I honestly thought that the news that the rule of law debate may continue in NATO was some sort of joke or a delayed April Fool’s gag. But no, it’s real. A military organization has announced that it has set a goal to guard a democratic minimum among its members. This usually turns out great, right? When armed forces figure out what their envisioned ‘good life’ is. They start out by giving advice, then commands, and finally make you bury your own grave and shove you into it if you are such an unfortunate fool who can’t grasp their democratic fundamentals.
Just to set the scene, let me tell you the name of the committee dedicated to examining democracy: Center for Democratic Resilience. I know, I know, it’s cliché to quote Monty Python, but the last time we encountered a name that takes itself so seriously, (that for any sane person only sparks a laughing fit, along with horror) in reference to organizations, committees and politics was in Life of Brian. Attila Mesterházy, Vice President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, takes political pluralism so seriously that a few weeks ago in the Hír TV studio, he threatened State Secretary Tamás Menczer that he would’ve already gotten beat up in a bar for his statements (sic!); meanwhile, Mesterházy expressed his joy over the formation of the committee. He said that NATO is unique from other defense alliances because it was established with the intention of protecting democratic values and rule of law.
Let’s not even delve into the fact that since the early 1990s, NATO has not had a raison d’être; after all, the Soviet Union ceased to exist, so they won, viva! But who knows when the last time was, when we a performance with such serious reasoning and dedicated faces? When the Warsaw Pact was created, and even earlier during the Comintern, when comrades helped each other come to power with such obvious bull. Are you surprised? At the establishment of the Warsaw Pact, it was asserted that this is a treaty of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance. And when Czechoslovakia tried to change things in an unacceptable way according to the democratic standards – then the Warsaw Pact marched right into the country and politely explained to Dubček and his circle that the Warsaw Pact is unique from other defense alliances because it was based on the realization of democratic fundamentals and rule of law. Check-mate, reform communists!