Double-Standard

This is what the EU is using against Hungary. It did not just begin, and it is not only the EU that uses it; almost everyone has used this for a long time, for there is a long history of this double-standard. Here are just a few examples:

In 1916, the American President Wilson announced his 14 points for a peace-proposal - promising a just peace, with border revisions after a referendum. Nothing came of the referenda, but new borders were drawn arbitrarily, creating new states or augmenting others and, with the territories separated from Hungary arbitrarily, 3.5 million Hungarians were placed in slavery. The principle of ethnicity was not applied to Hungary - a double-standard!

Among the states that were created or augmented by the good graces of the West, many, ungratefully betraying their benefactors, changed sides and supported Hitler in the Second World War. The army of Slovakia, led by Tiso, attacked Poland in 1939, and the Soviet Union in 1941, on the side of the Germans. The Jewish population was heartlessly handed over to the new ally. Similarly, Romania, led by Antonescu, also rushed to attack the Soviet Union in 1941 and, meanwhile, mercilessly annihilated the Jews. Croatian and Bosnian military units also fought against Communism and Bolshevism. Hungary was the last to join the war against the Soviets, after her eastern cities were bombed. Initially, she chose to keep the peace in the hinterland. During all this time, Hungary welcomed and protected hundreds of thousands of refugees, among them prisoners-of-war escaping from the Allies, mainly Polish soldiers, civilians and Jews fleeing from the East. It is also well-known that the Allies did not advise Hungary leaving the war, because they feared for the lives of a hundred-thousand Jews. This is how we became Hitler's last followers! Here again is a double-standard!

What happened at the Peace Treaty in 1947, in Paris? The German allies, Romania and Slovakia, were rewarded with Hungarian territory and population, reinstating the dictated Peace Treaty of Trianon of 1920. Slovakia, who had attacked Poland and the Soviet Union, was not accused of any war crimes, because she simply appeared on the side of the victorious powers. Moreover, through the notorious Benes decrees, a hundred-thousand prominent Hungarians were persecuted, deported or expelled against which the Allies did not protest, just as they did not protest against the massacre of the Hungarians in Délvidék (Northern Serbia) at the hands of the Serb partisans, or the deportation of tens of thousands of Hungarians from Carpatho-Ukraine to the Soviet Union. The Peace Dictate of Paris in 1947 again dissected Hungary and even demanded war reparations. Moreover, 200 thousand Soviet soldiers were stationed in Hungary to guard the railway line that brought replacements of occupying Soviet forces to part of Austria. After the Austrian treaty in 1955, there was no longer any reason to keep Soviet forces in Hungary - yet they remained there "temporarily", which meant another occupation of 35 years. During this time, the Soviet Union altered Hungary into its own colony. We always seemed to draw the short straw. In all this, it is not difficult to establish that there was a double-standard in the treatment of Hungary.

At the change of regime in Hungary in 1989-90, there was a flicker of hope that the western democracies would offer us some help, as they had done in the case of other Eastern European states when they joined the West. We, Hungarians, rightly expected this because it was as a result of our bravery that the Iron Curtain came down, followed by the fall of the Berlin Wall, the reunification of the two Germanies and, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the appearance of countless new states from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic Sea. The West forgave several eastern states their debts - but not Hungary's. Here again the double- standard was at work!

After that, privatization began in earnest, on the principle that the state was a bad proprietor, therefore the economy should be placed in the hands of private individuals, and then free competition would make the country prosperous. For this to happen, for a time there would be cut-backs in the section of society that had been well-paid by the state and, in place of the state, the society would have to provide for itself. The western banks arrived in Hungary, together with the shopping-centers or plazas so necessary for the interests of the West.

Privatization ran its course for a few years. New foreign owners bought the factories -- but they did not modernize them; they closed them down. The brokers of the sales, particularly the former administrators, all became rich. Foreign merchandise flooded Hungary, superfluous foodstuffs and low-grade culture. Slowly we came to realize the sad truth that Hungary was needed just as a market, like the other Eastern European states. The country's decreased income was supplemented with one loan after another from the western banks and the IMF. By 2010, the GDP debt had risen from 52% to 82% -- we were trapped in a debt that it was impossible to pay back!

Why did the West do this to us? By necessity. A good twenty years ago, they would have fallen into an economic crisis, if they had not been able to exploit their newly acquired eastern territories with loan-politics!

A new hope was sparked in some in 2004, when Hungary became a member of the European Union. At the time the documents for the accession of Hungary were signed, there were already insoluble problems; for example, our agriculture received considerably less support than that of the western peoples. How is it possible to be competitive under such conditions? It is not possible. Exactly that was their goal; namely that we should not be able to sell our agricultural products at a price competitive with the price of the products of the West which were subsidized; that we should fail and the state would become a market for the western agricultural products. We know the fate of our sugar industry, and there are many more examples that we could bring up. The failure of the agricultural economy, engineered in Brussels, was just the beginning.

After the Treaty of Lisbon was enacted on December 1, 2009, Brussels felt strong enough to interfere in the politics of the member states. This continually augmented the indebtedness of the member states, particularly the new ones, to the IMF. It was then easy to force those countries that had fallen into the debt-trap to follow the line of EU politics.

Hungary, under the eight years of liberal-left coalition governments, became up to her eyes in debt, and the vast majority of the population rightly blamed these governments. So it happened that, in the elections of 2010, the opposition FIDESZ-KDNP (Young Democrats - Christian Democrats) coalition took over the government. Brussels was aware of this and was sure that the days of the victors were numbered because, on account of the state's disproportionate debt, the new government would have no room to play, and would soon fall and be replaced by some new liberal-left coalition. Then three unexpected things happened. The first was that the center-right coalition of FIDESZ-KDNP had a landslide-victory of two thirds. The second was that the financial and economic life, which was lying in ruins, was quickly revived with new measures like the taxation of the banks and large companies and the nationalization of the private pension funds, with the help of which the budget deficit was lowered to under 3%. The third was the legislation of more than 350 laws, among them the formation of the new Basic Law of the land, (Constitution) which was placed in effect on January 1 of this year. With this, the Orbán government has replaced the state on its traditional Christian foundation.

This Hungarian "blitz-krieg" (lightning-war) shocked the West, because they did not expect Hungary to take this track. They did not want to believe that a small nation that, already in 1920 and again in 1947, was condemned to death, now since 1989 has suddenly raised its head from the dust, even stood up and, with renewed strength, has taken its fate into its own hands in a new Europe! The liberal-left parties of the West decided that they would put Hungary on the pillory, reduce her to obedience, and throw her back onto the heap of those without a future, where they had intended her to stay. With this they wanted to demonstrate to others that they should accept their unacceptable fate, if they do not want to be treated like the Hungarians. They chose Brussels as the executive authority.

As a warm-up exercise, they began by setting the media powers of the world to bring discredit on Hungary and her government. The first blow was cast by the losing Opposition parties and the liberal-left media. They gradually used all kinds of means: half-truths, slips, misrepresentations and outright lies. For example, a prestigious German newspaper, reporting on the January 21 peaceful demonstration that supported the Orbán government, stated that: "A hundred thousand people demonstrated against the Orbán government!" Before this, the EU Commission found fault with the new Hungarian media law. Then came three more attacks: on the independence of the National Bank, the pensions of the judges and the matter of the confidentiality of the ombudsmen. The Hungarian government sent an in-depth answer to all of these. Furthermore, in its resolution of February 16, the EU Parliament expressed its "deep concern in regard to the exercise of democracy, the constitution, the exercise of human and social rights, the system of checks and balances, equality and discrimination". It called upon the Hungarian government to fulfill the recommendations of the European Commission, the European Council and the Venice Commission, and to modify the affected laws according to these recommendations. The representatives accepted this position, among them the Hungarian Socialists.

They held out the prospect of implementing the procedures contained in section 7 of the EU constitution, which could mean that Hungary could lose the right to vote in the Union and lose all support from it. At the same time they called upon the EP Presidential Conference to "examine further measures, for example the use of the procedures contained in Paragraph 7." The most recent blow from the EU has just been cast. On February 22, the European Council proposed the freezing of 495 million Euros of cohesive funds because, since 2004, Hungary has not once fulfilled the recommendations for implementing an excessive deficit policy. This means the withholding of about one third of the next year's 1,714 billion Euros cohesive funds of support, which is about 495 billion Euros. The proposal was accepted. Although Hungary, in 2010 and 2011 demonstrated the accepted 3% deficit, and many other states closed at a much higher deficit, the EU penalized only Hungary. This is not just the use of a double-standard, it is revenge itself!

This all means that there will not soon be an end to the indignities suffered by Hungary, for one of the representatives earlier, in the EU plenum, openly stated that the "spirit" of the new Hungarian Basic Law was unacceptable. This means that the European Parliament will find more and more objections and will finally insist that Hungary produce another Basic Law, based on the tenets of the Treaty of Lisbon that was accepted on January 1, 2009, which lacks any reference to God and the fundamental values of Christianity upon which Europe was built. The stakes are high, not just for Hungary but for all of the member states of the European Union. If the EU does succeed in altering the new Hungarian Basic Law to its own specifications, or if it has it repealed and has a new "ideologically and politically correct" Basic Law written, then this would serve as a precedent for the alteration or repeal of the constitutions of all other European states, which refer to Christian principles or are based on them. This would be the case in the constitutions of all the European states. For example:

1. The United Kingdom does not have a modern constitution but there are Basic laws. The first is the Magna Carta that was established in 1215, which begins thus: "We, John, King of England by the grace of God, send our message. . . Know that, inspired by God,. . . first of all We declare, with the help of God, and this Charter that We affirm forever. . ., that the English Church possesses unlimited free rights and liberties."

2. Greece (1975): 3(1) "In Greece, the ruling religion is the Eastern Orthodox Church of Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ is recognized as its head."

3. Ireland (1937) Preamble: "The Most Holy Trinity, in the name of God, who is all-powerful, and from whom, as our destiny all actions of men and states originate. . ." 40. (3) "The State recognizes the right to life of the unborn child . . ." Article 41. (1), (2) 1, 2, (3) 1 "The State recognizes the family as the natural, first basic unit of society . . ."

4. Germany (1949) Preamble: "In the knowledge of its responsibility to God and man, and inspired by the will of all the members of the United Europe to serve Peace in the World, the German people, by its constitutional power, determines its basic law." (Quotations from Dr. László Jobbágy: Fekete-fehér tények az EU-ból. <Black and white facts from the EU>)

Why does the European Parliament start with Hungary, as it begins its reform of most of the constitutions of the member states, originating from the Middle Ages? The answer is simple: because the Hungarian Basic Law was established after enactment of the Treaty of Lisbon! This is unacceptable to them. Therefore, the Communist-Socialist-Liberal and Green majority in the European Parliament joined forces to criticize and alter the new Basic Law/Constitution of a small member state, which was written two years after the Treaty of Lisbon was passed and moreover, was not written following the basic tenets of this Treaty, but was based on the principles of the constitution written in feudal times! If this remains unchanged, then it places into question the present raison d'être (reason for being) of the European Union. This cannot be allowed. Therefore, Hungary, trapped in debt, eviscerated and powerless must effect new, radical changes to her Basic Law, so that she can put in place a new "politically correct" Basic Law.

If this succeeds - and why should it not succeed? - the highly-paid representatives and officials of the EU can now exercise the coercive power that they have in their hands, the dictatorial, destructive power. This was already apparent when, at one session of the EU Parliament, one commissioner wanted to force the Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister to openly give his word to accept certain resolutions of the EU parliament, which not only he had not seen, but which had not yet been drafted! So, the European Parliament will use the enforced changes in the Hungarian Basic Law as a precedent to force all the member states to make radical changes to their „obsolete" constitutions.

They have sufficiently undermined and weakened the various modern „isms" of old Europe (Fascism, Communism, Cosmopolitanism), have rendered them skeptical, godless and immoral, to the point that they attack without thinking and sweep aside the two-thousand year-old Christian and moral foundations. In their place, they have adopted the law of the jungle: chaos, where there are no laws, only self-interest, where everyone fights against everyone else for survival, and where nobody will win, but everyone will lose. Finally, mankind will annihilate himself and will leave behind a ruined, destroyed, burnt out and lifeless planet.

Europe, take note of Hungary's new crucifixion. Do not rejoice in it, but see in it your own destiny. Remember, after Christ, came the crucifixion of the thieves!

However, there has always been a merciful way out: namely, if the flabby European middle-class that is so self-centered, looking for pleasure, were to wake-up and see the danger that is stalking it, and would take the trouble to go and vote in the next elections of the European Parliament, then perhaps the present left-wing coalition that directs the EU will vanish and it will be possible to begin the construction of a truly new Europe, which is based on the community of sovereign nations!

Our wish is that our impending crucifixion, suffering and agony, caused by the double-standard, would wake us up, shock us and urge us to act, not only on our own behalf but also for you and the whole of Europe that is slumbering in dreams and falling slowly into a coma!

Edmonton, end of February 2012 Dr. Joseph Pungur