First They Came…

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

-Martin Niemöller

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The Hungarian government declared war on their next victim: Central European University. Little by little Orbán Viktor and FIDESZ are eating away at anything and everything with independency, and thus potential to question their omnipresent power. The existence of what in some respects is the top university in Hungary, dare I say Central Europe, is being threatened by an authoritarian regime that already nationalized foreign banks, destroyed independent media outlets, and crushed opposition parties. But why should you care, fellow citizen of the world? Who gives?

Rewind to 2010 in our small country of Hungary. The current nationalistic-populist party victoriously ousted the previous coalition with slogans against foreign influence, serious (partially unbacked) corruption charges, and allusions to the country regaining its former strength, greatness, and identity. Sound familiar, France, United States, Britain, etc.? What has happened in Hungary for the past seven years has been foreshadowing much of what is happening in the world today, and the more an onlooker examines the progress of events in this part of the world, from the tactics to the underlying mission, the eerier one should feel about countless similarities.

The foreshadowing should not come as a surprise. The peripherals of liberal order and democracy were right around Hungary. So when liberalism hit an obstacle: the 2008 financial crisis, the first victim was bound to be a country on the peripheral. And at the time, with the safety of the stable-western world at a hands reach, I felt there were great advantages to living in an illiberal semi-democratic country. You get to question some of the very basic principles you grew up with. Questioning is healthy. Is democracy really that important? Is liberalism just a way to morally justify our wealth to ourselves? The people you talk with aren’t afraid to give you their honest non-PC racist sexist homophobic opinion in my world. This is the raw reality of humanity, none of that fake stuff you grow up with in the US.

In many ways life is refreshing. Once you become numb to the everyday corruption, lying, theft, colluding, oppressing, propaganda, life goes on for you, mr. or ms. average citizen. You learn to focus on the micro communities you are a part of, which matter more than your national government. The economy will prosper, perhaps grow faster than in a democratic state—the macro economy is really doing quite well in Hungary today. Companies function profitably. New restaurants, parks, and cafes open. The weather is beautiful.  There’s relative peace and order. I have a nice hike planned this weekend.

And as you’re riding home on the subway one of these peaceful days, listening to spotify

 

BAMMM.

 

Authoritarianism hits you like a train coming out of a tunnel. and the world pauses. and the subway car is spinning. and spinning. and spinning. That’s what happened to me.

I picked CEU to study at, because I believed in what they stood for. An opportunity for hundreds from countries where there are very few opportunities, to receive a high quality education. CEU is a university that is ranked in the top 200, top 100, top 50, occasionally even higher, in the world! There is no majority nationality at CEU. Our graduates from Uganda to Bolivia have a chance to proceed to Duke, Yale, MIT. We are the bridge that connects the have nots with the haves. This was the micro community I believed in, or at least one of the more important ones, that I wanted to focus on. This was a small beacon of light in Hungary, and with it I could ignore the the dar…..

 

BAMMM.

The light flickers, and I realize just how dark everything around me really is.

 

For no reason, except to prevent any chance of an intellectual uprising in the future. See that’s the thing about authoritarian regimes. They creep up on you. You don’t care that much about the most popular liberal newspaper being closed, as you have your favorite online portal to read. You don’t care that much about the nationalization of private pension funds, as you don’t have private pension savings yet. Your favorite club closed because the owner was an openly liberal virtuoso? Look, another one is opening up in the same place, who cares about the owner!

 

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

 

If CEU closes, the dreams of thousands will be destroyed. My diploma will slowly become worthless. And the future of Hungary will become another shade dimmer.

 

Until

the

light

disappears.

 

This is a war against darkness. Wake up America. Wake up world. This could happen to you. #IstandwithCEU #weareCEU