Helsingin Sanomat’s particularly lengthy piece this morning certainly deserves a “deepest journalism can sink” prize. And why is that? The Finnish daily lists common characteristics of dictators and explores whether a political leader will turn into a dictator upon rising to power. The paper then cites Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as an example, comparing him to Stalin.
The tone that the Finnish daily dares hit is outrageous, especially considering that they are in the process of buying up the Finnish media sector and achieving a semi-monopoly. Please let me remind everyone that it was the Hungarian prime minister who spoke up for the withdrawal of Soviet troops at the reburial of Imre Nagy and his fellow martyrs. Comparing Hungary and the Hungarian prime minister to a dictator who is responsible for the deaths and suffering of tens of millions of people is downright sickening.
With these statements, they did not simply offend the prime minister, but also the Hungarian people who have voted for the current government multiple times with a two-thirds majority. It is a bit strange to hear a platform cry “dictatorship” from a country where it would appear society is just a few steps from the darkest times of the 1930s:
- The public display of the swastika is not forbidden.
- In one survey, 54 percent of respondents said that they have experienced discrimination when seeking jobs and apartments due to their Romani descent.
- There is a widespread use of ethnic profiling.
- There is no constitutional court.
- Judges are appointed by the president, on the recommendation of the justice minister.
Sadly, this article from the Finnish paper is yet another example of intellectual terrorism. Orwell was absolutely right when he wrote: “What sickens me about left-wing people, especially the intellectuals, is their utter ignorance of the way things actually happen.”