of on a given level, and the prospect for the diminishing of Communism was never a realistic thought to them. They are now given a very minimal sum of Social Security money which is less than enough to live off of. This is not a problem isolated to Hungary. Evén in the United States; many elderly people can not live off of government money alone. This is indeed a serious problem that needs to be addressed. Corporate interference is now playing a big part in the inability of the Hungarian economy to functioa Many of the world’s largest corporations have come into Hungary with seemingly good intentions but have economically destroyed what used to be thriving manufacturing towns. These companies have come to Hungary promising not to downsize or shut down the factories. But once the companies have control, this is exactly what they do. This is the Capitalist way. The downsizing that is taking place all across the world has a greater effect on the once Communist nations because there was always work for these people. Under the Communist system. several people did the job of what one person does now. The Hungarian economy has been forced into a new system, and the people are still very naive about the cruel realities and rules of the Capitalist system. There is also a great deal of political confusion amidst the people of Hungary. This is connected to the freedom of choice that they have now. The idea of the multi party system is very unfamiliar to the Hungarian people. There is also a great deal of personal confusion. People don't know exactly where they stand or what their role in society is. This is very scary especially for the older people who grew up in the Communist system. At middle age, people are experiencing the same feeling of uncertainty as a pubescent boy trying to find his personal identity'. This uncertainty also translates itself into the area of confusion and fear to where others around a person stands. The Communist experience perpetuates this fear because in that system one had to be worry about every move. One never knew who was watching. Unfortunately, all of this confusion contributes a great deal to Hungary’s social ills. Hungarians need an escape from the problems and confusion of every day life so many’ of them have turned to alcohol and drugs to help them cope. I apologize if what I have w ritten isn’t the full picture for I am only 18 years old and have spent only twelve days in Hungary, but these were my impressions that I received from my conversations with people. I spoke to these people not as an American Tourist but as an American who has roots in the Hungarian culture. I have not condemned the Hungarian people to a hopeless future. On the contrary, I feel that Hungary’ can once again be a dominant player in the world system. The youth of Hungary is so important to the future. From what I saw, it looks like Hungary ’s future is in good hands. The Hungarian youth have an understanding of the problems and a willingness to change things for the better. This is the generation that has matured without Communist influence, and they are more understanding of the New World system. The youth is the key to the future. We must continue to pray for the youth of Hungary. Page 3
