Recent posts

#91

Off the Record / Re: Hungarian Politics

Last post by Tamas - Today at 01:08:16 AM

It's a good thing they don't have 2 months to shred evidence like in other countries.  It's as if the US Founding Fathers knew they needed time to clear their tracks during a change of administration

They have a month, I think.

#92

Off the Record / Re: Youtube Recommendations

Last post by Jacob - Today at 12:38:00 AM

Very topical music video:

#93

Off the Record / Re: Iran War

Last post by Zanza - April 12, 2026, 11:35:02 PM

Trump knows how to do one thing. Threaten people until they give him what he wants.

Now Trump is threatening everyone in the world with unsustainably high gas prices.

How will the world now react to this American threat? That is the interesting question of our time.

It's bizarre that someone who considers everything transactional somehow can't offer something to partners or adversaries.

#94

Off the Record / Re: Hungarian Politics

Last post by Zanza - April 12, 2026, 11:04:53 PM

Don't expect him to turn Budapest into downtown Brussels overnight.

Budapest already looks better than downtown Brussels, which has a shabby feel somehow.

It does not take much to be better than Orban, be it domestic or foreign policy.

#95

Off the Record / Re: Hungarian Politics

Last post by viper37 - April 12, 2026, 09:50:55 PM

It's a good thing they don't have 2 months to shred evidence like in other countries.  It's as if the US Founding Fathers knew they needed time to clear their tracks during a change of administration

#96

Off the Record / Re: Iran War

Last post by crazy canuck - April 12, 2026, 09:48:16 PM

For the first time ever ever, the majority of Americans are now more sympathetic to the Palestinians Israelis.

I think that's a pretty big loss for Israel.

#97

Off the Record / Re: Hungarian Politics

Last post by Grey Fox - April 12, 2026, 08:44:58 PM

His victory speech was pretty clear, no one is safe.

What did he say?

My source: https://bsky.app/profile/chadbourn.bsky.social/post/3mjctienlgs2j

He's announced that Hungary will join the European Prosecution Office so anyone in the country can be charged.

Magyar's speech is powered. From a contact in the audience: "He's basically just asked all the puppets, all the supreme justices, all the heads of media, all the heads of the ministries to leave their jobs tomorrow and not wait to be fired."

#98

Off the Record / Re: Hungarian Politics

Last post by HVC - April 12, 2026, 08:24:57 PM

I hope Hungary is not going to blunder the way Democrats have multiple times, with both Obama and Biden.  First order of business after such victory should be to harden institutions and counter authoritarian entrenchment.  Policy victories are meaningless without strong institutions.

And take a page from South Korea and Brazil and actually prosecute those that committed crimes.

Doesn't Korea get a coup attempt like every 20 years?

#99

Off the Record / Re: Iran War

Last post by Jacob - April 12, 2026, 07:46:23 PM

Yeah. I forget who it was who shared the substack post from Hussein Aboubakr Mansour a while back, but in his analysis Israel's interest re: Iran is to keep it as chaotic and unstable as possible to degrade its ability to strike at Israel (through decapitating command networks, destroy logistics corridods, eliminate senior leadership, and forcing the dispersal or demobilization of key proxy formations).

Having the US participate in this does not seem like a loss.

Where it may turn into a loss or "key mistake" if this US participation is short-lived and results in a political change in which the US abandons Israel as an ally.

I don't know if Trump is going to abandon Israel, even if he does have form for betraying allies.

But will post-Trump MAGA - assuming MAGA maintains power - be as committed? Or if MAGA fails to hold on to power, will the Democrats be as inclined to support Israel? What is the US getting out of supporting Israel at this point?

#100

Off the Record / Re: Hungarian Politics

Last post by Jacob - April 12, 2026, 07:32:38 PM

His victory speech was pretty clear, no one is safe.

What did he say?