My Beloved Homeland 23

I understand that this crisis that has been dragging for so long has mentally brought politics, journalists, everybody without exception to their knees. But they still should not do this: since in history and our personal lives, we have encountered times when the repetition of a fictitious event became a prophecy that did fulfil itself. It is like a snowball: it started in politics and then this tone trickled through the various areas of the public and media.

Izvirnik/original

I read that polar air streams are gathering over my homeland and I am all sweaty with fear. I do not know what others think about this but the war rhetoric that prevails here in our political life and media frightens me to death. This year, I will be fifty years old. That means that I belong to that happy generation that did not experience the front first hand. It has no war experience and it did not see buildings destroyed by missiles. It did not wake in panic from a dream when tanks rumbled in the streets of Budapest in the year 1959. But it seems for some time now as though my beloved homeland has been conspiring to make up for lost time and present us with an atmosphere of fear and war. Just so we do not feel deprived of anything. But dear ladies and gentlemen, I do not want this! I understand that this crisis that has been dragging for so long has mentally brought politics, journalists, everybody without exception to their knees. But they still should not do this: since in history and our personal lives, we have encountered times when the repetition of a fictitious event became a prophecy that did fulfil itself. It is like a snowball: it started in politics and then this tone trickled through the various areas of the public and media. And now we have reached the point when everyone constantly wonders - for real – from which direction, from which side the attack on him and his homeland will strike. Some enjoy in this. It is in their interest since they only feel good when there is a war-like atmosphere in times of peace. These are people who like uniforms and marching in formations. People who like to see that this strike fear into the hearts of others. What a great, scintillating sensation it is to see expressions of mortal fear on the faces of people standing on the pavement while the calm in the street is disturbed by the stamping of boots... The members of society who are not filled with sensual delight due to the fact that they served in the Hungarian National Army at the age of eighteen do not enjoy it so much. Army caps covering their heads were always askew. The weapons in their hands were shaking and during shooting practice, they never hit the target, let alone the bulls-eye. They could never stand as straight as they should in the ranks. It was always crooked just as though you were watching cow piss. They never knew how to yell whatever was required unanimously and in rhythm – for example, "Good morning, comrade" - But they held out. Some paying the price of serious psychological trauma, mental wounds that are still felt to this day. Others succeeded with the help of humour and cynicism. They formed a family and lived a civil life. Now they suddenly realize that they are soldiers again and they have not even enlisted, dammit! They are soldiers who have to protect their homeland. Against whom? Yes, against the enemy! Who is it and what does it want? What a stupid question: it is everyone and they all want to beat and ruin the Hungarians. At one point it’s the European Union, whose full-fledged member we are. Then it’s the IMF – or to put it simply, we wage war with foreign countries. Then again it’s the weather or some water polo team. Banks. Multinationals. It was the Italians thanks to a bronze medal. Even the prices of petrol. The government launched a struggle against all this but its common characteristic is that they will never give up. That they are constantly working against the Hungarians so there is not even a minute's pause in the war. They are coming, the only difference is that now they are coming from Brussels instead of Moscow. They are coming and the only difference is that they are not coming in tanks but with credit – intrigues and tricks. But we saw through them for we are a nation hardened in battle. That is why we are waiting for them every minute of the day with a drawn sword. We are prepared - let them come, just let them come. And we hope they will not flee too early! Europe has already trembled before the arrows of Hungarians once. Whether this permanent state of war is actually liked by anyone or not is an issue for every individual. I for example am a well-built, 194 centimetres tall, mild, peaceful guy who likes to avoid all conflict. I for one do not like what is happening – it agitates me and stops me relaxing. But a bigger problem is that this state of mind, this mind-set and this rhetoric trickles down to the deepest strata of society and everyday life. "Fighting against the crisis using the weapon of monetary politics" and if the forint is protected from new attacks by speculators with "all available arms", and if we shoulder to shoulder fight against the inflation and international financial institutions that drink our blood, and if we exert with all our efforts to try and reduce the prices of petrol, then it is understandable if the school politics also enters into the battle to educate people – let us now leave aside the question of how they do it. And then the winter and the cold do not "come" or "start" but rather "attack" and "hit us", this is not something to wave your hand at; they come in the form of polar and Siberian air streams. (Those Russians again!) And so – once we are awaiting the attack – nothing can stop this process. The media only adds oil to the fire: meteorologists forecasting half a metre of snow, numerous villages are cut off and the media see a catastrophe. Problems with supply, lack of goods in small settlements... A large number of newspapers are going on for days about how and the army, fireman and the agency for protection and emergency cases will jointly fend off the brutal onslaught of winter, which will most certainly cause a dramatic situation. In the meantime, there is exactly zero degrees outside and the sun is shining. It does not seem as though tomorrow the sky will rain cluster bombs instead of snowflakes. Perhaps the air will be a few degrees colder. As is typical in the winter months.