While I was reading the US ambassador’s speech given on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the United States returning the Hungarian Holy Crown (but really – they could’ve kept it forever just as Comrade Lenin could have shot at the children instead of returning their ball – praise be to the brilliant and gracious Defterdars!) – so as I read the speech, I immediately thought of the Delian League. They say the ambassador is a fine, educated person so I am sure he’s heard of the aforementioned league. I hope so – because that fact will help him understand all that follows.
So, as Mr. Pressman most likely knows, the Delian League was established after the end of the Persian wars and the Greek victory in the Battle of Plataea so that the Persians would never again dare to trouble the Greeks. The year was 478 Before Christ, which I only mention in order to highlight that human history did not begin with the invention of Coca Cola nor with the incredible, brave moment when 39 rebel Dakotas were hanged in Mankato, their corpses desecrated, and little souvenirs made of their flayed skin while they put Little Crow’s dead body on display for money – despite “business as usual” – it’s not easy to invent something humanity hasn’t seen before, especially when it comes to man’s nastiness, vileness, and bestiality.
But let’s not get too off course and come back to that particular alliance!
Athens led the Delian League, Athens brought it to life, and Athens’ democracy was its driving force and ethos – and that very democracy and its promotion turned that league into a tyrannical force and made city-states outside of Athens into colonies. Is the situation not familiar yet Mr. Ambassador? Is the analogy not evident yet? Then I’ll continue. Athens declared that as the strongest, most powerful and most democratic entity, they will defend the rest from the Persians. In exchange they expect only taxes, military forces, unconditional obedience with members doing everything Athens demanded without fail.
I assume Mr. Ambassador is beginning to get the idea, but let’s delve into the details. The problems began when it became clear that the Persians had no intention at all of attacking the Greeks – however, Athens relentlessly defended them. In fact, Athens put a burden on the alliance that ended up being worse than if they had surrendered to the Persians.
The city-states might have even tolerated this, yet Athens – I repeat – was increasingly aggressive and precise in demanding what they can and cannot do, how they should think, and how they should live. Eventually, Sparta decided they could not tolerate this any longer and after mobilizing the Peloponnesian League, they got into a war with the Delian League. Note here Mr. Ambassador that the European Union could be (or could have been) the Peloponnesian League to your Delian, but it is not – namely because, forget about finding a Spartan, you can barely find an Aegean in Western Europe these days.
The last rebellion here in the EU against you guys happened in the movie Love Actually, when Hugh Grant playing the British Prime Minister dared to say in the scene with the American President at a press conference:
“Journalist: Mr. President, has it been a good visit?
US President: It was very satisfactory indeed. We got what we came for and our special relationship is still very special.
Journalist: Prime Minister?
British Prime Minister: I love that word relationship. Covers all manners of sins, doesn't it? I fear this has become a bad relationship. A relationship based on the President taking exactly what he wants and casually ignoring all those things that really matter to… Britain.
We may be a small country, but we’re a great one too! A country of Shakespeare, Churchill, The Beatles, Sean Connery, Harry Potter, David Beckham's right foot, David Beckham's left foot. A friend who bullies us is no longer a friend – and since bullies only respond to strength, from now onward I will be prepared to be much stronger. And the president should be prepared for that.”
Well, this was Europe’s last act of rebellion Mr. Ambassador – since then, dead silence. Yet isn’t everything uttered in that movie still true Mr. Ambassador? Though it is true that since then Shakespeare has been banned from several British schools and universities – which explains a lot, not to mention that the British left the EU and since then they have been complete idiots all on their own. So, there is silence. To quote a Hungarian poet, Mihály Vörösmarty (according to many this is the most beautiful line of Hungarian poetry ever written): “It's winter now and death and snow and stillness.”
As if Athens won a complete victory.
But they did not Mr. Ambassador, so don’t get carried away. True, we are now where the Delian League was at when Antisthenes wrote his animal fable: “Once, the rabbits demanded equality for all animals at the national assembly. Following the words of the rabbits’ appointed speaker, the lion stood up and answered: the words of the rabbits lack the claws and teeth of the lions!” This is true and we know indeed that the members of the Delian League knew as well that on paper, everybody had one vote all worth the same.
It’s just those claws and teeth, am I right Mr. Ambassador? When I listen to your speeches, the words of Pericles, the great democrat, come to mind (cited by Thucydides in the second book of his work, History of the Peloponnesian Wars): “You should remember also that what you are fighting against is not merely slavery as an exchange for independence, but also loss of empire and danger from the animosities incurred in its exercise. Besides, to recede is no longer possible, if indeed any of you in the alarm of the moment has become enamored of the honesty of such an unambitious part.
For what you hold is, to speak somewhat plainly, a tyranny; to take it perhaps was wrong, but to let it go is unsafe.” This is how you speak to us Mr. Ambassador. Scolding, threatening with the posture of colonialists, demanding that we do and live as you wish. And in this mission and aspiration, the European Union – instead of being Sparta – is cowardly, slyly serving your “democratic tyranny”.
Let me describe a recent example that encapsulates it all.
In 2019, the Polish city of Swidnik declared that it will not tolerate any kind of LGBTQ propaganda and will fight against it because everything it represents goes against their beliefs. Then, after three years, the city of Swidnik created a new ordinance that announced they are fans of everything LGBTQ and they will do everything possible to oppose discrimination against sexual minorities. But why?
Because they were blackmailed with the EU funds they were owed. You can have the money but forget about your honor, conviction, self-respect and self-determination.
Do you think Swidnik’s residents really fell in love with LGBTQ propaganda? They did not. They did it for money because they were blackmailed. Do you think this helps the alliance and will make Swidnik love “Athens”? Of course not – but who cares, right Mr. Ambassador? We are exactly where the Delian League was at when Athens forced a constitution on the city-state of Erythra, completely subjugating them to Athens’ will and obliging their officials to swear allegiance to Athens.
This is what we are witnessing Mr. Ambassador. You and your EU allies would love to write a new constitution for us (for yourself), prescribing in as much detail possible how we should live and what we should think about faith, family, the nation, religion, church, men and women, allies, friends and enemies, how to organize our universities, what to teach and what no to, what our state order should be, our market, our energy policy, our industry, our trade partners, and above all, never to act according to our own interests. Are you familiar with Toldi, Mr. Ambassador? Of course not. No problem, I will quote one scene from him, when Miklós’ brother György visits his parents at his childhood home from the royal court where he “merely clears his plate” and soon gets into an argument with his younger brother. Pay attention Mr. Ambassador:
“Not to be under anyone's feet, I am ready to go this very day. / The road is open a hundred miles this way / and a hundred that, I am ready to go this very day. / But whatever is mine, I'll take from here. / Now give me, brother, all that is mine - my rightful share of / this estate - my money, my steeds, my weapons. / Beyond that, God bless every man.
‘Here's your share, boy, don't say you didn't get it!’ / György shouts and cuffs his face with a resounding clap. / Now Miklós Toldi is not endowed with a pigeon's liver, / and a spirit of vengeance takes his soul. / His eyes like steel are sparkling fire, and he prepares / a blow with the bones of his fist. / György retreats, frightened to death / - this could be the very last stroke.”
For some reason, this always comes to mind when I listen to you Mr. Ambassador. What we are owed. What on one end, you guys consider a pitiful donation, but on the other you believe you can make up for with a slap in the face. And if we wanted to fight back, you would immediately call us a dictatorship in the name of the Periclesian “democratic tyranny”.
This is not okay. You know, this country is populated by adults and most of us are Miklós Toldis. For us the György Toldis are the Athenians, the Periclesian democratic tyranny (that’s you), the listless, weak, self-sacrificing and self-surrendering, and infinitely stupid EU and are unattractive personalities. Thucydides’ report is right before our eyes, according to which Pericles “only” expelled the aristocracy from Chalcis, but meanwhile the entire population of the Hestians were as well, replaced by Athenians. This is how Athens first became “only” a hegemony in the Delian League, and later turned the entire alliance into an Athenian empire. The principle of equality has been replaced by the “democracy” and equality of claws and teeth.
(To be continued)
Photo: David Pressmann (Source: MTI/szilárd Koszticsák)
