Glosses No10, dtd 05.27:                                                                                                                olvassa magyarul

Home movie of the Greatest:

Listen, I am not joking!

I listend to a Hungarian radio commentary the day before yesterday on recent events and learnt that one of the main reasons of kicking out the top managers of Mafilm (Hungarian Film Co - a state owned firm) was the slow progress in executing the home movie studio project for His Excellency the Greatest of All Times.

I am not joking, this was written down to someone inquiring about the reasons. 21st century, Europe, a poor country.

And I am not joking again: I have heard of only two predecessors of our beloved Greatest of All Times, who cultivated home movies, were very fond of looking to themselves: Hitler and Stalin. There must have been much more such crazy dictators in the wonderful history of mankind, but I have heard of only these two Giants. The third is about to join them.

xxx

Hurrah, we are going to host Olympic Games!

The basic party of the coalition government of Hungary announced the other day that - if they win the general elections of 2002 - Hungary will opt for hosting the summer olympic games of 2012. The estimated costs will amount to some HUF 270 billion (less than USD 1 billion!), they say (on today's prices, I suppose?).

The immediate reaction of the highest level Hungarian expert was that 2012 is too early for the country, we should opt for 2016.

I am not joking: I could not stop laughing for half an hour.

Internet is a good weapon against stupidity: I searched this morning for facts. It proved to be difficult to find exact details, the finances of olympic games remained facts not to be proud of.

Here are some, though:

Montreal, 1976, 25 years ago:

- the cost estimates were of the order of USD 310 million (HUF 93 billion),

- the final expenditures amounted to USD 1,5 billion (HUF 450 billion).

In a country several times more rich than Hungary.

Barcelona, 1992:

The direct investment was of the order of USD 8 billion (HUF 2400 billion, 10 times of what these....people are talking about).

See: www.blues.uab.es/olympic.studies/articles/brunet.html

Atlanta, 1996:

The direct costs amounted to around USD 2 billion (HUF 600 billion)

In one of the richest countries of the world.

Sydney, 2000:

I found two figures of the total direct investments: USD 1,92 & USD 2,5 billion (from HUF 600 to HUF 750 billion).

The two most important sites cost half of what these....people are talking about:

- Stadium Australia = around USD 340 million = HUF 100 billion and

- Sydney Dome = around USD 110 million = HUF 32 billion

See: www.arabia.com/sports/article/english/0,1690,30945,00.html

And Australia also belongs to the circle of not very poor countries.

And the future plans!!!

Athens, 2004:

I could not find the basic figure, the direct costs.

The estimated additional expenditures will amount to USD 6,5 billion (HUF 1950 billion!!!).

Beijing, 2008:

No figure of direct investments could be found, but I quote an interesting information:

- China (the Mainland one alone) is going to spend USD 12,2 billion (HUF 3660 billion) on enviroment development projects alone in connection with the Games, out of which USD 3,63 billion (close to HUF 1100 billion) have already been spent!

I agree, China is much more poor than Hungary if per capita incomes are taken into consideration, but if we talk about GDP....no comparison!

Two remarks:

- If I am not wrong, only Atlanta was able to close the books of the Games with positive balance. OK, you have a fortune of objects at your disposal afterwards. But (1) you have to take all these money cutting the investments of much more important sectors and

- (2) As it is the case with the Stadium Australia in Sydney: most of the objects will be useless, causing only headache. There are plans to demolish the Stadium, because the costs of running it are tremendous.

It is ridiculous, unbelievable, how cesaromania, megalomania may lead stupid politicians to playing dirty games with the patriotic feelings of voters. Be careful when voting: do not believe absurd slogans like this.

xxx

Sugar

The producer's price of sugar has gone up by 30% during the last year according to official sources.

Read Alain Subi-Du's Garasország (Farthingland): he warned that the sale of the entire sector to western manufacturers who formed a price-cartel already - I am not joking: socialist state firms with the capitalist capital - during the last decade of the Condemned Era will lead to uncontrolled increase of prices, sweeping huge amounts of profit out of the country. Was he stupid? No, no, no!

xxx

Value added on medicines by drug stores

The (comparatively new) minister of health took a brave step a few days ago: he limited by an act the profit of drug stores trying to reduce the prices poor citizens of Hungary have to pay for keeping their health in some order.

Oh, my God, good intentions, no brain. How does that a minister does not understand that such administrative control of the economy (commerce included) can give some relieve only for very-very limited period? The final result will be the collapse of the whole chain of marketing drugs or some part of it will blow up.

Does this government understand economics at all? After the price control of electricity and gas + this step I believe not at all!

xxx

Demonstrations against NATO in Hungary

A meeting of the foreign ministers of NATO-member sates is going to take place in Hungary next week. Official circles of the government announced that strict steps are being prepared to safeguard the security of the happening. The steps include confiscation at the border of materials containing law-breaking texts.

My good God, I have a few questions:

- What law is taken into consideration? Hungary's or NATO's?

- Who is going to decide which of the imported texts is law-breaking?

- How a text may be considered law-breaking until/unless it is demonstrated for the purpose of causing disobedience (against the Hungarian government or against NATO?)?

The whole matter sounds like book-burning of fascist forces.

Do not be mistaken: I am against trying to solve differences by force, by aggressive steps. But to prevent supposed aggressiveness using lawless measures is undemocratic. 

xxx

Yellow belts

Nacism, fascism in Europe, 1942-1944, one of the first steps that lead to the killing of millions of Jews: they were forced to wear yellow stars.

Afghanistan, 2001, Hindus (Indians?) are forced to wear yellow belt (and leave buildings where muslims are inhabitants as well). World, human beings in power, can't you stop the expected killings?

After more than half a century??? No, you cannot be that weak. If you are, get out, hand over the power to more wise people.

XXX