Viktor Orban

IdleRich

IdleRich
Tiny but important flaw in an otherwise masterful criminal plan.
But that made it utterly useless. There are certain fields where close is nowhere. Unfortunately this is one of them.
 

comelately

Wild Horses
Putting the man himself to one side, I am not entirely convinced there is much difference between the UK & Hungary politically in 2020.
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
To put it more concretely, I'm not sure I can see how a big rise in the euro vs the £/$/yen etc. would help the Med countries particularly. Maybe Rich or HMG could weigh in here?

Edit: oh too slow. But then the question arises of why these countries joined the euro in the first place if this was such an obvious drawback?

Edit 2: Italy is only just behind the Netherlands in value of exports, and ahead of the UK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_exports
 
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HMG doesn't share our liberal guardian reader sensibilities though. He sees this differently.

I really don't, sorry. The first cracks in that sensibility were prised open by reading the observer supplements over many years and being told what to eat, drink and think to be an acceptable member of midwit society. If they're wrong about this, 30 year old me thought, what else are they wrong about? And so began a long slog to become the hyperborean carnivore bodybuilder you see before you today.
 
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luka

Well-known member
I really don't, sorry. The first cracks in that sensibility were prised open by reading the observer supplements over many years and being told what to eat, drink and think to be an acceptable member of midwit society. If they're wrong about this, 30 year old me thought, what else are they wrong about. And so began a long slog to become the hyperborean carnivore bodybuilder you see before you today.

That seems to be how it often starts. Bridling at cultural injunctions. Feeling excluded from the lifestyle pages.
 

comelately

Wild Horses
Worse about the UK for sure. I mean going back to the education thing....of course it's risible but Gove wanted history lessons to 'celebrate the Empire' back in 2010.

The media is essentially owned by Fidesz-sympathisers.....omg it's so different in the UK!

The 'rule by decree' thing is a complete troll, he has 2/3 of the parliament and can already do what he likes.
 

version

Well-known member
Good points, although can you put the man himself to one side? Would it be the same under any other leader?
 
To put it more concretely, I'm not sure I can see how a big rise in the euro vs the £/$/yen etc. would help the Med countries particularly. Maybe Rich or HMG could weigh in here?

Edit: oh too slow. But then the question arises of why these countries joined the euro in the first place if this was such an obvious drawback?

Edit 2: Italy is only just behind the Netherlands in value of exports, and ahead of the UK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_exports

This is good on how Germany is such a notable outlier as a manufacturing exporter in the first rank of nations
https://www.conradbastable.com/essays/the-germany-shock-the-largest-economy-nobody-understands

The German Solution:

vi) The European Single Market functions to make German goods maximally attractive to trading partners within the EU by raising the effective-cost of imported goods

vii) The German Euro — the currency — then has its value suppressed via contamination with all the other (poorer-performing, non-Exporting) European nations

This means German goods look cheaper than they otherwise would to non-EU markets
 
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comelately

Wild Horses
I believe some lady in the UK got fined £660 for refusing to tell the British Transport Police what she was doing at Newcastle Station the other day.

Here in Budapest there is technically a curfew, many shops are closed and we're trying to keep 5 feet apart for the most part - but the police presence is very minimal, perhaps less than usual tbh. People were expecting the military police on the streets but it didn't happen.
 

comelately

Wild Horses
Good points, although can you put the man himself to one side? Would it be the same under any other leader?

I meant in the first instance to compare the two states.

Orban is a grandmaster at political chess. There's a lot going on at the moment and he wants to see where things land. Obviously if something happens to the EU, or they get kicked out etc then we all know where he'll look for sponsorship. Along with Bulgaria and perhaps others.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
Putting the man himself to one side, I am not entirely convinced there is much difference between the UK & Hungary politically in 2020.
Was gonna say... can we put him aside... but then realised everyone else said it while I was having dinner.
Anyway, I know it's one of the most important issues facing the world right now, but even so I'm not sure that how we feel about the Guardian is the right prism through which to be analysing this to be honest.
 

comelately

Wild Horses
But is it inconceivable that the main opposition party at the UK 2024 General Election is Faragist?

I guess what I'm saying is that it's probably a bit late to be worried about Hungary, you should maybe focus on the UK.

At least if you are a citizen of Hungary, there are other countries you can go to. Well not right now. But probably again soon.
 
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