As an American citizen I have the following to say:

As a people, we believe that because we (and Russia) handed the Nazis their asses, we are somehow as a result immune to fascism. However I see my country's government steering towards its own brand of "Reichdom" if you will. We may not be committing genocide like old broomstache did, but from a governmental point of view, that is where we are headed. America is Rome on steroids. And just as Rome didn't fall apart in a day, it will take what's left of "Good" America some 10-30-50 years to disappear.

If at any point you see people like myself no longer posting in a few years. It's probably because those of us in America who know what it truly going on will be in some form of Guantanamo by then. The fucked up part is I really don't think I am in any way off base either.

I think the EU is a whole... thing... on its own. I dont think there has ever been anything like it in history, andI think it was an amazing concept on paper, but when put into practice it has soooo many flaws.
We have to admit, that without going to the extremes of fascism and nazism and eliminating ppl, western european countries arent particularly famous for their tolerance towards immigrants. Of course its not everyone, or even a majority (at least outspoken) but its still a very strong presence. Without going into the "Suck it! thats what you get for having colonies you asses" argument, it is a huge cause of strain and influences political decitions in Europe. The EU gives all countries in it free pass to go from one to the other, as if they were regions or states. There is problem #1, when u have italians complaining about Slaves and the French complaining about the turks and everyone complaining about the Spanish (ahaha jkjk, im a spanish citizen, im allowed to make such comments). Considering how xenofobic some european countries are, its a powderkeg of trouble when you have economic pressure that pushes ppl from one member of the EU to the other.
This causes "western" EU countries to want to control the ones that have a weaker economy, and that is only MORE trouble.

Also... i dont know whose brilliant idea was it to have the currency in Sweden and Germany be the same as in Greece or Spain or Portugal. You just can't compare their economies, and the countries with a weaker economy will NOT be able to compete and they will crumble!!! they NEED a weaker currency to absorb that impact. The Euro is killing Europe.


In relation to the US... here's why other countries DONT like the US:
The strongest economy in the world, it keeps making decisions as it affects only US territories when it really affects the whole world. The President of the US gets called the leader of the "free world" ( I always thought this was the most propagandist retarded thing ever) but the US sorta does whatever they want... because they can. The iraq war is example #1 and probably the best there is... everyone but England pretty much, was openly saying how Iraq had NO weapons of mass destruction, how the whole thing was about a Saddam legacy from Bush Sr.'s presidency and had MASSIVE economic motivations. No one did anything about it, cause the US has the power to kick their ass. Therefore, everyone feels bullied, and everyone hates the US.

Of course other middle eastern countries feel VERY threatened, as do some asian countries and south american countries and even european countries. The image the US gives is "if you got precious resources, we WILL go in and take them and no one will stop us" And apparently the US govt has no plans in mitigating this since they are doing NOTHING but make it worse.

Conspiracy?

It was designed to create a stronger European currency, and so that there was less fluctuation with exchange rates. It was supposed to stabilizes currencies to better compete with the USD and Chinese Yaun.

While I'm not familiar with what is going on in Hungary, I read that the Greek debt crisis a few years ago was due in part to rampant tax evasion and the Greek government's inability to actually enforce any kind of tax collection. You have surgeons (which is highest paying job here in the US) living in the richest cities in Greece claiming that they are making less than $15,000.



Sad to say it but a lot of Americans feel this country is going down the toilet. The economy is shit, the rich are getting rich and the middle class is getting destroyed. This coming election doesn't look like it will bring anyone that will significantly change things around.

The only way the EU could move is that they would stray t the path of the Coudenhove Kalergi vision of a supranational Europe, one without national differences. Fat chance of that happening.

On a sidenote: I am more convinced t that the current superconsumerist world is nearing it's breaking point. Natural resources are on an all-time low, and from what I have seen, the same problem of vast amounts of superficial digital money without substantial backing equivalent will sooner than later cause another crisis. 2008 was what the Black Tuesday was only without as many suicides on Wall Street.

And who is the foremost guilty nation in consumerism? The USA - > four times greater the necessary energy consumption, and what appals me is the dominant "Christian" thinking that you don't have to conserve since the Second coming is near, and it will not matter.

Sorry, this last part was more me blowing off steam and venting at America. Your culture sometimes pisses me off to no end.

Though Hillary Clinton lecturing a 1000 year old state without the courtesy of proper diplomatic channels is hillarious and sad.

The EU has always been a bad idea, I used to think it was an okay idea...but the interference in state soverignty and universal currency were bad ideas. The less that power is dilluted, the less freedom we all have globally., it's why I do not like NATO and why I do not wish to see any further consolidation of power internationally. As for currency, it's like having Peru and Germany use the same currency, one size does not fit all.

As for the "muslimization of Europe" maybe Europe should put a universal cap on immigration instead of raging about the "muslim threat". They were invited, basically by Europe's open immigration policy and then people are mad at the immigrants....

If people are mad, be mad at the people they elected, they make immigration policy, not the immigrants. People don't wanna take responsibility for anything.


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The United States might be aggressive internationally, but it is not done without the explicit or tacit backing of many of its European allies.

I am disgusted with American aggression in the world, to the point that I will never vote for anyone who is not pro-noninterventionism and is not a proponent of peace and only war in self defense.

Our country is going down the tubes, it's a combination of corporate control, shady foreign policy, and spending money on costly wars for shadowy agendas.

Now let's talk about countries that help encourage the U.S's imperialistic, unjust, and hypocritical foreign policy because they do.



Look at Libya and Afghanistan as examples: America didn't go into these countries on their own, not even close, we didn't even go into Iraq on our own

Britain, France, Germany, and Italy have been following behind us this entire time, Europe likes to pretend that just the U.S is militant and aggressive Westerners, but they share the blame too.

NATO has been used and abused for years, if Europe's leadership was actually LEGIT mad at the U.S. for abusing their power all they have to do is say no to NATO getting involved and not give their resources to these missions, but they do, every single time. (Switerzerland being offended I respect and understand because at least they can say they don't make it a goal to invade and occupy)



France and Britain backed intervention in Syria and Libya too, let's not gloss over the aggressive nature of two of the world's most prominent democracies and allegedly former imperial states.

Let's talk about these dictatorships in the Middle East, like with Saudi Arabia, they are somewhat egging on taking out Iran, religious differences and fear of Iran's growing influence is a motivating factor.

Israreli leadership is also keen on dealing with Iran and has made claims that they might move unilaterally without the U.S. the U.S. is not going to stay out of that, not by a long shot.


China and Russia get so "offended" and up in arms about U.S. actions and proclaim to be sympathetic to 3rd world concerns, oh please.

China has a market for their products in America and is not concerned with U.S. actions, unless they interfere with China's bottom line, the exploitation of their own people is a good enough indication of that and Russia talks a lot, but they take financial aid and things of that nature from the U.S and they also like to invade countries like Georgia and interfere with issues that are outside of their concern (South Ossetia and Abkhazia anyone?)If they were that offended, they would get money from other sources, like Switzerland, Japan, etc.


Our foreign policy is screwed up in more ways than I'd like to imagine on my darkest of days, but half the countries that complain about the United States are sure as hell keen on using its power to further their agendas, while in public they're denouncing it, like they gave a legit fuck about people, the elite do not care, it makes no difference if it is in a democracy,monarchy, communist dictatorship etc, the elite are the same..


United States might be in decline from the number 1 global power, but guess who is right behind them? PR China, the government there isn't exaclty the most sympathetic to its own people, must less the international community and PR China has become increasingly aggressive internationally too, over shipping lanes and international waters. The only thing restraining them is the United States and Japan's regional influence.

Ron Paul is probably the only candidate that has those views right now.

If he can get through to the main race, he has my full explicit backing, he seems like the only legit person in the race, democrat, republican or otherwise.

Ron Paul for the win.
Real ass mother fucker

Oh you have every right to be pissed off, as for me I'm terrified of the future, Our constitution is meaningless now more than ever. I'd rather be in the center of the coming resource crash shit storm than be locked up for being an "Old American" patriot.

MLK predicted that America would be torn apart by it's arrogance and military industrial complex.

Just do us a favor and try not to blame the people. Religion is to blame for our resource gluttony and the rich man for everything else. We are pacified zombies essentially. News is unreliable on both sides of our political structure and we are now in a state of hopelessness. Everyone has their breaking point though. When the shit hits the fan something big is going to happen here.

I think another factor in the USA international agression that it is in a schizophrenic mindset with the collapse of the USSR.

We had a clear-cut bipolar world, where they more or less kept themselves in check. Without the reason for mass armanent and the preservation of said armanents, the USA is simply without a goal.

Without the boogeyman with MNOGO NUKES, the rest of the world is at ease, the US presence or protection is no longer needed. Infact, right now, one of the problems why "MURKA" is seen as an opressor is cleanly simply because it is the only superpower.


Russia has the potential to be a superpower, they hjave resources. Bureocracy, the respect-personality-based leadership, the nepotism and general corruption and it's own continental length is the problem.


China is a delicate issue. It's army is a clay legged giant. It has no means for modern assymetric warfare, the idea of a vast, standing army used for frontal wars is outdated, and it would collapse when set into motion simply because of logistics.

On the other hand, China has the USA by the leash, it is almost a co-dependent relation, and none of them wants a war, let alone conflict with each other. However the ideological conflict is brewing, and notice how the question of Tibet is conveniently avoided in real politics.

the only way to fix America right now is to destroy the power of the super rich. if that can be done America can use its power for something useful...like say figuring out the energy crisis.

I can see the need for a military presence outside the boarders, but by that I mean sending out small groups of special forces to deal with attackers. Iraq and Afghanistan are simple to understand. Its the oil, nothing more. we managed to secure that aspect in Iraq and that's the only real reason we are out of there.

Well, America is a pluralist society, though predominantly Christian. It is not a "Christian nation" as freedom of religion is included in the First Amendment of the Constitution, and even if it were, the religion has little to do with economic or foreign policy.

Hungary's problems are its own doing, as its own policies resulted in a plunge in the local currency. So those who owned home loans have now found that due to the exchange rates, their mortgage notes have nearly doubled.

The USA or the EU may be a popular scapegoat, but alas, the facts do not support this. But, since the media in Hungary is under government control, this is probably how the situation is spun in nearly all media outlets.

This idea of Hungary being forced to accept a loan? "Hungary now hopes that a precautionary standby loan from the EU and IMF will stabilize its tottering economy after both Moody's and Standard and Poor's cut the government bond rating to junk status."

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/business/2012-01/05/c_131344820.htm

http://www.istockanalyst.com/finance/story/5623559/hungary-s-crossroads

K, the USA is a christian nation, no matter what a piece of paper tells us. The majority is of some denomination, and the higher up elite is mostly a varying degree of conservative from one of the reformation churches (case in point, only one Catholic president). This is what I refer to.

You don't hear people shouting God Bless Hungary in political speeches here. Or anywhere else to that extent, now do you?

Generally speaking, yes, it is our own fault that we elected and re-elected the MSZP (Magyar Szocialista Párt - HUngarian Socialist Party) with Gyurcsány, and later with bajnai Gordon. These people ARE responsible for the current situation. I think most people should -if they haven't already- accepted responsibility for this when voting these clowns out of the parliament and into political impotence. Alas, nostalgia for the Happy Barrack Hungary in the socialism allows them to sponge up the 50 and more crowd who cannot move out from the beer and goulash-type of thinking.... This is symptomatic for all of us, you have heard me already whine about Trianon. Hungarians are prone to whine. That and inventing nuclear fission weapons.

But the fact is, Hungary is recuperating, and one of the ideals that Orbán, and I think every logical person would agree is that Hungary needs to rely on itself where it can (some shady dealing come to my mind as we were and are dependant on Russian gas and oil to a minor extent). The true problem with the EU is that the eastern part is essentially a dumping ground for the excess export stuff of the west.

I ask this: why should a Hungarian buy export corn, when the Pannonian basin is basically the most fertile section for corn in Europe? Hungary is a predominantly agricultural country. We had one of the best beet fields around, now why the fuck aren't there beet processing plants anymore? Because apparently foreign companies need to bring their beet here. I have to admit this problem is too large for my scope, I hope I got the general problem across: our strenghts have been dutifully given away to foreigners by aforementioned MSZP. Orbán and party have never been keen on this.

Also:

The media is not under Goverment control. This last year debate about the intrusion and censorship of the media is -suspiciously like the current debate about the pension- based on mostly hearsay. I WISH we had the same media laws as Hungary, but noone seems to mention of bring up how minorities are represented in Slovakia or in the Slovak media...

Besides, HOW EXACTLY and with what SYMPTOMS are the media under goverment rule? Name me cases, name me lines in the bill group's text corpus! Otherwise, Hungarian media, journalism is mostly sceptical or moderate. Last time I checked at least.


I genuinely believe Orbán, because so far he has not failed us yet to the extent of others. The man was a figurehead in the anti-communist uprising and system change, et cetra. That does not excuse him for his populism, but to be frank, I have no qualms if it leads a nation forward. Plus the guy is genuinely smart and educated, something that can't be said about the previous party's leadership.

Edit: the Jobbik with the EU flag burning and right-wing activism frightens me truthfully. It is like the Nyilas movement all over again. A bitch in a sheep's clothing, only that the bitch acts like a would be-nazi.

Also a question about Moody and the kind: how can a company given the right to evaluate a country and it's monetary status and call it objective?

Chrome,

You still think America is a Christian nation, but A) this is incorrect, and B) even if it were, it still wouldn't be relevant to the discussion. While the general population may be mostly Christian - nearly 80% according to the CIA - and even some of the leadership (note: we have a Muslim Congressman), that is a separate issue from being a Christian nation. Over 200 years ago, Jefferson wrote about the wall of separation between church and state. And America's government is being more and more secular all the time. Case in point, cities cannot put up Christmas decorations without protests and lawsuits from the ACLU, and the courts have generally found that taxpayer revenue should not go towards nativity scenes and the like. More and more schools and businesses are finding that they have to refer generally to the winter break instead of Christmas. All of this immaterial, however, because even if America were a Christian nation, the Bible of 2,000 years ago has little to do with America's policies, no matter how many times a politician invokes the name of God.

Besides being irrelevant, there are some very negative connotations with injecting religion into the argument. Think about how it would sound if instead of Christianity, it were Judaism you were railing against. How would it come across all your country's problems on the Jews? You may want to reconsider whether religion has any place in the discussion at all.

Some of the problems that you mention for Hungary are the same problems that America and the rest of the world is facing. There is a global economic downturn. Everyone wants more energy independence. The whole "Blame America" and "blame Christianity" thing might provide a convenient scapegoat. But the fact is the situation is the same in the US and Europe, especially Greece and Spain.

You asked about the media situation in Hungary. According to many inside Hungary, freedom of the press is eroding and was actually better under communist rule. Read or listen to the story from NPR:

http://www.npr.org/2012/01/22/145599141/eu-reacts-to-hungarys-media-crackdown

Point noted. That made me think and I have to give right where right is right. Sorry, but I felt entitled to piss upon and vent on the US a bit.




George Bolgár is THE figurehead for Bias in Hungarian media, and has a history of accepting insubstantiated and unproven "facts" as truths. The guy has been called out by the officials of information security explicitly after he has not corrected himself and voiced doubts concerning -check this:

that two prominent victims of the 2006 police terror actions were responsible for the harm inflicted upon themselves. When we have clear video footage of un-ID'd riot squads headshotting cilivians with rubber bullets. Bolgár also agreed with this ludicruous idea himself (the guy is an asshole when it comes to politics IMHO and has a tendency to go radical).

Also, VERY IMPORTANT: the foreign news channel incorrectly number the protesters in the counter-Orbán movement. What is fact is that Orbán is backed by the decisive 2/3 of the country figuratively speaking. The foreign media has shown the LMP protests to number in the thousands which it certainly did not.

I also noticed that HARDtalk also stated several incorrect statements when interviewing the Hungarian representative. Unfortunately I have only seen the teaser, but aside the incorrect statements, they Heavily implied that Hungary needs the loan.

Which it certainly does not. The problem is, you guys don't have access to the other side of the story, and sadly, there are multiple Hungarian sources that can blackpaint Hungary and sadly have the publicity to do so. Also, the fact is, to the US and the western world it doesn't exactly matter who leads Hungary as long as the foreign interests are safe.

Because a mostly quality-control and restructuring bill about the media IS a FAAAR more intrusive move against your own people than, say, shooting and crippling your populace.

I am curious, was that too inconvenient to raise zour voice against the MSZP controlled Hungary?

My opinion in a nutshell on my government.