Hello Kati
Thanks for your kind reply - yes, if there is a pitifull thing that has happened, our mind tries to amend and makes us believe that something threatening or a terrbe hurt simply can’t be true, as a kind of self-defence.
But in the end when it turns out worse then the hope that our minds clambered to then it is often the start of a long-term hassle. It means that we have to go on living and step by step have to come to terms with the inevitable.
It can spur new developements that might not have taken place without that very sad event. If we are lucky, other people we know stick to us and help us to overcome that span of dismal, troubling live and stand up for better times! Then it might be possible even to turn things to the better - not only for ourselves but for others too.
Cheers Urs
Hi everybody,
I am Namrta. It is my first recording. This site English Test.net is the one of the best sites I came across while learning English. All the very best to everybody and happy learning 
Hi everybody,
I am Namrta. It is my first recording. This site English Test.net is one of the best sites I came across while learning English. All the very best to everybody and happy learning
Hello,
As I gave an account of my Facebook’s scandal I had to give an account about a letter what one of my good friends has just sent me. He works in the governmental administration and sent me a list of " left-liberal rats". There are hundreds of names on it but my name isn’t there, but lot of friends of mine are there. When my friend got to know what they did with me he immediately thought that they did because of I am on a list.
There are lots of lists in Hungary for example very ill-famed the Kubatov list.
I used the Facebook that I always described my opinion which wasn’t favourable for the present government. I always said that I don’t fear of anything. I really didn’t fear but with this weapon I am helpless if they set the hackers on me.
They can put any lies on my page. It was a good idea for ridding themselves of me.
Now I am certain that I know which way the wind blows.
This is a Hungarian typical story.
Hello Kati
I grew worried when I heard about that list.
Cheers Urs
Part two
Cheers Urs
Hello Urs,
Many thanks for your voice message. Now I write only but tomorrow I read out because Torsten doesn’t like if we write to this thread without reading out. Now I am unable to read out.
At last there is hope that we can get rid of this government. There is a man, who was once PM. He is very intelligent, he is a professor in two American Universities, and now they organized an alliance, for the time being it isn’t still a party, but there will be.
This person , his name Gordon Bajnai left his universities/ his workplaces in the US. because he has authenticity of the opposition and he believes in himself, he wants to change the régime. I don’t want to use great word: But he is a true patriot. Here is the link of his speech what he said on a National Holiday few days ago. If you have patience read it.
freehungary.hu/component/con … ajnai.html
If not, there is some details of it.
“Those in office now govern against those whom they can thank for their victory”
,” …do not forget that the regime is built upon intimidation! Jobs, mandates, contracts are in
danger. The tax authorities, blacklists, Kubatov-lists, mandatory registration processes hover above us
as threats. Hungary is administered by cunning fear.”
“But do not fear! Look around yourselves: you are not alone! Let that give us all strength! Even when
they sling mud at us, even when they drag us in front of committees. Even when they threaten us
with court cases, even when they send us messages behind the scenes. Even if they attack us with
tax-funded regiments. Against us, against those who believe Hungary must change, and who are
acting for this conviction.”
“…this government promised security, peace and prosperity. Instead, what we
see in the country today are fear, hopelessness and rising poverty. This is a government of failure.
This government must go!”
And I don’t know why he didn’t mention that it is a GREAT PROBLEM that 4 million people of the 10 million habitants live in deep poverty. You couldn’t imagine that they commit suicide almost every day because they are unable to make ends meet.
Many thanks for you are interested in our political situation.
Take care:
Kati
P.s: There is a sarcastic video about Kubatov in German . I don’t want to write its link but you find on You Tube: Hitler, Orban, Kubatov -is the title. If you can’t find it I will send you its link. Orban is our present PM.
Hello Urs,
I have to write this for understanding everything.
It would be very normal if in Hungary would be a a rotation of the Conservative and the Democrat. Or I would say the normal right wing and normal left wing and the middle.
Don’t forget that in Hungary the Democracy is in its infancy. You can’t compare with Switzerland. The chief problem is the crisis always a good ground for the extremities.
Don’t forget that we have never been neutral. What a shame! We were the last satellite state of Hitler. And nowadays there is a nostalgia for the era before WW.II Now there are streets recalled again about Horthy , who was a governor and could cooperate with Hitler very well etc. I don’t want to give you a history class. Believe me that this is the truth.
Take care:
Kati
Hi Kati
Thanks for the link to the speech of Gordon Bajnai, your former Prime Minister.
Through his manifest, I could see some bits hidden behind the smoke.
We only hear from time to time a complaint or expression of deep sorrow uttered by the authorities of the European Union.
Mr. Baynai expresses his wish for a strong middle ground in politics, and he is completely right! That is exactly what the political parties in the middle try to do in my country too.
After years of blockings in political progress because of left-wing and right-wing fightings - in your eyes these must be minor problems that are no real threat to our state, and you are right, of course - people yearn for solutions instead of quarrels!
Extreme right-wing politicians tried to wipe out the moderate right-wing and still liberal party in Switzerland called FDP, and they succeeded.
But now, at least some of the members of that right-wing hardliner-party SVP took their leave!
Those who didn’t want to support campains anymore that are to make sure that all “evil” foreigners should go back to where they came from (and at the same time they are used by exponents of that SVP party for underpayed farming jobs or - on the other side of the spectrum - as excellently skilled people to keep our economy thriving!)What a shame!
What is going on in your country, however, seems to be a real threat to society and so to every citicens live!
I hope there is enough decency around to overcome all the differences to unite the people to get rid of those exponents and the currently rooling governement.
I wish you and your friends all the best, and a lot of strength to endure the threats by helping each other out and reinforcing the bonds between all decent, diligent, upright and right-hearted people in your country.
Cheers Urs
Part two
About extreme tendencies in the wake of hard times in economy…
Cheers Urs
Hello Urs,
It is an incredible, inconceivable story. You can’t understand it from Mr. Gordon Bajnai speech. When Bajnai says that it isn’t enough to win the election but they have to change the régime - for us this doesn’t require any explanation because we endured the whole process. I left the Facebook because I 've made comments about everything that’s why I received my punishment. Hungary stopped being a state under the rule of law . One of my comments remained because I wrote it to an on-line paper’s comments.
politics.hu/20120201/judges- … ement-age/
(Among the comments you find mine because I never use a pseudonym.)
This article is about when the government found out -from day to day, as a surprise attack -that every judges has to leave their service because they became superannuated. The spokesman of the PM announced this news with rejoicing at judges’ misfortune.
(As my grandfather was a judge and he was a very good judge - I know from experience that it was a normal law to let judges work till their age of 70. In this profession the time helps the old judges and they know more and more about their profession than their young colleagues. And perhaps that’s why it was a sore point with me.)
Not only this because there are innumerable measurements what they changed; the constitution without asking anybody only his party, /changed the freedom of press,/ they ruined the reputation of the constitutional court in a ,/ they retired - the Lord Chief Justice who was after all a conservative man - but he didn’t agree with the retirement of the judges so he had to go. /They nominated their own party member for Attorney General for 9 years/ they nominated numerous persons for 9 years whereas their mandate will be finished (I hope) in April 2014.
The great jurists of the opposition also made up a draft of a new law that how they can restore the state under the rule of law without hurting legality because they built in their nominations into the Constitution.
It is very complicated for a person who don’t live here. I always say who isn’t a political scientist can’t understand. Don’t forget that Hitler also won in a democratic election. Now lot of very clever men say that in Hungary began a similar process than in Weimar. (our country is weimarializing- I made this word up because they use a similar word for this a phenomenon.)
Sorry, if I put our burden on your shoulder.
Cheers:
Kati
Dear Urs,
You have misunderstood me or I wasn’t very clear because your sentence doesn’t reflect my biggest despair.
In short: The left and right wing fightings ripped in half the country, the families, the friends, different communities as theatre, university etc. “Tricky fear governs” .The people fear each other.Single opposition expression enough to getting sack.The people don’t dare to say their opinion because the next day they found themselves on the street without workplace. Where isn’t workplace it isn’t money. They don’t find another work. Slowly they can’t pay their overheads and they lost their flat and they become homeless. This happened several qualified people also.
As I can’t say everything because everyday happens a new one. Today the electoral registration law had been voted by the government. What was commented in this way:Hungarian history’s clock set back 100 years.
But many thanks that you listened to my story. If you are interested in the Hungarian developments you can read about every big Newspapers. The international press writes about it every day.
Cheers:
Kati
I practised the language and you got to know a little about our country.
Hello Kati
I think I did understand what you meant in your post, I just wanted to point out that fightings between left- and right-wing parties is a problem that occurs in many countries, so in mine too, but of course with not the same severe effect like in yours right now. You made it quite clear to me, that things really got out of control under the regime of the actual governement. I guess you could give me proof of it a thousand times!
But you are right, of course, someone like me, unfamiliar with the actual situation in your country may not know at all what is really going on right now. It is such a pity to hear it - I still have very good memories about Hungary which still were mainly unaffected if you hadn’t told me otherwise:(
So I find it hard to believe that this is the same country I visited with my whife back then.
At that time, one still had to go to the city’s tourist office and they booked a room for the tourists there. So, in Budapest, we had a room with a charming old lady. Even if she didn’t speak German and we couldn’t understand Hungarian we somehow managed to decipher what she tried to explain to us: for instance that we should take the key when leaving her flat in the evening and close the door after coming back as she normally wouldn’t wake up during the night simply because she couldn’t hear the bell while sleeping…
But back to politics:
You are right, I should consult the media on a regular basis to be up to date!
In comparison, our democracy has a considerably long history. Of course, there were dark times as well but long ago, I dare say: After a time of civil war, mainly due to fights between protestants and catholics and, in the wake of it, a period we were rooled by the French, new liberal ideas came up, at last, and led to the birth of our modern state in 1848, a brand new constitution included - which has only changed in details since then.
At the time, it was sort of a tiny little revolution - but had it’s predecessors of course, so we did not invent it by ourselves, not by far, but we took to it over the last 150 years and are a bit experienced in democracy by now, you could say.
But every generation has to renew it by developing the system and the values and rooles anew - so there is never a time to lean back, especially today when harsh changes are at hand all the time.
One of the importent points in our democratic constitution is that the power of the state should be divided:
- there is the executive, elected and controlled in our case by the parliament
- then the legislative (the parliaments) elected by the people
- and last but not least there is the judiciary (the courts and judges).
Our system is not a representative but a direct democracy.
So we can vote whether a law should be accepted or rejected, then there are initiatives that can be taken either by members of the parliament or by citicens (you need 120’000 signatures on the national level) or, seldom used, by several cantons (regions).
One basic rule is that you are expected to accept a decision, even if it is taken by let’s say, 60 % yes and 40 % no. This is, I dare say, not too clear to everyone I guess who is not accustomed to a real democracy.
Many rulers tend to feel very sure about their own judgement and right opinion, and so, they often don’t like to be restricted by such decisions. It narrows their range of actions, and they can’t really do all the good they want for the state and the people, so they claim…
I take it, this is exactly what goes on in your state right now, they try to get rid of such impediments, in order to get full access to the power.
But we should always mind the beginnings!
As soon as politicians start to take control over the constitution, the laws and in the end of the courts and judges, this marks the very beginning of serious troubles and threats to all citicens. Even those who are in favour of the actual governement will soon find out the hard way what this can lead to.
As history showed us time and again, this is the start when things begin to go wrong. The politicians can’t resist the temptation to abuse the courts to force their own policy to the people. Whatever minor questions are at steak in the first place, things get more and more out of control, and, should it come to the worst, they even do not shy away from abusing the laws to get rid of their opponents, by untruthful accusations or fake pretexts and unfair law-suits.
I hope there is still time to stop that process!
I wish that the misery will not continue but will soon come to an end. All rigtheous and sensible citicens should be aware of the big risk. Very much is at stake - because, as we learned from other European regions nearby, it is very hard to control the course of events when forces are set loose that under normal circumstances are kept at bay.
States, and especially democracies need a lot of supporters - if not by heart then by principle and because of insight that one should really cae about the community, to everyone’s best in the end, actually - but this is a rare species sometimes that thinks that way… even here we have people who, should they win all the elections would soon start out to get rid of many dear traditions and values that were passed from generation to generation. I still think of my country as fairly liberal and there are still a lot of people around with common sense.
So I hope that everyone decent in your country watches out and cries out if necessary when things turn to the worse so that time does not run out!
Kati, I really hope the best for you and your family, friends and fellows! We can always stay in contact and talk about it if you like - or you can post me other links so that I get a better picture.
To have to live through such hard times is certainly a pittiful and stressful burden to you! If we here on the forum can take a bit of the weight off your shoulders then, I’m sure, we will be happy to do so!
Cheers Urs
Hello Kati
About fear
Cheers Urs
What sort of language to use
Cheers Urs
Roses are for ever
Their perfume like a song
When the bloom has faded
The memory lingers on.
They’re beautiful when on the tree
When plucked they quickly die
We do nit know why this should be
We can only wonder why.
Rose are for ever
Their beauty unsurpassed
They’re the loveliest of summer flowers
Summers’s gone when they are past.
Please,repeat this poem to correct my pronunciation.
Thanks in advance
Roses are for ever
Their perfume like a song
When the bloom has faded
The memory lingers on.
They’re beautiful when on the tree
When plucked they quickly die
We do not know why this should be
We can only wonder why.
Roses are for ever
Their beauty unsurpassed
They’re the loveliest of summer flowers
Summers’s gone when they are past.
Please,repeat this poem to correct my pronunciation.
Thanks in advance
Sorry,something happened with my voice recorder. You make me laugh by text"What sort of language I use" Thanks
Hey guys, im new here, just signed up a few days ago. Now, I don’t really have anything to say, but I found this thread interesting and thought I’d just hop in and see what happens. I just started a new job today as a costumer service guy for a phone company. I don’t like that job but I need the money. Like Morrissey put it down so elegantly – it pays my way but it corrodes my soul. I love that quote. Next week my beautiful girlfriend and I are celebrating our three months anniversary, which is not a long time, I know. But still, I’m just happy we’ve made it so far. Anyway, I’m really glad to be here, and think we all have a lot to learn from each other. Hopefully we will. And that is basiaclly it. Have a great night and thank you very much.