Amit a FIDESZ árul az egy törénet: a szavazókat arra biztatják, hogy ne az adatokat nézzék, ne a szakértőkre hallgassanak, ne elemzéseket olvassanak, hanem Orbán Viktor ölére kucorodva figyeljenek a mesére amit a fülükbe duruzsolnak. A mese egy klassz helyről szól, ahol jó élni, keményen kell dolgozni és focizni, de ha ezt megteszi az ember kerül kolbász az asztalra és még talán pálinkát is főzhetünk.
Döbbenetes, hogy az utóbbi években ezt annyit sulykolták itthon, hogy egyesek elhiszik hogy Magyarország jobb hely, mint mondjuk Németország, az USA, az Egyesült Királyság, Spanyolország, Japán, vagy akár csak Taiwan, esetleg Chile. Nem jobb. Szegényebb, rosszabbak az úthálózatok és a kórházak, alacsonyabbak a fizetések, a kormány semmit nem tesz hogy a legnagyobb és legleszakadtabb kisebbségünk helyzetén változtasson (se képzés, se munka), és korábban ezerszer megbukott, ezerszer kártékonynak bizonyult túlzó nacionalizmussal tüzeli a választóit. A kormány kereszténységről papol, de az intézkedései és a kormányzási módszerei távolról sem keresztényiek. Mellesleg eleve nevetséges egységes keresztény Európáról szónokolni, amikor rengeteg ateista, zsidó, és általában a vallás iránt közömbös ember él ennek a politikai-gazdasági egységnek a területén.
De a nemzeti-gyagya kelendő termék, sokan veszik. Többen talán nem szeretnék elfogadni, hogy kellene rengeteg régi szokáson és magatartáson változtatni, hogy igenis kell konfrontálódni a korrupt főnökökkel, az adócsaló ismerősökkel, a hűtlen és/vagy szexista barátokkal, vagy akár a politikai nézeteikre igénytelen kollégákkal is. Szeretnék azt hinni, hogy tulajdonképpen elég fasza minden úgy ahogy van, csak egy kicsit több pénz kell, azt meg oké ha összelopják, hiszen ezen az amúgy szuper helyen sokan mások is ezt teszik.
Magyarországban, a magyar lakosságban egyébként sokkal több potenciál van ennél. Ezt mutatja, hogy az ország méretéhez és a kutatási-fejlesztési ill felsőokatási ráfordításokhoz képest még most is normális számban jegyeznek be felfedezéseket és új termékeket, hogy van még felsőoktatás és élénk irodalmi élet, színházi élet, hogy vannak szép turisztikai látványosságok és van egy-egy jó film. Vannak normálisan működő és működtetett intézmények is, és rendben tartott közutak, világítás és egészségügyi kezelések.
Ki lehet hozni sokkal többet ebből a helyből, egyszerűen nem kell hallgatni azokra, akik semmin nem akarnak változatni, akik a múltba szeretnének visszautazni, és természetesen úgy képzelik el, hogy ők a nagyon vékonyka akkori felsőréteg tagjai lennének.
Mindenkinek kellene kicsit utaznia, olvasnia, mert itthonról tényleg nehéz látni, hogy mit lehetne máshogy csinálni. Megszokja az ember a szexizmust, a korrupciót, a mutyit, a munkába beépülő lazsálást és csevegést, a célszerűtlen és autoriter vezetői szerkezeteket. Feladat van bőven, fel lehetne használni az értelmes és tehetséges fiatalokat. Itt sincs több vagy kevesebb belőlük mint máshol, de lehetőséghez kevesebbhez jutnak és korán leszűkítik a politikai fantáziájukat.
Showing posts with label Central-Europe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Central-Europe. Show all posts
Wednesday, 18 November 2015
Tuesday, 17 November 2015
How to beat the FIDESZ media-machine
A very interesting thing I realized while at home in Hungary is that the currently ruling party, FIDESZ, rules simply by selling people stories. (I treat FIDESZ as the ruling party. Let's be honest, the Christian Democratic People's Party, KDNP, is just in it for the fun and does not contribute much.)
I'm not saying that the government isn't doing anything in the interest of the country. They did enact many policies and laws and they have good professional teams working on particular issues of economics, sociology, etc. There are also plenty of talented, professional people working for the Hungarian government, and in the different ministries and offices. This entry says nothing about their work. This entry is simply about how FIDESZ is securing its popularity.
And as you can guess the fact that the way the ruling party is securing its popularity is 100% disconnected from the way it is running the country - and I do not mean a few sensationalist issues, like how it deals with producing schnaps at home - is scary. I'd bet a good bottle of wine that most people who are currently voters of FIDESZ have no idea and don't care at all about FIDESZ's work on economy, on how and whether it is doing anything for the education or the health sectors, on whether it has an energy strategy, and so on. What people buy are two things: i) the image of a strong leader, and ii) the image generated that the party is perpetually in action, non-stop working for "the Hungarian people".
If we look at both of these images it is easy to see that there isn't much content behind them. Orban is an average politician who gives good speeches but hasn't managed to carry out reform in any of the significantly problematic sectors of Hungarian life - he has no idea or policy to deal with poverty, he has no clue on how to deal with the segregation of the Roma population, no view on the increasing difference between incomes in other EU countries and incomes in Hungary, no initiative on strengthening new areas of the economy, no intent of reforming the old system of healthcare that is still at work in Hungary. And he is quite insignificant at a European level. What is sold at home is an image: an image of a man who cares, who loves his country and people, who is passionate about popular issues like soccer and the strength and security of the nation. Whether Orban is really like this, we don't know of course. As with actors and TV personalities we cannot assume that politicians profess their honest opinions when they appear in public.
The image that the party is in constant action is at least true. But the image sold of the actions of the party is an image of the party as being super-effective in governing the country. Now, this is not really true. Debt is roughly at the same level as it was 5 or 7 years ago. Employment rates are better but only because masses of people have left the country and work abroad, and simultaneously the government is employing throngs of people through local councils. Meanwhile we see Janos Lazar talking 3-4-5 times a day about all they have achieved, all they are doing. And what they are doing and selling doesn't make much sense. Think of our Foreign Minister Szijjarto's rampage of insulting politicians in neighboring countries in September and October.
The opposition parties struggle to do anything against this communication. Since FIDESZ is in charge of all the state owned TV and radio channels and their supporters are running several of the main newspapers it is very easy for them to get their message through to people. I'm not suggesting that they would repress others. (At least I don't know of any particular cases.) And to be honest, the opposition still has plenty of chances to communicate. But it does not have nearly anything as powerful as the government-communication mojo. No well-selling trademark faces, no outstanding speakers (except maybe for one or two in LMP and Jobbik), and no catchy, simple and easy-to-understand message-package.
What could be done in this situation to undermine the self-generated and self-promoted credibility of FIDESZ? Well, simply ignore them. Nobody should take Orban seriously. (We shouldn't do so anyway, so even better if ignoring him is a means to a good end.) We should simply not get into the debates as the government is framing them. There have been good attempts at this. When other parties pose uncomfortable questions the government does not do anything but talks down all accusations aggressively and people who already support them like this. But what if they are ignored?
What if others can offer imaginative, serious, interesting political options? I think that part of why Jobbik is currently the second most popular party in Hungary has less to do with their far-right, nationalistic, xenophobic and militant messages, and more with the fact that they present an easy to remember and clear line that isn't hard to imagine. Most voters won't think very hard about what they hear. They won't check whether the claims of a party add up. If it is easy to believe that they do, many voters will believe that party. Of course if one thinks through what Jobbik says one is horrified and at the same time realizes that it has no basis in reality, and doesn't work. (Just think of their laughable ideas about being a 'self-reliant' economy, or their fiasco in first supporting Syria, then the rebels against Assad, and now standing firmly against supporting Syrian refugees). But their (ridiculous) fantasies are still grasping for many people.
Now, let us believe that there are better grasping and motivating, touching and interesting political pictures which we can offer. And most importantly that there are pictures which are worth offering because they are closer to the truth, to a workable economic policy and international foreign policy. The task should be to craft political scenarios that can be formed into a likeable narrative, a story voters can identify with, that we can offer instead of Jobbik's nightmare and the products of FIDESZ's illusion factory. As such a task cannot be done by the old agents and the old parties - MSZP, DK, Együtt, etc. - clearly only LMP and Jobbik stand a chance from the currently existing parties to shift towards such a story. LMP has the better chances because they haven't already ruined their reputation amongst more careful reasoners in the way Jobbik did. But a new party's rise would also be welcome - provided it has nothing to do with any of the oldies (Gyurcsány and Bajnai also count as oldies with no credibility).
I'm not saying that the government isn't doing anything in the interest of the country. They did enact many policies and laws and they have good professional teams working on particular issues of economics, sociology, etc. There are also plenty of talented, professional people working for the Hungarian government, and in the different ministries and offices. This entry says nothing about their work. This entry is simply about how FIDESZ is securing its popularity.
And as you can guess the fact that the way the ruling party is securing its popularity is 100% disconnected from the way it is running the country - and I do not mean a few sensationalist issues, like how it deals with producing schnaps at home - is scary. I'd bet a good bottle of wine that most people who are currently voters of FIDESZ have no idea and don't care at all about FIDESZ's work on economy, on how and whether it is doing anything for the education or the health sectors, on whether it has an energy strategy, and so on. What people buy are two things: i) the image of a strong leader, and ii) the image generated that the party is perpetually in action, non-stop working for "the Hungarian people".
If we look at both of these images it is easy to see that there isn't much content behind them. Orban is an average politician who gives good speeches but hasn't managed to carry out reform in any of the significantly problematic sectors of Hungarian life - he has no idea or policy to deal with poverty, he has no clue on how to deal with the segregation of the Roma population, no view on the increasing difference between incomes in other EU countries and incomes in Hungary, no initiative on strengthening new areas of the economy, no intent of reforming the old system of healthcare that is still at work in Hungary. And he is quite insignificant at a European level. What is sold at home is an image: an image of a man who cares, who loves his country and people, who is passionate about popular issues like soccer and the strength and security of the nation. Whether Orban is really like this, we don't know of course. As with actors and TV personalities we cannot assume that politicians profess their honest opinions when they appear in public.
The image that the party is in constant action is at least true. But the image sold of the actions of the party is an image of the party as being super-effective in governing the country. Now, this is not really true. Debt is roughly at the same level as it was 5 or 7 years ago. Employment rates are better but only because masses of people have left the country and work abroad, and simultaneously the government is employing throngs of people through local councils. Meanwhile we see Janos Lazar talking 3-4-5 times a day about all they have achieved, all they are doing. And what they are doing and selling doesn't make much sense. Think of our Foreign Minister Szijjarto's rampage of insulting politicians in neighboring countries in September and October.
The opposition parties struggle to do anything against this communication. Since FIDESZ is in charge of all the state owned TV and radio channels and their supporters are running several of the main newspapers it is very easy for them to get their message through to people. I'm not suggesting that they would repress others. (At least I don't know of any particular cases.) And to be honest, the opposition still has plenty of chances to communicate. But it does not have nearly anything as powerful as the government-communication mojo. No well-selling trademark faces, no outstanding speakers (except maybe for one or two in LMP and Jobbik), and no catchy, simple and easy-to-understand message-package.
What could be done in this situation to undermine the self-generated and self-promoted credibility of FIDESZ? Well, simply ignore them. Nobody should take Orban seriously. (We shouldn't do so anyway, so even better if ignoring him is a means to a good end.) We should simply not get into the debates as the government is framing them. There have been good attempts at this. When other parties pose uncomfortable questions the government does not do anything but talks down all accusations aggressively and people who already support them like this. But what if they are ignored?
What if others can offer imaginative, serious, interesting political options? I think that part of why Jobbik is currently the second most popular party in Hungary has less to do with their far-right, nationalistic, xenophobic and militant messages, and more with the fact that they present an easy to remember and clear line that isn't hard to imagine. Most voters won't think very hard about what they hear. They won't check whether the claims of a party add up. If it is easy to believe that they do, many voters will believe that party. Of course if one thinks through what Jobbik says one is horrified and at the same time realizes that it has no basis in reality, and doesn't work. (Just think of their laughable ideas about being a 'self-reliant' economy, or their fiasco in first supporting Syria, then the rebels against Assad, and now standing firmly against supporting Syrian refugees). But their (ridiculous) fantasies are still grasping for many people.
Now, let us believe that there are better grasping and motivating, touching and interesting political pictures which we can offer. And most importantly that there are pictures which are worth offering because they are closer to the truth, to a workable economic policy and international foreign policy. The task should be to craft political scenarios that can be formed into a likeable narrative, a story voters can identify with, that we can offer instead of Jobbik's nightmare and the products of FIDESZ's illusion factory. As such a task cannot be done by the old agents and the old parties - MSZP, DK, Együtt, etc. - clearly only LMP and Jobbik stand a chance from the currently existing parties to shift towards such a story. LMP has the better chances because they haven't already ruined their reputation amongst more careful reasoners in the way Jobbik did. But a new party's rise would also be welcome - provided it has nothing to do with any of the oldies (Gyurcsány and Bajnai also count as oldies with no credibility).
The Hungarian government and the war on refugees and migrants
I have spent the last few months back at home in good old Hungary. Most Hungarians I know think that this country is the center of the universe and they are blatantly ignorant of world politics, economics, the history and culture of Hungary itself, and in general about sociological facts. In fact, most people don't give a damn about Hungary. Which is fair enough: it is insignificant on the global stage.
But this time around it was all different: for a few brief weeks the attention of the other EU countries was actually directed at Hungary, mainly due to Viktor Orban's and his governments' actions taken to discourage and to prevent refugees and migrants from entering Hungary.
Hungary is just like any other country: our politicians say different things on the international stage and during high profile visits to foreign high ranking officials from what they say at home. The same is true of how they handle the refugee-'crisis'. While in Hungary the government launched a billboard campaign against refugees already early this Spring, when PM Orban gave an interview to German newspaper Bild he talked about how sorry he feels for refugees and how he is looking for constructive solutions.
Well, he obviously hasn't found any because at the moment not a single refugee, asylum seeker, or migrant is allowed into the country through any legal channel. (This is of course technically not true: people can apply for asylum seeker status but the procedure is ridiculously slow and the results so far have been uniformly negative. Refugees might as well put their hopes on a lottery ticket rather than apply to Hungary for shelter.)
Currently the government is running a campaign to collect signatures from civilians to show that people oppose the EU's policy of distributing refugees amongst the member states. Of course a lot of Hungarians - who are either deceived, or stupid, or xenophobic, or lazy to get enough info, etc. - support this and quite a few signatures have already been collected. Furthermore, as PM Orban told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung "we" don't want a multicultural society, and "we" feel very well about being patriotic (which he thinks is contrary to being liberal). I guess the PM must have been talking about himself in the royal plural, or about his family and circle of close friends. Me, many friends, and a good number of other Hungarians surely don't feel very excited about not being a multicultural country nor about being very patriotic (if that means not-being liberal).
The current new trend in the rhetoric of our primy and his aids is to suggest connections between the recent attacks in Paris and the influx of refugees and migrants. Whereas the facts are that the attacks were organized by members of a number of loosely connected and internationally established radical Islamist organizations. Organizing them must have taken time. The attackers required guns, explosives, careful planning, etc. What does our primy and his best minds come up with? That letting refugees who are fleeing from wars, and letting migrants fleeing poverty, into our country, and in the EU at all, should be banned. Why? Because they will become terrorists and shoot more people. Not the most brilliant thinking. But we are used to that by now.
At times like this I really wish that the government should be more accountable, similarly to the way people can be held accountable within a company. If members of the government are speaking such utter rubbish why can't we fire these guys?
But this time around it was all different: for a few brief weeks the attention of the other EU countries was actually directed at Hungary, mainly due to Viktor Orban's and his governments' actions taken to discourage and to prevent refugees and migrants from entering Hungary.
Hungary is just like any other country: our politicians say different things on the international stage and during high profile visits to foreign high ranking officials from what they say at home. The same is true of how they handle the refugee-'crisis'. While in Hungary the government launched a billboard campaign against refugees already early this Spring, when PM Orban gave an interview to German newspaper Bild he talked about how sorry he feels for refugees and how he is looking for constructive solutions.
Well, he obviously hasn't found any because at the moment not a single refugee, asylum seeker, or migrant is allowed into the country through any legal channel. (This is of course technically not true: people can apply for asylum seeker status but the procedure is ridiculously slow and the results so far have been uniformly negative. Refugees might as well put their hopes on a lottery ticket rather than apply to Hungary for shelter.)
Currently the government is running a campaign to collect signatures from civilians to show that people oppose the EU's policy of distributing refugees amongst the member states. Of course a lot of Hungarians - who are either deceived, or stupid, or xenophobic, or lazy to get enough info, etc. - support this and quite a few signatures have already been collected. Furthermore, as PM Orban told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung "we" don't want a multicultural society, and "we" feel very well about being patriotic (which he thinks is contrary to being liberal). I guess the PM must have been talking about himself in the royal plural, or about his family and circle of close friends. Me, many friends, and a good number of other Hungarians surely don't feel very excited about not being a multicultural country nor about being very patriotic (if that means not-being liberal).
The current new trend in the rhetoric of our primy and his aids is to suggest connections between the recent attacks in Paris and the influx of refugees and migrants. Whereas the facts are that the attacks were organized by members of a number of loosely connected and internationally established radical Islamist organizations. Organizing them must have taken time. The attackers required guns, explosives, careful planning, etc. What does our primy and his best minds come up with? That letting refugees who are fleeing from wars, and letting migrants fleeing poverty, into our country, and in the EU at all, should be banned. Why? Because they will become terrorists and shoot more people. Not the most brilliant thinking. But we are used to that by now.
At times like this I really wish that the government should be more accountable, similarly to the way people can be held accountable within a company. If members of the government are speaking such utter rubbish why can't we fire these guys?
Monday, 2 December 2013
On David Cameron's visit to China
It seems that in moments of international political difficulties British Prime Ministers have a knack for licking the wrong ass. This time David Cameron has shown us beautifully how he can go bone deep with his tongue between the ass-cheeks of Chinese leaders, retaining a broad smile on his face, sending messages from his twitter account "This is awesome! And if I succeed you all will be able to experience it soon too!"
It is understandable that he felt at ease in China: after all he is a busy man and it may have escaped him that just this week China pressed for a unilateral extension of its military zone, pushing it forward straight into Japanese territory. Great move mister Cameron!
Quoting the great man (via this article):
Lovely ideas! When another agent threatens to step into the line of global bullies, extending its military control zone, trying to get foreign territories under its control, increasing its military spending, firmly rejecting values that are at the core of every decent European's value system, this is a truly nice time to emphasize the importance of being open to China. Note: he didn't emphasize being open to Chinese culture, not to judge every Chinese person based on the acts of their government, etc. No. Just accept the government. Get over the torture, no free press, and forced labour issues. China, a country whose government got furious with above mentioned PM just a year ago for even meeting someone they don't like. Bravo.
Good old Neville Chamberlain would applaud! Just recall him at his best:
"How horrible, fantastic, incredible it is that we should be digging trenches and trying on gas-masks here because of a quarrel in a far-away country between people of whom we know nothing. It seems still more impossible that a quarrel that has already been settled in principle should be the subject of war."
Sure. Why take sides in a conflict which partially our politics brought about? Or this other gem:
"My good friends, this is the second time there has come back from Germany to Downing Street peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Now I recommend you go home, and sleep quietly in your beds."
What insight. Such clever. At the same time Cameron is the strong man at home, balking at the evil immigrants, preaching austerity. The Telegraph, almost humbled by the chance of getting an insight into the terrible experiences such a great man has to endure day-by-day in the country he leads, reports that Cameron visited a factory where 10 out of 40 of the workers were from abroad. This is a car factory. Being the sharp chap that he is, Cameron blames British education: of course, after all if the English don't want to do skilled manual work because they can get better jobs you still should not give those jobs to people from poorer countries. Or does the reasoning go this way: capitalism and competition should apply everywhere, except maybe in England? In any case, bloody wonderful. Let's totally disregard that most people who come here seeking work aren't the ones with good diplomas getting the high salary jobs. They are the people who fuel your car, prepare your sandwich and clean the toilet after you. Not all, but most of them.
Such moves as patting China on the back, and topping that with an offer of a massage, show that Cameron clearly doesn't take the EU seriously, doesn't take its strong political and economic connections with Japan seriously, and has given in to the idea that since the UK cannot do much in military terms about that part of the world, they should just reap as much as they can via the usual way: getting in their companies.
At the same time, a fact that here in England is not too often mentioned: while they spend big money yearly on supporting the less-developed EU member countries, they also enjoy huge benefits from total free trade. Many UK companies got tremendous tax exemptions in Central- and East-Europe. They can also go on paying minimum wages and relying on non-fixed term contracts, firing employees after a few months. The profits are extraordinary and the bulk of it flows back to the mother companies on the Island. If Westminster cannot step up and stop those companies from taking and hiding the money in some remote offshore accounts, that's not the fault of the usurped countries. That's the fault of the inefficiency of his own government.
I can only hope he has shaved before going to meet the Chinese PM. Just so that his stubbly doesn't hurt the tender skin on the lower-back cheeks of his new 'economic partner'.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)