Absolutely Anything Else

I forgot to mention -- HAPPY HALLOWEEN everybody!!
:-)

fluffy2560 wrote:

...

The picture seems to date from the 1970s judging by the clothing and the printing give the impression it was in a newspaper.  Any further clues?  Caption on the newspaper?

Hello,

The photo was taken in May 12-15, 1994. This is a Bulgarian choir (I'm at the right), who took part in the First International Choir Competition in Hungary, Balatonfured. This is the information I gathered: http://szuspehi.blogspot.bg/p/blog-page_36.html
By memories, I think it is in front of the cathedral. I could be wrong.
Thanks for trying to solve this mystery!

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Very funny link , I am also still laughing.
Went to Tesco today in Arena Plaza, what is up with the Christmas shopping already?
Looks like people are out shopping in force so early.
Usually boycott the big shops around mid Nov. but seems I have to start earlier this year.
I am not a fan of crowds when spending my money, like to semi-relax and think about what I am buying not just toss items into my cart to escape fast.Never, ever started Christmas shopping before my birthday.
I think 10 days of waste is enough for just about any budget.
Call me a ,"humbug "but I hate /dislike the holiday season so much.
What ever happened to the just giving a orange and a pair of handmade knitted socks for Xmas... Why does everyone feel the need to go into debt to express the way they feel?

I think it's the public holiday tomorrow. People stocking up on essentials.  I've got the in-laws around before we all go on the grand cemetery tour.   

I'm with you against Christmas hype which is also now Halloween hype as well.   All about "shopping opportunities".    Opportunity to be ripped off more like.  And humbug to "Bah, humbug" naysayers/humbug deniers!

That said, I do need some furry slippers.  It was -2 last night hereabouts!  And it's not even 17h and pitch black!

fluffy2560 wrote:

now Halloween hype as well

Forget the commercialization and American influence.

It is All Hallows' Eve

It is Samhain

Go out tonight and light a bonfire.

Chikagoan wrote:

What has been happening in Europe is a largely an illegal migration or economic migrants, not a refugee situation.

The same, tired, old political arguments and fear of economic competition made during the voyage of the St. Louis.

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

now Halloween hype as well

Forget the commercialization and American influence.

It is All Hallows' Eve

It is Samhain

Go out tonight and light a bonfire.

[img align=C]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/Beltane_Bonfire_on_Calton_Hill.JPG/800px-Beltane_Bonfire_on_Calton_Hill.JPG[/url]

I'm thinking of going out and dancing madly around a bonfire on the 5th of November or as it's called variously in England, bonfire night or Guy Fawkes night.  No fireworks though unfortunately.

All Pagan holidays but I have partaken in them over the years.
I always feel badly though and guilty of knowing the truth and still going along with celebrations.
No Samhain for me but if one has small kids it is really hard to buck the system and tell them they can't join in on the "fun".
I grew up in Simi Ca. We had many cults hiding up in the hills over the years.
There was the Blackburn Cult and the Manson Family not to mention all the "weirdo's" living in the hills in tree houses.
They say parts of Simi had family homes built on the graves of Native Americans....
My mom saw a ghost walking in our backyard once and this was before her best buddy was a bottle of Black Velvet.
Holidays always make me feel like a big hypocrite... Wish they would just go by faster and not drag on for months before they happen.
On FB all my friends had photos of their customs and parties, their kids dressed up etc.Glad they had fun but it always feel bad at the same time. Think they just innocently don't have a clue to what it is really all about, dark energy and Pagan ideas.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

....
They say parts of Simi had family homes built on the graves of Native Americans....
...

Sounds like part of the plot of Poltergeist

Didn't know what sort of"hot bed" of activity went on in our tiny little town until many years later.
Blackburn Cult, Manson family, oddballs living in the hills or in house trees.
I once went out with a few friends who knew a guy who lived in one of these tree houses. We went up and smoked a bit, I was 16 1/2 or so. I knew this guy , sort of ,he had been in my older sisters class and she sort of had a High School crush on him. She realized he was 100% crackers and gave up on him.
One time visit in his tree house was enough for me too...
Later it came to light that the reason our little town was called a ,"Bedroom Community" meant more then they just were building allot of homes out there. Heard there was allot of swinger parties for adults going on!
Wonder how many times I baby-sat for a couple who were out swinging for the night!
Crazy place. Not even sure if it was the nuclear chems in the air or if that place just attracted people who wanted to escape and hide out.
There was also a Nuke leak in 1959 in the hills at the Rocketdyne nuke facility. Much more radiation escaped then on 3 mile Island.
Not much news coverage though because it was a "experimental lab".
Could be that everyone was a Zombie that lived in Simi?
Home sweet home...
Another ,"fun fact" Simi still is a desired place to live for both police officers and firemen...
Hmmm, makes you think a bit.

For everyone visiting the graves today, take care.
Hard to make those visits because they can be very emotional and sad.
We are not visiting today, we go at other times when it isn't so busy.
My newly connected cousins in Poland wrote me today. They are visiting and praying today, lighting candles and thinking of everyone.
Makes me feel like a  "heathen" because they seem like really religious and very, very sweet people.
They seem so full of love and joy when they write.
Not so easy coming from the "black sheep" side of the family and also coming from Calif. Known for it's "fruits and nuts".
I really intend to visit them this springtime but slightly afraid of how they will react once they meet me.
What is so sweet about them is they except family with no questions asked.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

....
Blackburn Cult, Manson family, oddballs living in the hills or in house trees.
I once went out with a few friends who knew a guy who lived in one of these tree houses. We went up and smoked a bit, I was 16 1/2 or so. .... She realized he was 100% crackers and gave up on him.
One time visit in his tree house was enough for me too...
....swinging for the night!
Crazy place. Not even sure if it was the nuclear chems in the air or if that place just attracted people who wanted to escape and hide out.
There was also a Nuke leak in 1959 in the hills at the Rocketdyne nuke facility. Much more radiation escaped then on 3 mile Island.
.....everyone was a Zombie that lived in Simi?
Home sweet home...
Another ,"fun fact" Simi still is a desired place to live for both police officers and firemen...
Hmmm, makes you think a bit.

Another oddball store from you in California!  There's a richness there and so it must be yet more material for your forthcoming book Marilyn! Why don't you just splurge it out in a mind dump!

If they can turn the Game of Thrones books into a fantastic TV show (the books are quite hard work to read - not captivating at all), then they should have no problem with your goings-on!

(Just don't tell Harvey  WhatsHisFace...)

My son actually is dying for some free time to write a book.
Not going to spill out his idea but a sort of fantasy book with allot of Hungarian characters and adventures.Hard though to find  material out there in English about the Huns and Avars before they were a Christian nation. His ideas are from the long ago past history of Hungary.
He has allot of different ideas but never gets around to actually  doing any of them. Not easy when you work full time.
My old dealing( games dealing that is) friend in Vegas wrote a book with a ghost writer about her first marriage and issues.
Sort of odd to read her personal life story.
She self published it, not sure if she turned a profit on it our not but she felt better after letting it out.
She was in the middle of a follow up book, not sure with her health if she has given up or not.
She did tell me a "women's studies" course at some college in CO. is using her book as a required reading...
Felt sick after I read her book and was a bit mad at her because she left out some very important details, maybe she was saving them for book no. 2? Perhaps no one would believe the real truth so she left a large portion out.
I think anyone who lives at least 5 or more decades has a book in them.
I am feeling very sad today after all, maybe all those vibes out there are in the air?
Old Hippie me, seems I can "tune in" to vibes sometimes.
In any case my head hurts and I feel very uneasy... Sadness in the air.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

.....
I think anyone who lives at least 5 or more decades has a book in them.
I am feeling very sad today after all, maybe all those vibes out there are in the air?
Old Hippie me, seems I can "tune in" to vibes sometimes.
In any case my head hurts and I feel very uneasy... Sadness in the air.

Bit like the 7 ages of (wo)man etc.  I heard also that everyone has 3 lives - sort of 0-30, 3-60, 61 - whenever.  So that's at least 3 books.

Not much to be sad about.  Did the cemetery thing - pretty lights and not that cold. 

Amazing that all the generations live and die in villages they were more or less born in.

Continuity so many people do not have these days.

klsallee wrote:

Chikagoan wrote:

What has been happening in Europe is a largely an illegal migration or economic migrants, not a refugee situation.

The same, tired, old political arguments and fear of economic competition made during the voyage of the St. Louis.

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

No it isn't the same old arguments. Most of these so called "refugees" are economic migrants. Pakistan is not experiencing genocide. Morocco is not experiencing an invasion from Nazi Germany in 2017. People in Nigeria are not being put in gas chambers. Your analogy is deliberately false on historical and sociological grounds.

Furthermore, it is up to the HUNGARIAN people to decide who lives HUNGARY. If a democratically elected Hungarian government does not want to admit economic migrants posing as refugees, then it is the right of the HUNGARIAN people to decide as such.

Yes, it does make tax paying citizens angry when large groups of people move in without going through the legal process and then asking for the moon and stars.
I am not sure but heard this last US election they had some illegals voting even!
Now that really is a huge issue, not only for the US but for the whole world.
I read that the HU gov. is going to only let HU citizens who live in Hungary cast a vote.
I always thought it was that way but see, I know little about politics so another reason I never really vote. Think the last time I really got behind any canidate was in the 6th grade class president elections...
Sort of  makes allot of sense to me, I do not vote in US elections out of knowing I do not live there and don't have to live too closely to any bad vote.
Then again, for the longest time there has not been anyone running for office that is worth a thing to waste time voting on.
What a choice they give us, Crazy Hilary or Insane Trump.
Either way is bad news...

Making a holiday out of visiting graves is something one has to be in the mood for.
Yesterday for some reason I picked up on some sad energy and my head was killing me.
Need to go out and get some Vitamin D sunshine today.
Small towns , so sweet in many ways and so limited as well.
When we lived on tiny little Maui there were some locals who had never even been to the other side of the Island their whole lives!
The village in Poland where my dad was born still only has 150 people living there! They don't even have st. names just house numbers.
My cousins in Poland lived in Gorlice a small city most of their lives then mom and daughter moved to the US for 20 years and now in retirement they both have moved back to Gorlice.
Guess they really loved their small city, most of the fam lives in nearby villages.
I felt a bit strange visiting there, loved it but couldn't really see myself there long term.
Maybe if I spoke Polish it would be a different story, the air was so fresh and clean in the mountains and I will not even think about the wonderful foods. Some of the best smoked fish ever!!

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

I read that the HU gov. is going to only let HU citizens who live in Hungary cast a vote.
I always thought it was that way but see, I know little about politics so another reason I never really vote.

As of now, all hungarian citizens, regardless where they are in the world, can vote at the embassies.

Same with US citizens.
I don't bother myself because I don't think I should try to make changes in the US while not having to live there.
I also don't follow politics much and I believe people who don't know how their vote will effect others shouldn't cast a vote.
I know when we owned a house we were more into politics and tax rates etc.
Some people cast a emotional vote without really thinking it through.
many of my US friends are super liberal to the point where it is just blindly being a follower.
Sort of makes me upset with them since no matter what a liberal will say or do, they just go alone with it, I don't think they take the time to look at both sides of a issue.
Only smart people who know the consequences of their vote should be allowed to vote I think.
Someone who only has a stake in one or two bills and overall doesn't understand what they are voting for are the scariest of voters.
They may vote for free medical care for all , not carrying at all that maybe a young middle class family will be hurt the most in taxes.
Most voters have a selfish agenda , vote without carrying how it will turn out for the majority.
One reason I don't vote, I don't have the time to study what is really going on.
Plus and I know this is not a popular view, I am getting old and seriously not going to have to live with whatever silly decision I vote on, be it positive or negative .
Maybe only people with a average to high IQ should be allowed to vote, so many people who are low achievers who vote whilly-nilly.
I know in the past only landowners could vote... People with something to lose in a vote seem to consider all sides more then those who have little to lose.
I'm not much of a deep thinker so best if I just let someone who really understands what's going on take charge. As long as a decision is the best overall for everyone, it's fine with me.
of course that's just me.
Politics is a subject that really gets people  over excited anyways.
I know my HU relations were not speaking to each other because one was a party member and the other had been in a forced labor camp for several years as a POW.
My father didn't visit or speak to his father because my grandfather was a party member too.
Just sad really that politics can even break up families. Just look at the US civil war, sad stuff.

One "solution" could be AI. That may however be the worst of the worst.
Having Sophia taking out humans who don't,"fit the program".
Sometimes being too logical is also a bad thing.
A computer would be able to take out any human emotions from any logical discussion or controversy.
Scary though if they went rogue on us.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Maybe only people with a average to high IQ should be allowed to vote, so many people who are low achievers who vote whilly-nilly.
I know in the past only landowners could vote... People with something to lose in a vote seem to consider all sides more then those who have little to lose.

Maybe democracy itself is the problem. I know this is an unpopular opinion. If we let engineers run machines and lawyers run law firms and chemists run pharmaceutical companies, maybe countries should be run by people who were taught how to run countries. In previous millenias, the nobility taught their children how to run their holdings, hence they had a concept of how to run an even larger holding, such as a country. Those families that failed to educate their children in statecraft disappeared entirely.

So the problem is the clause in the fine print of democracy that everybody can be choosen as a leader. and thats how corrupt and weak people get to the helm. Its not the voting base that needs to be tightened, but the to-be-voted base. One shouldnt be able to apply for a "prime minister" job unless that person has a MSC in statecraft.

Chikagoan wrote:

No it isn't the same old arguments. Most of these so called "refugees" are economic migrants.

Some are indeed economic migrants. But "most"? Care to show me actual data and facts from an objective source that "most" are indeed economic immigrants? I will not wait, because you can't. And that also does not in any way alleviate the local government from upholding their signed and agreed commitment to allow actual refugees with legitimate claims. Which the government here is currently refusing to do -- thus breaking their agreements and international law. Simply trying to label an actual refugee as an economic immigrant is just "fake news".

But keep telling yourself the myth if it makes you feel better. 

Democracy is sometimes messy, but that is the basis of Western political thought at present.
Furthermore, the ordinary people without graduate degrees (I have 3+ myself) should have the final say in government, not the so-called "elites" The fundamental problem with the EU is that the policy makers in Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg are too isolated from the electorates. When finally the actual people make their voices heard through electing 'populist' governments, the EU bureaucracy reacts negatively or hysterically.

Rawlee wrote:

...
Maybe democracy itself is the problem. I know this is an unpopular opinion. If we let engineers run machines and lawyers run law firms and chemists run pharmaceutical companies, maybe countries should be run by people who were taught how to run countries. In previous millenias, the nobility taught their children how to run their holdings, hence they had a concept of how to run an even larger holding, such as a country. Those families that failed to educate their children in statecraft disappeared entirely.

So the problem is the clause in the fine print of democracy that everybody can be choosen as a leader. and thats how corrupt and weak people get to the helm. Its not the voting base that needs to be tightened, but the to-be-voted base. One shouldnt be able to apply for a "prime minister" job unless that person has a MSC in statecraft.

Democracy could be viewed as a problem but it's also the solution.  It's a feedback loop which self-corrects. If the elected official is useless or does idiotic things, they will be removed  by some means - voted out or impeached.  If they do well in the perception of the electrorate, then they can be re-elected.   Many countries have age restrictions on being PM both upper and lower age limits. 

If one looks at say, the USA,  the founding fathers were extraordinarily wise to have safeguards to prevent someone becoming too powerful.  One reason for the safeguards was to prevent anyone becoming "king" and therefore all powerful.  Implementation is by having a triangular system of checks and balances - at each corner - the elected President, elected Senate/Congress and nominated Supreme Court.   Other tweaks include limited terms for the President. 

Many able politicians in the democratic are actually lawyers and that's because of the ability to present cases, engage in debate and sometimes make tough choices.

Rawlee wrote:

Maybe democracy itself is the problem.

Which is why modern governments are not pure classical democracies where "majority rules" is all that matter. That is, unlike in Hungary where the government now tries to promote "majority rules" over all else, modern "democratic" governments are actually republics. That is, in a republic, rule of law, individual and minority rights are considered as equally important.

In other words, under a classical democracy, one could, say, vote to kill all blue eyed red headed citizens. And if the majority agreed, there is mass genocide. But in a republic, where "life and liberty" are considered fundamental human rights no majority can supersede to pass such a possible vote.

What we are seeing today by "populists" are the claim that "classical democracy" should supersede the rule of law, individual rights and republic principles.

Chikagoan wrote:

Furthermore, the ordinary people without graduate degrees (I have 3+ myself)

Apparently, with your 3+ graduate degrees you failed to learn about a tyranny of the majority. So, I for one, am unimpressed by your 3+ graduate degrees.

Apparently, with your 3+ graduate degrees you failed to learn about a tyranny of the majority. So, I for one, am unimpressed by your 3+ graduate degrees.

Very 'nice' personal attacks. Avoiding the real issue, which is simply that you don't really like Hungary being governed by the Hungarian people. You would like a nice left-liberal, "enlightened" Eurocrat to govern Hungary and allow total free movement of people and trade regardless of what Hungarians themselves want or what benefits them. In other words, as you have already stated, democracy is clearly not to your liking.

I did not mention I have 3+ graduate degrees to impress you or anyone else. I mentioned it to make the contrast that despite having these degrees, I still support the will of the Hungarian people.

klsallee wrote:

Chikagoan wrote:

No it isn't the same old arguments. Most of these so called "refugees" are economic migrants.

Some are indeed economic migrants. But "most"? Care to show me actual data and facts from an objective source that "most" are indeed economic immigrants? I will not wait, because you can't. And that also does not in any way alleviate the local government from upholding their signed and agreed commitment to allow actual refugees with legitimate claims. Which the government here is currently refusing to do -- thus breaking their agreements and international law. Simply trying to label an actual refugee as an economic immigrant is just "fake news".

But keep telling yourself the myth if it makes you feel better. 

See the following and do the math.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ … origin.png

Chikagoan wrote:

See the following and do the math.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ … origin.png

And do note, that most of those refugees in this chart are from actual conflict sites. So.... Basically.... Even in 2015 migrants from these sites have a legitimate claim as refugees. After all, in 2015 Syria was (and still is) a war zone, and the Islamic State was spreading over large parts of Syria and Iraq, for example. And increase in Taliban pressure in Afghanistan in 2015 also caused human displacement. Not to mention the ongoing human crisis issues in the Sudan, Somalia, et. al. So you just proved yourself wrong (for 2015 at least) while simultaneously demonstrating your total lack of understanding of what is happening in these countries..

Chikagoan wrote:

Very 'nice' personal attacks. Avoiding the real issue, which is simply that you don't really like Hungary being governed by the Hungarian people. You would like a nice left-liberal, "enlightened" Eurocrat to govern Hungary and allow total free movement of people and trade regardless of what Hungarians themselves want or what benefits them. In other words, as you have already stated, democracy is clearly not to your liking.

Meh. Whatever.

I like modern democracy. From the Declaration of Independence onwards. But I admit I am not too fond of those that promote illiberal democracies which is just another form of Tyranny.

P.S. Your posts is a personal attack which avoids the issues I raised. Ironic. Hypocritical. Typical.

Chikagoan wrote:

I did not mention I have 3+ graduate degrees to impress you or anyone else. I mentioned it to make the contrast that despite having these degrees, I still support the will of the Hungarian people.

So if the will of the Hungarian people was to kill all red heads with blue eyes, would you support it? This is a "Yes" or "No" question. Nisht gefonfit!

klsallee wrote:

Chikagoan wrote:

See the following and do the math.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ … origin.png

2015. A bit old, eh?

And do note, that most of those refugees in this chart are from actual conflict sites. So.... Basically.... Even in 2015 migrants from these sites have a legitimate claim as refugees. After all, in 2015 Syria was (and still is) a war zone, and the Islamic State was spreading over large parts of Syria and Iraq, for example. And increase in Taliban pressure in Afghanistan in 2015 also caused human displacement. Not to mention the ongoing human crisis issues in the Sudan, Somalia, et. al. So you just proved yourself wrong (for 2015 at least) while simultaneously demonstrating your total lack of understanding of what is happening in these countries..

See this map http://www.ednh.news/wp-content/uploads … Europe.jpg
It is the same and has been the same, 2015-2017, in terms of most 'refugees' being actually economic migrants. The other point is, as the Hungarian government pointed out, even bona fide refugees prefer (or shall we say insist) of going to the places of refuge with the most generous welfare systems; Germany, Sweden, etc. They don't want to stay in Turkey or relocate to Poland or Slovakia , nor return to Syria after the war is over. Why should they go home and rebuild their own country when they can get paid generous welfare benefits without working?

fluffy2560 wrote:

If one looks at say, the USA,  the founding fathers were extraordinarily wise to have safeguards to prevent someone becoming too powerful.  One reason for the safeguards was to prevent anyone becoming "king" and therefore all powerful.  Implementation is by having a triangular system of checks and balances - at each corner - the elected President, elected Senate/Congress and nominated Supreme Court.   Other tweaks include limited terms for the President.

Very wrong example. The US is only 1 party away from dictatorship. And since both parties are right-wing, it is kinda dictatorship. Not to mention the deification of the "president". And the theatrical play before elections called campaings, how corruption is legalized through "donations" and the tacky slogans...Use a better example, like Britain, or Gemany.
https://cdn.pastemagazine.com/www/artic … 429801.png
This is a healthy political spectrum
https://www.politicalcompass.org/charts/uk2017
The US is almost the same as China. Multiple political parties, with the same values.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_p … s_in_China
So dont fool yourself, the beacon of democracy has a population which only craves autocracy and conservativism. This is the tyranny of the majority. There isnt even an other side to oppress, it has already been consumed (maybe never existed).

Also, bringing the FF of people into a discussion about right-wing ideas and immigration is kind shooting yourself in the foot, as all of them were so extremelly right-wing, they would be off the charts today in their extremeness. And their position on slavery and women's rights makes our issues with Orbán and the immigrants a drop in the ocean. Some were even pro-slavery. And this person is still not put on trial for crimes against humanity. Their high pedestal is so low you can put and elephant and a donkey in it, and they wouldnt fill the pit.

Also, since we pratically banned slavery before 1233, I guess comparing to us anything these guys were doing is kind of...insulting? A bunch of slaveowners decided the state cant interfere in the matters of individuals and corporations. Sounds bogus. What kept them from giving up slavery, before actually banning it?
http://lexikon.katolikus.hu/R/rabszolga … A1gon.html

Also, a king was never too powerfull. You must have been watching too much Hollywood movies.
http://tudasbazis.sulinet.hu/hu/tarsada … s-mukodese
Kings were never all-too-powerful, the nobles kept them in check. Later the cities and even the common people were represented. Also, the counties were partly autonomous, they had power over the nobles.
Also, we should not forget that the kings were choosen, "approved" by the nobility.
http://tudasbazis.sulinet.hu/hu/tarsada … gyar-allam

fluffy2560 wrote:

Many able politicians in the democratic are actually lawyers and that's because of the ability to present cases, engage in debate and sometimes make tough choices.

See, that is what I was talking about. The theoretical physicist is running the car assembly line. A lawyer should be the last person to run a country. They dont have understanding of real word economics, the inner workings of humans. And the net result is a clusterf*ck of laws spanning whole libraries, which solve nothing.

As Neil deGrasse Tyson put it - where are the doctors, engineers and scientists from the governments?
https://gradycarter.wordpress.com/2012/ … t-of-life/


You really should read a lot more. This is getting tiresome. You have too much Hollywood "knowledge" of the world. Please visit the National Museum before you make any more embarassing comparisons.

Chikagoan wrote:

See this map http://www.ednh.news/wp-content/uploads … Europe.jpg

Sighs.... this proves nothing new to counter what I said. That you are still ignorant about why people might leave these countries. And that they may have legitimate claims as refugees. Claiming they just come for government subsidies is prejudice without knowing each individual case history.

And I noted from your "expat path" (and I took a screen shot, in case you now change it) that you do not even live in Hungary. But in Chicago. And you only want to live here "part time". Very interesting. So while you have strong ideas about Hungary, you don't  even want live here full time.  Interesting.....

Meanwhile, I have lived here full time for over a decade. I have real world experience of what it is like to live here full time. That is, I deal with Hungary on the ground, daily. You just have "theories and ideologies". Isn't that nice. Quite frankly, you really act and talk like a "saloon communist" who pontificates about how great Communism was in Hungary, but actually did not live in communist Hungary.

No, not character assassination, I am just pointing out facts. Even if those facts make you uncomfortable. They are still facts.

klsallee wrote:

Chikagoan wrote:

I did not mention I have 3+ graduate degrees to impress you or anyone else. I mentioned it to make the contrast that despite having these degrees, I still support the will of the Hungarian people.

So if the will of the Hungarian people was to kill all red heads with blue eyes, would you support it? This is a "Yes" or "No" question. Nisht gefonfit!

Don't be ridiculous. We are specifically referring to immigration. 2017 is not 1933. Hungary is not nazi Germany and Orban is not Hitler. Sorry, wrong analogies.

Chikagoan wrote:

klsallee wrote:

Chikagoan wrote:

I did not mention I have 3+ graduate degrees to impress you or anyone else. I mentioned it to make the contrast that despite having these degrees, I still support the will of the Hungarian people.

So if the will of the Hungarian people was to kill all red heads with blue eyes, would you support it? This is a "Yes" or "No" question. Nisht gefonfit!

Don't be ridiculous.

That is, you did hedge. Good to know. You refuse to take a fundamental and important ethical stand on a basic principle that any normal, moral, ethical person would be able to answer easily.  Your cognitive dissonance is showing.

Rawlee wrote:

Very wrong example. The US is only 1 party away from dictatorship.

Oh please. What nonsense. Thus the rest of the post is easily dismissed on basis of such ignorance. The USA survived McCarthy, and Nixon. It will survive Trump.

Meanwhile, in Hungary, the PM actually promotes illiberal states...

Rawlee wrote:

....Very wrong example. The US is only 1 party away from dictatorship. And since both parties are right-wing, it is kinda dictatorship. Not to mention the deification of the "president". And the theatrical play before elections called campaings, how corruption is legalized through "donations" and the tacky slogans...Use a better example, like Britain, or Gemany......This is the tyranny of the majority. .....

Depends what you mean by right wing.  More to the right of socialism?  The communists were just red fascists.

Anyway, Germany is a federation as is the USA.  Even Nigeria is a federation.  The power is held more in the states than in the central authority.  I would say recent events pretty clearly show the USA (and I'm not from there) is not a dictatorship. Every time Trump oversteps his authority, he gets slapped down as is right and proper. The checks and balances work (i.e. constitutional court - supreme court). Russia is not a democracy as Putin doesn't care what anyone thinks.  Look at Venezuela or Cuba even!

Rawlee wrote:

...Kings were never all-too-powerful, the nobles kept them in check. Later the cities and even the common people were represented. Also, the counties were partly autonomous, they had power over the nobles. Also, we should not forget that the kings were chosen,

Now you're really going down the wrong path.  There are numerous examples of kings getting bumped off because they got too uppity.  In my own country (UK), we removed the fella's head.  That is the basis for all modern parliamentary democracies - elected government and symbolic head (ok, USA is more executive but meh...).  Moreover, in the UK civil war,  Cromwell was offered the crown, he refused as he didn't believe in kingship. We spent several years in a dictatorship where he had life and death power.  In the end we brought back the king but only symbolically.

Rawlee wrote:

...See, that is what I was talking about. The theoretical physicist is running the car assembly line. A lawyer should be the last person to run a country. They dont have understanding of real word economics, the inner workings of humans. And the net result is a clusterf*ck of laws spanning whole libraries, which solve nothing.

And what governs the running of country?  No idea? Ok, it's easy it's called "rule of law".  The laws are there to run the country so it's fairly obvious lawyers  want to get involved.  Why would we care anyway what people did before anyway?  So long as they are competent, then it's good enough. Merkel is a scientist and she just got re-elected.  People obviously like her.  Who elected Putin? No-one knows but it probably wasn't the Russian people.

Rawlee wrote:

...
As Neil deGrasse Tyson put it - where are the doctors, engineers and scientists from the governments?

Who?  And why do I care? My own country has plenty of specialists in parliament from medics to IT workers and yes, lawyers.

Rawlee wrote:

...
You really should read a lot more. This is getting tiresome. You have too much Hollywood "knowledge" of the world. Please visit the National Museum before you make any more embarassing comparisons.

Ha!  You obviously don't like my attempts at humour and frivolity but you are getting better at the returns but I would say you should stop quoting from what you Google'd as not everything out there is actually true. 

Generally all  can say is that my impressions that....You can't handle the truth!.

klsallee wrote:

Chikagoan wrote:

klsallee wrote:

So if the will of the Hungarian people was to kill all red heads with blue eyes, would you support it? This is a "Yes" or "No" question. Nisht gefonfit!

Don't be ridiculous.

That is, you did hedge. Good to know. You refuse to take a fundamental and important ideological stand on a basic principle that any normal, moral, ethical person would be able to answer easily.

Once again, don't be ridiculous. I would never support Nazism or Stalinism or genocide or anti-semitism. That is obviously NOT the issue. The point is that the left is deliberately attempting to confuse the issues regarding illegal immigration in such a manner as to paint those who disagree with an open border policy, with the 'racism' or "Nazi" brush. Hungary is public enemy #1 for open border Eurocrats because the populace and FIDESZ does not support open borders.

Chikagoan wrote:

.... Hungary is not nazi Germany and Orban is not Hitler. Sorry, wrong analogies.

I sense a case of Godwin's law coming on......

fluffy2560 wrote:

Chikagoan wrote:

.... Hungary is not nazi Germany and Orban is not Hitler. Sorry, wrong analogies.

I sense a case of Godwin's law coming on......

Since Chikagoan already mentioned Nazis, I think we might have already reached it (as in "close enough" like in horse shoes and hand grenades). And if we accept Godwin's law then Chikagoan thus already lost the argument.

However, this is also to consider, when there are legitimate reasons when to invoke the scourge of the 20th century.