Viktor Orbán: “Today’s Europe Has a Guilty Conscience When We Talk About the Crimes of Communism”

Yesterday Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán spoke at the dedication of a memorial to the victims of Communism. In particular, Mr. Orbán called for the remembrance of the Hungarian patriots of the revolution of 1956 who were killed and then buried in unmarked mass graves.

Many thanks to CrossWare for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:

Transcript:

00:04   Respected ladies and gentlemen, Dear [former] Prime Minister Lajos Boros, Ms Director General,
00:08   respected commemorators. Communism,
00:12   a past which continues to live with us.
00:16   It belong to us, like an old scab
00:20   which after healing still aches from time to time.
00:24   These painful feelings are not
00:28   awoken by changes in weather, but by names,
00:32   dates, pictures and yellowed
00:36   Letters, or this national memorial, where
00:40   our heroes of 1956 rest.
00:44   Today we gathered together to bow our heads
00:48   to the victims of the Communist system.
00:52   298, 300, 301. [#s of cemetery plots where the communist government secretly buried its victims]
00:56   In the heads of citizens from luckier countries
01:00   these are simple numbers. For us they are more like codes,
01:04   Numbers of time capsules,
01:08   which locked in themselves the brutality of Communist
01:12   dictatorship. Tied with barbed-wire and wrapped in
01:16   tar paper, buried in an unmarked [mass] graves,
01:20   our dead: Fathers, husbands,
01:24   Wives, sons and daughters, friends.
01:28   Memories of those whom the Communists wanted to wipe out completely,
01:32   just like they condemned to be forgotten
01:36   the memories of those who are in endless rows
01:40   on trains, gone missing by the hundreds of thousands
01:44   to the East, who were sucked up by the
01:48   Gulag Archipelago. Even today there are
01:52   witnesses walking among us, who lived through the prisons
01:56   and concentration camps of the Reds. The past
02:00   is the past, but still alive.
02:04   Respected commemorators, in 2000 we decided
02:08   that after the years of chaos, denial and
02:12   falsification, finally, in a way they deserve,
02:16   we will remember the victims of Communism.
02:20   We should be proud that this historical debt was,
02:24   paid off by OUR government. [It was an Orbán government at the time, 1998-2002 — translator]
02:28   As befits a Christian national government.
02:32   … how fitting, too, that
02:36   this decision was made by the generation of the grandchildren,
02:40   bowing their heads with respect to the generation of their grandparents’
02:44   suffering and resistance. Remembering all of those
02:48   whose guilt was only
02:52   that they did not fit into narrow tracks
02:56   of the proletarian dictatorship.
03:00   All of those who had to be punished because they had a couple of hectares
03:04   more land. Or because they clung tooth and nail
03:08   to their religion, their political beliefs, their rights
03:12   as citizens, and for this they were standing in the way of the Communists.
03:16   Today we remember them all.
03:20   Today our being together is testimony that the remembrance of the crimes
03:24   of the Communist dictatorships should never be barred.
03:28   And also a testimony that the names of the
03:32   murdered and imprisoned, the memory of
03:36   their deeds and their stands will preserve the faithful —
03:40   — maybe sometimes not so grateful — national memory.
03:44   Dear ladies and gentlemen, today
03:48   it is no longer a habit to mention
03:52   that the thoughts that led to tyranny in the 20th century
03:56   emerged from Western minds. Communism,
04:00   just like National Socialism,
04:04   came to light as an intellectual product of the West.
04:08   Not in Moscow, not in Cambodia, and not in Havana
04:12   was it invented, but by us, the West;
04:16   from Europe it proliferated across half the world.
04:20   This original European ideology,
04:24   for us — for Central Europeans — finally become a
04:28   forced allotment. In the meantime, for the West
04:32   Communism remained a purely theoretical concept.
04:36   For unsolicited self-identified revolutionaries a
04:40   tingly mental excitation.
04:44   For us, who on the other side of the Iron Curtain lived through Communism,
04:48   still stand puzzled before the fact
04:52   that Western intellectuals — calling themselves progressive —
04:56   artists, writers, politicians, that they can
05:00   enthusiastically praise genocidal
05:04   Communist dictatorships. It is hard to imagine
05:08   this absolute historical blindness.
05:12   It is hard to believe that it was not obvious, that the Soviets,
05:16   took into slavery those whom they judged to be class enemies,
05:20   or thought to be the enemy or for any other reason thought to be dangerous.
05:24   … Also hard to understand
05:28   is that even today the crimes of Communism are excused by many in the West.
05:32   Even the European Union itself is hesitant to
05:36   clearly disavow it. And because here we talk about an ancient
05:40   human truth, we discuss a deep moral question.
05:44   This hesitation, here in the 21st century, nothing can
05:48   exonerate, nor explain the sympathy
05:52   or friendliness toward Leftist parties.
05:56   All this can be traced back to the fact that
06:00   at the end of World War 2 the egregious crimes of the Nazis
06:04   were judged by an international military tribunal,
06:08   while the crimes committed by Communists
06:12   — after the fall of that system —
06:16   were not judged by representatives of the free world with similar
06:20   strictness. It is not a coincidence that today’s Europe
06:24   has a guilty conscience when we talk about the crimes of Communism.
06:28   … That is why here
06:32   in Central Europe we must preserve the common sense acquired
06:36   under the yoke of Communist tyranny and Soviet occupation.
06:40   … We still
06:44   remember after a quarter of a century what tyranny
06:48   feels like when it is everywhere.
06:52   We will die with those memories, too.
06:56   Our children’s generation will not
07:00   know. They do not know; they never lived through it; it never
07:08   become an instinct for them. We must remind them that freedom is
07:12   not easy to come by, even though today seems
07:16   so natural to have it, like breathing air.
07:20   We must make them understand that freedom
07:24   is always only one generation from extinction.
07:28   We must fight for it, defend it, and we must
07:32   teach our children that they must do the same!
07:36   Respected ladies and gentlemen, today in Hungary
07:40   we live in freedom and safety.
07:44   We have a hopeful future, chosen by ourselves,
07:48   as opposed to the dictatorship which only had
07:52   smothered vigour and boarded-up sky.
07:56   In recent years, through sweaty work,
08:00   we rebuilt our country. United our nation.*
08:04   We strengthened our Christian roots,
08:08   gave new life force to families, threw off
08:12   debt-slavery. The Hungarian national economy,
08:16   self-respect, responsibility and willpower in action.
08:20   We present-day Hungarians each and every day
08:24   choose freedom above all else.
08:28   We understood that we can only be free if
08:32   we never give up our sovereignty.
08:36   We understood that we can only live in peace
08:40   and safety if we remain resolute.
08:44   We understood, because we felt it on our own skin,
08:48   that if we trust in freedom, in the end it will
08:52   give birth to order. We understood
08:56   we can only have a future if
09:00   it is free, and Hungarian! Only free
09:04   Hungarians have a future.
09:08   That is why we must break all Communist and
09:12   Fascist snake-eggs in a timely manner.
09:16   Dear ladies and gentlemen, the creation, construction and
09:20   handover of today’s visitor center was our
09:24   Old debt. Let us praise the Lord
09:28   that our country, Hungary, reached the point where
09:32   we could fulfill this historical duty.
09:36   God bless Hungary!
 
*   Translator’s note: Hungarians living outside the borders established by the Treaty of Trianon can get their official Hungarian nationality accepted. All Leftist parties were against it, of course.
 

15 thoughts on “Viktor Orbán: “Today’s Europe Has a Guilty Conscience When We Talk About the Crimes of Communism”

  1. Also he give some punches out toward the almighty West, birthplace the some of deadliest ideologies (islam being the ultimate winner with 280 million dead):
    National Socialism and Communism. Both was hatched by “western intellectuals” and Communism still warmly welcomed in every Leftist Liberal society. Most Soros NGO has radical Leftist/Marxists/Communist leanings. As far as I am concerned the
    Mass Murder Olympics look like the following:
    Bronze: Nazism – 60 million dead (WW2)
    Silver: Communism – 100 million dead
    Gold: Islam – 280 million dead

    What we seeing today that the “Silver” and “Gold” winners are aligning themselves for a new “game” to “set a new record”.

    Also some math can be applied here (just based on numbers):

    2 Nazis = 1 Communist
    4 Nazis = 1 Muslim

    • unpleasant stuff, certainly.

      but WWI, and then everything back to Napoleonic, back to 30 years war and so on – was any of these in any sense better or preferred?

      the matter is – the nationalist, or/and religiuos or/and imperial ambitions were serving as engines and trumpets of war for centuries.
      to cut something out of this for political convenience.. 🙂

      also Mr Orban is so sensitive to the ills of Western intellectualism, but how about other modern issues.

      maybe it escaped his notice that Stalin’s monuments are jumping back to pedestals in Russia, which is supposed to be Hungary’s close ally gegen islamization.. and is a, ehm, financial sponsor of Hungarian nationalist politicum, without “supposed to be”.

      it is worth remembering Russian history handbooks still describe Hungarian uprising as anti-people conspiracy instigated by the evil West.

      also I haven’t found the word “Jobbik” in the text.
      these are the present day Hungarian neo-nazis, the most definite and prominent in Europe.

      also no word “solidarity” was there.

      not mentioning Israel, the country resisting islamic genocidal wars and terroirsm for about 100 years now.

      not mentioning Ukraine, which is presently invaded by the same imperial power Hungary is so happy to be free from, liberated – but wait a minute.. liberated by whom?

      maybe it would be good to mention here the Berlin Wall victims, Polish Solidarity movement, Russian dissidents, and not the least, American perseverance?
      “Hungary became free”.. well mostly not by the effort of Hungarians, sorry Victor.

      Mr. Orban has so many ways to improve and develop his moral and historical judgements.

      • Whoaaa… Talk about [meaningless] liberal apologist rant!
        Let me translate your ideological [epithet] to the rest of the people here:

        “but WWI, and then everything back to Napoleonic, back to 30 years war and so on – was any of these in any sense better or preferred”

        So you stating just because the past (medieval times) were bad, so why try to criticize communism… Nice! What a [epithet]!

        “maybe it escaped his notice that Stalin’s monuments are jumping back to pedestals in Russia, which is supposed to be Hungary’s close ally”

        This is a familiar liberal [meaninglessness] again. Of course in their mind there is no such thing as a country INTERNAL affair.

        “also I haven’t found the word “Jobbik” in the text.
        these are the present day Hungarian neo-nazis”

        If you would follow Hungarian news (which you don’t) you would know that the Orban government made multiple steps against Nazis rooted movements. Jobbik is not one of them. They might have radical elements as members but mostly just a right wing nationalist party, who is a lawfully elected members of present parliament.
        I guess someone did not chew properly the daily propaganda doses suckled up from the Soros media!

        “not mentioning Israel,”

        Hungary has one of the largest Jewish community, soon probably the largest because French Jews are fleeing from the muslim invasion.

        “not mentioning Ukraine”

        Hungary frequently referring to Ukraine because we have Hungarians living there, but again INTERNAL affair!!!
        But if we already here, let’s review the Soros-CIA paid neo-Nazi coup which started the whole mess! No words about that from you? Of course not, you loved that part, right?

        “Hungary is so happy to be free from, liberated – but wait a minute.. liberated by whom?”

        Oh God, you think Hungary was liberated by the west from Communism???
        You must stop learning history from Saturday cartoons!
        West actually did nothing, with the exception of Reagan’s USA which tired out the Soviet union. It was Hungary who opened the border and let East-Germans to leave to west and provided the first step for German unification.
        Hungary was frequently left alone by the West, the last time in 1956!

        • “West actually did nothing”
          🙂

          If West “did nothing”, there wouldn’t be West today.
          and your INTERNAL AFFAIRS would be well, soviet slavery and mass graves, that type of internal affairs.

          also could you please discuss “Soros-CIA paid neo-Nazi coup” in Ukraine with your FSB controller.
          albeit, even Russian propaganda now stopped using these mediocre scarecrows – [insults redacted]
          goodbye.

      • Perhaps his moral and historical judgements do not reflect the horrors of WWI, back to Napoleonic, back to 30 years war and so on (as you say) simply because he and almost everyone else alive did not experience them? Communism was the horror that many of the Hungarian people alive today personally experienced. It’s normal to be more preoccupied with what you or your parents have experienced versus ancestors that you never knew.

  2. And he is 100% right! The collective West, as it now stands today, is immediately dismissive of the danger that is Communism – one only need to appreciate how Communist China is now being promoted as the ‘light bearer’ for the New World Order to realize that.

    Too, the Daily Mail often has articles concerning Nazi Germany, but never have I seen any articles reflecting on Soviet Russia or Communist China and the many, many crimes against Humanity that can be attributed to those systems of ‘government’.

    Those who still steer the West are worse than despicable.

    • China Inc. the Drucker model for a corporate world in which Winston Smith is a lackey who is allowed to survive only so far as he is useful.
      No thanks, that will make the feudal slavery of the Middle Ages a Sunday School Picnic by comparison. Oh, and BTW, we will all be chipped or tattooed as some many interment camp prisoners. Cute.
      One final thing, both Mao and Ho said that it would be better that 100 are slaughtered than one counter-revolutionary be allowed to live. In their system, death would be preferable.

  3. Three cousins, two young men, one young woman, teenagers, were “disappeared” in the aftermath of the 1956 Revolt. My great grandmother died in the hardships of that winter.

  4. Communism like Islam is almost Haute Chic in the West. Look at the branded t-shirts and the Hijab days.
    – It is relevant that few know the history of either. All they know is that the West is guilty of unspeakable crimes.

    • We must start calling out the western intellectuals on their BS. Those people brought the two terrible plagues on humankind (Nazism and Communism) and now they are in full force trying to bring in the original prototype monster ideology: islam!

  5. Was Diana West’s “American Betrayal” translated into Hungarian? Sounds like Orban is familiar with her work. Yeah Diana! Yeah Orban!
    Perhaps more Western leaders will begin to discuss & address the absence of holding Communism accountable. Long time coming.

  6. Want to hear something crazy? I was talking to someone from Kyrgyzstan a while back and she told me about how the former Soviet states in Central Asia tend to have a generally positive view of the USSR because the situation in their countries before then was so incredibly awful, that even the USSR was a vast improvement in infrastructure, health care, education, and quality of life. And since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the conditions there have degenerated, so there’s a lot of nostalgia for the old Soviet days. Personally, I don’t think it’s coincidental that these countries are also majority Muslim.

    Jeez, poor Central Asia. Can you imagine?

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