“History is movement; and movement implies comparison.”
― E.H. Carr, What Is History?
Edward Hallett Carr CBE FBA (28 June 1892 – 3 November 1982) was a British historian, diplomat, journalist and international relations theorist, and an opponent of empiricism within historiography. Carr was best known for A History of Soviet Russia, a 14-volume history of the Soviet Union from 1917 to 1929, for his writings on international relations, particularly The Twenty Years' Crisis, and for his book What Is History? in which he laid out historiographical principles rejecting traditional historical methods and practices.
Is three years ago history? Can we look at the movements in illiberal Hungary for trends, look at the comparison to it as well? The country highlighted in recent conferences of the Republican Party, CPAC. Orban has dismantled democracy in his country more certainly, there can be no argument over this.
Orbán’s next move: Overpowering the courts
BY ZELJKO JOVANOVIC
FEBRUARY 28, 2020
Until now, Orbán and his ruling Fidesz party have been content to whip up opposition to manufactured external enemies — the European Union, George Soros, migrants — in order to tighten their grip on the levers of power. Now, they are manufacturing enemies from among the country’s own citizens — and stirring anti-Roma racism is perhaps the easiest method they could choose.
This shameful episode will be instructive in how far the regime will go to maintain its grip on Hungary. Orbán is saying, effectively, that whenever victims of illegal or criminal acts win in court, the government will determine whether the decision is right, if there should be compensation and how it should be delivered.
Once the regime creates a precedent for overpowering the courts, anyone who is not in good favor with those in power has no rights; those in good favor, even if they are criminals, will be protected.
Regardless of what one my find out about those accused of wrongdoing within the Republican Party, i.e. Trump and Santos, the party is incapable of public criticism of others within their ranks, regardless of allegations, investigations, indictments, or even convictions in civil and criminal matters which come out. The easy go to for an explanation is that they all share a certain level of corruption, so they don’t wish to cast stones from the moneyed glass houses they reside in. But also it seems apparent that in the movement to disassemble American democracy, that this goal sits front and center at a majority of their actions or inactions. That is my premise to what we have seen in the last days, especially after the lost of Trump in civil court in New York, yesterday. And certainly no one will comment on George Santos, after appearing bin a federal court this morning, at least with any criticism within today’s Republican MAGA movement. Mum’s their word once again, such is how predictable are their actions or inactions.
A verse to condense my thoughts on it all, the assault on democracy is upmost in their minds, and explains much of the actions we see this political group carry out, or purposely stay silent on. The New York Jury of six men, and three women (a democratic group of Americans) had no right to rule against their party’s figurehead, this they apparently believe deeply. It’s entirely authoritarian follower behavior, and completely undemocratic in tone.
So, I’ve said what I wished to say. We have an extreme case of poverty of positive human character now among those who have managed to be elected officials. This is so very apparent to any who wish to take an honest look.
“Experience serves to prove that the worth and strength of a state depend far less upon the form of its institutions than upon the character of its men; for the nation is only the aggregate of individual conditions, and civilization itself is but a question of personal improvement.”
— Smiles.
SMILES, SAMUEL , born in Haddingtonshire, 1816; an English
Samuel Smiles, (born Dec. 23, 1812, Haddington, Berwickshire, Scot.—died April 16, 1904, London), Scottish author best known for his didactic work Self-Help (1859), which, with its successors, Character (1871), Thrift (1875), and Duty (1880), enshrined the basic Victorian values associated with the “gospel of work.” He was a journalist, essayist, biographer, and miscellaneous writer.
35th posting, May 10, 2023