A trobriandi krikettől... - Magyar Elektronikus Könyvtár ...

This is the nation who need not be taught how to manage a firm, how to direct economy, how
to do things cleverly and reasonably. At the beginning of the century the Hungarian was the
best worker in Germany. They were brought to farms, anywhere from here, because
Hungarian worker was world famous. They went to America, and many of them became rich,
became really successful, made a real carrier. Not to mention music or arts, we are
everywhere. We are first in sports, too. As compared to our numbers as a population, we
achieve several times more. Let me stress, the fact that we are, where we are presently is due
to 40 years of communism, a Byzantine system.” [right-wing nationalist]
Another positive feature of Hungarian society as compared to the Western European is
formulated by the young people in the far East of Hungary: we are not yet alienated:
„Alienation is not that expressed here so far, not so much as in the Western countries. So,
there, when people are walking on the street, walk past by each other without a word. Here, if
two acquaintances bump into each other they would stop, shake hands, have a little chat”.
3. Overall views on Hungary’s Euro-atlantic integration
There is a recurring theme relevant to attitudes toward Hungary’s Euro-atlantic integration:
Hungary has always been exploited by other, more powerful nations and there was a very
frequent pessimism that these new developments will not bring any change to it. Both NATO
and EU will probably take a selfish advantage on us. This pessimistic attitude was quite
strong in four of the groups, only the journalists and the repatriated people differed.
„This country has always wanted to belong somewhere: Christianity, Habsburgs, Warsaw
Pact, now it is NATO which is described as all good and nice. We are made for political
reasons to believe that this is our interest, and we do believe it, but from a broader
perspective it seems tragicomic, for this is what we have always believed and we know from
history what was the result”. [students group]
„We’ll be the oppressed. Hungary will please the Western nations, as she used to do toward
the Russians”. [East group]
„Europe has never helped us. Neither the Americans, nor Europe. And we can go back here
as far as the Tartar conquests, if you please. Here Europe helped only when she wanted to put
her puppet under a crown suitable for her. Otherwise Europe never defended us. I have no
illusions that, if ad absurdum the Serbs transgress the Hungarian border, anybody would
come to our defence. Rather I feel that we risk a danger, which was not inevitable. Because at
this moment not the elimination of Hungarians is the main goal. Although if we try hard
enough, we may achieve even that. It sounds very well, of course, that they will support us,
defend us, and big and powerful, once the Soviet Union, next America, but actually, as one of
you put it, we are doomed to be exploited. Yes, we are.” [conservative-liberal]
Another topic relevant here is the possibility of neutrality. The overall view is that neutrality
has never been a real option for Hungary, and it is not really important, either. The only
exception again is the politically active group, where pro neutrality feelings dominated. As to
the value of neutrality, the dominant view was that our famous declarations in the mid-last
century and in 1956 was only a reaction to the threatening outside forces, mainly the
Russians. In 1956, for example, it is said that NATO affiliation would have been preferred by
the Hungarian population and politicians as well, but then it would have been too risky a leap
right out from Warsaw Pact into NATO. But there was nothing deeper, ideological value
underlying that declaration. This position was debated only by the right wing nationalist
politician, and a slight doubt was detected on the part of the conservative respondent, both in
the politically active group.
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