Amerikai Magyar Szó, 1981. július-december (35. évfolyam, 27-50. szám)
1981-07-16 / 29. szám
AMERIKAI MAGYAR SZÓ Thursday, July 16. 1981. 2. William J. Mitchell! Anca Vrbovska; An American Reporter in Hungary The conglomerate Hydra A reporter of the Detroit Daily News completed an extended visit in Hungary. The following are excerpts from his reports as published in his newspaper. THERE has been little, if any, organized support for the Polish reform movement from Hungarian workers. interviews with factory workers, farmers, journalists, clergymen and others here indicate that there is little sympathy among Hungarians with the efforts of Solidarity, the independent trade union pushing the reforms in Poland. \ Lifting up his face shield to greet a reporter wandering around a bus factory assembly line here recently, 54-year-old welder István Csanyi gave this response about Solidarity: ‘‘They’re stupid. They’ve gone to extremes. It would never come to that in this country.” A nation about the size of Indiana, with a population (about 10.7 million) slightly larger than Michigan’s, Hungary has a history marked by foreign domination and sporadic rebellions. But the elements that led to the current turmoil in Poland — scarcity of food, strong links between workers and dissidents, a powerful Catholic church, a shaky Communist leadership — don’t exist in Hungary. This country has its problems, among them a severe housing shortage, a drop in real incomes, a lack of natural resources, high rates of suicide, alcoholism and divorce, and a sagging birth rate that the government is struggling to rejuvenate. While Hungary enjoys the reputation of a relatively open Communist society, the Hungarian minister of justice reported last October that about 50 political prisoners were in custody. Miklós Haraszti, a Hungarian author, argued during a 1979 conference in Italy that “it is misleadingly optimistic and specifically wrong to assert that Hungary has made gains in the area of human rights.” WHETHER THAT assessment is too harsh or not, none of Hungary’s problems have galvanized any substantial opposition to the government. “We’ve never had so many people interested in nothing happening,” says an official of the Hungarian foreign ministry in regard to journalistic inquiries. In fact, something very interesting has been going on in Hungary for years. Perhaps more than any country under the control of the Soviet Union, it has stretched the limits of Communjst theory — tolerating a considerable degree of individual private enterprise — to provide its people with a standard of living that, while far short of Western standards, makes a rerun of the 1956 uprising very unlikely. Asked to explain why Hungary is not experiencing the problems facing Poland, the foreign ministry official here pointed out that Hungary’s agricultural success has enabled officials to provide people with far more food than is available in Poland. The thrust of the “new economic mechanism” introduced here in 1968 was to place more responsibility for the planning and production of farms and factories on the individual managers rather than on government officials in the capital. Also, the “new mechanism” offered some financial incentives — not all of which square with traditional Communist theory — for Hungarians to produce more. In some ways, the secret to Radar’s success may lie as much in what he has not done as in what he has done. While private businesses remain taboo under a strict interpretation of Marxist-Leninist theory, the Radar government has looked the other way as millions of Hungarians take part in what is known as “the second economy.” Doctors, mechanics, plumbers — a whole range of workers in state-controlled jobs — hurry home each day after work (and sometimes a little earlier than the official quitting time) to cash in their skills in this underground free-enterprise system. Hungarians unable to get the services they want as quickly as they want through official channels are willing to pay much higher fees in the second economy. Instead of trying to wipe out such a trend, the Radar government is looking for ways to integrate the second economy into business as usual in Hungary — much as it has integrated the idea of private farm plots into the country’s agricultural system. The idea, according to the foreign ministry official, is “to stay just a little bit ahead of the people” in determining government policy. In fact, the people seem a little bit ahead of the policy. But unlike many other Communist governments, this one has demonstrated a willingness to adapt some of its policies to its people instead of focusing all its resources on trying to force people to conform to policy. 31 31 foreign airlines have offices in Budapest, most of them in the city center. FINN AIR is the newest addition to the list. “QUASI-DIVINE” The “Crude Triumph” of President Reagan in the battle of the budget (editorial June 28) arouses other disturbing thoughts. A few Presidential phone calls to presumably wavering Congressmen may have affected the welfare of millions of Americans. It is axiomatic that in a democracy the legislator’s paramount duty is to follow his conscience in national affairs, if his voice in such important matters may be reversed by a call from the President, how far may this practice be pursued? How will the constitutional system of checks and balances survive? Or will it be checked out by such practices? Will the Word, spead from the Presidency, become the instrument of a quasi-divine executive branch? Emil Lengyel /N.Y.Times July 8,1981.) TO JHE EDITOR I am sending a check for S 10.- in memory of a departed friend, Joseph Horvath who died on June 15th in Mountain Home, Arkansas. He was a very dear friend of Laci’s and mine and resided in Chicago before retiring many years ago. He was a subscriber to the paper at one time; I know, because he always read Laci’s articles. I hope everything and everyone at the Magyar Szó is doing well. Best wishes to all, Helen Gross /Mrs. Rev.L.A.Gross/ Chicago, 111. I was unable to attend the testimonial concert to a grand old man who made such a tremendous contribution to humanity. So please send me the Hugo Gellert Testimonial Journal. Thank you. Leon Forer, Flushing, NY. Film cans Campers will find 35mim film cans handy for carrying many things. Being watertight, they are fine for matches. You can also glue foil over openings and punch holes to make salt shakers. AMERIKAI V MAGYAR SZD USPS 023-980 ISSN 0194-7990 Published weekly, e>c. last week in July and 1st 2 weeks in August by Hungarian Word Inc. Inc. 130 E 16 St. New York. NY. 10003. Ent.as 2nd Class Matter, Dec. 31. 1952 under the Act of March. 21 1879, at the P.O. of New York, N.Y. Szerkeszti a Szerkesztő Bizottság Előfizetési árak New Yorkban, az Egvesűlt Államokban egy évre $ 18.- félévre $ 10.- Kanadaban es minden más külföldi országban egy évre $ 20.- felevre $ 12.- Postnjastert Send address changes to Hungarian Word, Inc. 130 E 16 St. New York, NY. 10003. Carter’s hate campaign against the Soviet Union was intensified to a hysterical degree by Reagan, by the multinationals, whose kings are the Rockefellers, Gettys, Hunts, Mellons, Du Ponts, Morgans, General Motors & others. They are bent on destroying much of the social-economic gains the nation achieved through decades, like unemployment benefits, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, financial assistance to poor students to study at universities, colleges; school lunches, subsidized housing, pollution control. The reactionary southern democrats united with the republicans to slash 37 billion dollars from these programs that offered some degree of help to the poor. No federal aid for mass transit to replace subways and buses that are falling apart and pose deadly peril to the passengers - mostly workers. Inflation is on the rise, contrary to the lies of the mass media owned by the corporations. Inasmuch the military-industrial complex finds it difficult to impose its ukases and rule on European, Asian and African nations; they, like the mythical nine-headed hydra, spew their poison on the USA poor and the lower-middle class. It is not the socialist countries but the greed of American corporations and the squandered 350 billions per year on armaments that are menacing our country. But there is hope that the people of the USA, like Hercules, will lop off the multi-heads of the contemporary hydra, abolish the armament race that benefits only the super-rich, and spend those billions on useful programs, assisting not only our nation to a higher living standard but the Third World as well; establish permanent peace with the Soviet Union, resume mutually beneficial economic scientific and cultural exchange between the USA and the Soviets, thus lift the fear of war that would destroy the globe. Our aim must be to abolish poverty and establish the Era of Peace. Let us learn Hungáriáit » * CUSTOM INSPECTION V AM VIZSGALAT / have articles for personal use and wear only. It's for my own use. These things are for my private use. I have only articles already used. I have a few presents for relatives. Open this box, please. Be careful, please, there are some fragile things in it. These are free of duty, aren’t they? Do I have to pay duty on these articles? Csak személyes használati tárgyak vannak nálam. Ezt magam használom. Ezek a'saját használati tárgyaim. Csak használt dolgaim vannak. Néhány ajándékot viszek rokonoknak. Kérem, nyissa ki ezt a dobozt 1 Kérem, vigyázzon, törékeny holmi van benne 1 Ezek vámmentesek, ugye? Fizetek ezek után a dolgok után vámot? The HUGO GELLERT TESTIMONIAL SOUVENIR JOURNAL contains illustrations and an in-depth assessment of the artist’s life and work. Copies are available for $ 2.00 each. Add 75 cents for postage For orders, please make checks or money orders payable to the HUGO GELLERT TESTIMONIAL COMMITTEE 130 E 16 St. New York,NY 10003.
