Amerikai Magyar Hírlap, 1994 (6. évfolyam, 1-50. szám)

1994-01-07 / 1. szám

AMERICAN Hungarian Journal Susan Jancso_____________________ End of the Line This page written by ATA accredited translator SUSAN JANCSO Have you ever sat in front of a slot machine in Las Vegas, towards dawn, when all but the most obstinate players have gone to sleep, taking in stride their los­ses or pocketing their big win­nings? When the task force of casino employees, armed with a string of keys and a stack of plas­tic containers, appears to collect what the foolish players had been sacrificing all they long at the altar of the insatiable god Mam­mon? Have you ever felt it was time to leave, when you have turned all your pockets inside out and watched your last reserves turn into small change? Have you ever wished that it was over, one way or another, as your eyes fol­lowed the wheel of fortune, mes­­merized, wishing that the long-coveted four red sevens would finally appear, or else let the last copper penny go down the drain, it doesn’t matter which, so long as you could finally sur­render and go to sleep... And when you stood there, empty­­handed and devoid of even the slightest glimmer of hope, have you ever remembered the so often heard and dismissed good advice: You ought to quit while you are still winning... Well, this is how I feel at the end of this year, when it’s time once again to look back and evaluate. The balance of the past year is definitely not good; it brought devastating losses in every way, financially as well as emotionally. Not only for us, for a lot of others as well. The fall of communism in Russia did not bring the joy and relief it was expected to ac­complish. The poor are poorer than ever, and the bottled-up hos­tilities and hatreds have broken loose worldwide, culminating in bloody wars. Most of Hungary has been bartered for peanuts to western industry and finance, but the glorious United States is not doing so great either; suffering from the worst depression in memory, little by little people have to give up the last shreds of the once so attractive "American Dream." Individuals and whole nations alike were forced to give up what they thought had been rightful ex­pectations. Peace, security, trust, ease and comfort, an ever-in­creasing standard and quality of life are no longer our inalianable rights. So the roof leeks and the water is rising in the basement? Be happy that there is a roof above your head, and the bombs are not falling from the sky like in Bosnia! Yet everything is so beautiful when it starts! Every love is sup­posed to last forever, and there can never be anyone else. How we love to believe in the infinite, and yet, everything human is des­tined to be finite. A child is born, and his parents place all their hopes in him: he will be happy, successful, life will be easier for him. Then comes a year when thousands of children die of hunger in Somalia. They dis­cover a continent and call it the New World, hoping it would be better than the old one. And it is better, with more freedom and abundance for centuries, but there comes a time when its star begins to decline... Brave, deter­mined pioneers conquer a piece of land from the desert and the wilderness, they turn it into a wonderful Garden of Eden, so that everyone wants to go there, it is thought to be the legendary El­dorado, the Golden Land. But greedily they deplete its treasures, until one day the last nugget of gold is gone, the wells run dry, fires and storms and riots take their toll and destroy the city: people flee and nature takes back its due. Many have lost fortunes in the year 1993, but then, isn’t it part of the game? Like the horse race, life itself doesn’t offer infallibly sure bets either. We lose some-Boross: No Shift to ______the Right______ Budapest - The nation’s mourning at the death of Prime Minister József Antall was deeply touching - said his successor Péter Boross in a televised inter­view. He went on to say that the funeral was a posthumous com­pensation to József Antall. Much as he had been criticized in his lifetime, a subdued, sober and considerate Hungary came to bid him a last farewell at the'ce­metery. Boross refuted rumors that his taking office would mean a shift to the right in the government. - I am not a rightist, but I believe I stand somewhat to the right from leftists - was his political state­ment. He said he was bound by a decade-long friendship to Antall, and this made it seem natural that he should carry on Antall’s legacy. He does not wish to develop closer ties with Csurka, he said. The new prime minister is the advocate of a practical, rational and purpose-oriented govern­ment. He promises to take a firm stand in protecting the interests of Hungarians within and beyond the borders, as well as protecting the values of a Christian- European culture. This is dif­ferent from the cosmopolitan or internationalist standpoint, he stated. In politics, there is room for compromises that make sense, but this cannot mean giving up our principles and com­promise on every issue. Regarding the economic situa­tion, Boross stressed that the An­tall government initiated the difficult process of transforma­tion under unfavorable outside conditions, such as a general economic recession. As a sign of recovery, he mentioned the steady increase in individual thing every day, we struggle every day just to keep what we thought was ours for good. It’s easy to shrug it off and start all over again while you are young. Later in life it becomes more difficult, and what’s the use anyway, if it will be all over soon? It’s closing time, the casino is deserted, your pockets are empty, and so is your glass - you have come to the end of the line. Perhaps life will end one day like this... little by little you are deprived of everything that was worth living for - faith, hope, beauty, youth, enthusiasm, strength, good health, love, friendship, joy- and when there is nothing left, you go because it’s time to go, and you don’t even regret it any more... Only for a moment, you will perhaps remember the old avice and ask yoursef: Wouldn’t it have been better to quit while you were still winning? savigns, which means the buying force of consumers is gaining strength. Boross dismissed as an absur­dity the opinion that Hungary is worse off today than in 1990. The government then did not have a feasible agenda for governing the country, and that’s why they stepped down. MDF and its partners in the coalition had fol­lowed a definite plan and carried it through during the past for years, so they have nothing to fear from the elections. Afraid to Censor? The vice president of Hun­garian Radio appointed a com­mittee to evaluate its New Year’s Eve entertainment program. Program director Terézia Katona, head of the committee, stated to the Hungarian News Agency: the committee found the program biased, dealing with internal affairs, and highly ques­tionable in quality and good taste. After a lengthy professional debate, however, the committee unanimously decided they were not willing to apply censorship, but instead, they would let the audience judge the quality of the three-hour program after it airs. The New Year’s Eve Radio Cabaret was put together by Tivadar Farkasházy. The part of the criticism that says "biased" means anti-government, while the "internal affairs" part refers to the media war. Snowed In There was another record snowfall in Hungary during the last days of the old year. Road conditions made for critical traf­fic situations: seventy percent of minor roads were unpassable, even major arteries of transporta­tion were hard to travel, and hundreds of cars were stranded in the area of Western Trans­­danubia. The army was called in to help dig out stranded motorists. The adverse weather conditions threatened to ruin the New Year’s Eve program of hundreds of foreign visitors who were plan­ning to attend the Ball at the Opera House. Approximately six hundred people had ordered tickets to the prestigious event, now in its third year and quickly becoming a treasured tradition. Tickets went for 18, 19, and 20 thousand forints a piece. Dinner consisted of 45 kinds of delicacies, on special order from the Gundel Restaurant. Beer, wine, and Törley-Champagne was at the disposal of the guests free of charge throughout the evening. Not a bad way to salute the New Year! 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Minden új előfizető ajándékul megkapja a gyönyörű kiállítású, nagymé­retű, 300 oldalas CATHOLIC CHURCHES IN HUNGARY című színes ismertető kö-met (amíg a készlet tart). Los Angeles Export Line Szállítási gondjain segítünk, ha Ön lesz az ügyfelünk! Autóját, bútorait, csomagjait Los Angeles - Budapest között zárt konténerben szállítjuk. Tel: (310) 523-4640 Fax: (310) 523-9122 Kérjük, forduljon bizalommal Lacihoz - vagy Csabához 17800 S. Main Str. #204, Los Angeles, Gardena 90248 1994. január 7. AMERIKAI Hfagyar Hírlap 0 NOTARY SERVICE CAR RENTALS 800 675 0559 714 850-9876 Fax 714 891 -8394

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