5/31 Review: Checking Facts, Basketball, and ICTY, WHY?

News

BIGGEST NEWS OF THE WEEK:

"#ICTY judgements are consistent, logical and contribute to reconciliation in the Balkans," said no one, ever. bit.ly/11dXlny
— Nastasja Vojvodić (@nastasja__v) May 30, 2013

All I'm going to say about that ^^ is holy balls of hellfire, I am slowly starting to hate ICTY.  Make up your mind about what is ancillary and what is not.

Martin Schultz on the EU

I'm just going to let these articles speak for themselves.  It's a great follow-up to the EU post from earlier and definitely will stay a hot topic as things heat up and break down in Europe.  Martin Schultz, president of the European Parliament, would naturally be for strengthening that branch of legislature, but I am inclined to think he has really solid opinions given that national interests trump in the two other branches.  I embrace the idea of a European-wide election with no national elections because it's a concession that clearly puts nation first, continent second.  They can have all the EuroVision contests and ERASMUS programs they want, but when it comes down to it, no one is pushing for the real European integration that was originally envisioned.

About the European Union

I came across items of interest lately concerning the EU.  I have much to learn myself on the functioning of the EU, but I thought these would be helpful for other curious folk.  After the jump, there is a video on how the EU works, an explanation of what the ECHR does, an article about EU squabbles and sovereignty, and a humorous look at European nations.

Democracy - where is it going?

I saw this clip and all I could do was let my jaw drop.  WHAT.  Greece may now have to live with the choices it made under duress and they don't look pretty.  Neo-nazis: not the good guy and never have been.

There have been some predictions that the surmounting pressure of the crisis will push Europe to more integration instead of breaking apart.  This sounded a bit odd to me because I read this recently, which indicates some internal schism and some frankly un-German behavior, which is called out in this article.  Germans are notable for their consistent rule following and this smacks of Italian "I am the exception" flavor.  Beefing up Schengen borders, after having seen that disgraceful behavior, seems to make sense.  The Greeks are losing their proverbial "sh*t" - it drove things so far into the ground that it can potentially turn into a lawless free for all.  In a lot of ways, the Greek situation mirrors that of many African nations because it has racked up debt, feels the surmounting pressure from western Europeans, and has relied heavily on governance as a source of employment.  Their administration was bloated with employees and was notoriously bad with money.  Greeks have also been called out on unpaid taxes (oops).   Youth are unemployed and know that they're getting taken for all they will eventually be worth.

So the question remains, is there going to be more European integration?  Or is it all pretend?  I don't know.  I've been out of the loop, so I'm remaining on high alert.  However, I don't see any serious moves towards more integration--perhaps that will be a panic move at the twelfth hour.

Thoughts on Orbán és Magyarország

I have been absent on the blog during the whole Orbán vs EU + IMF debacle, so I thought I'd do a little catch-up.  My time in Hungary back in 2010 (how was that almost 2 years ago?  How?) was enough to seal my interest with this Ugric nation.  My stay there was during the election of the Fidesz party and a realtor I spoke to during my apartment search said he was interested in how this election was going to affect Hungary.  He knew Fidesz would win in a near landslide victory and was excited, but tinged with caution.  What a premonition!

Weekend Post (Art Week is coming up)

This is the last post before ART WEEK!

I may or may not post something over the weekend, but I am a little impulsive. It's also Why So Red's one week anniversary today! Hooray! I am very very VERY excited about art week and I've been doing some research to find good stuff. If the discussion of politics and books hasn't sparked your interest yet, hopefully next week will.

Today's post will include a number of RSS feeds that I recommend. I will admit that they are EU-centric, but the EU is an important aspect of Europe regardless of the region and it's important to at least know something about it.

Hungary's Censorship

image from unitedpersons.org*

It's time to highlight another place I am particularly fascinated by: Hungary.

Part of what I always loved about Hungary is that it has an air of mystery and fierce independence. Their failed revolutions, based far more on principle than the ability to win, have been an example of how Hungarians make their thoughts known and don't compromise. The equally interesting part is how submissive they are after being beaten. For all I can tell, there is simmering resentment and defiance, but nothing outright. Hungary is different from its Slavic neighbors and they have a pride in their uniqueness. Hungary is an intoxicating place and I loved it more after 4 months there, though I have my reservations about their bureaucracy (which I have with most countries, actually). Currently, it's also considered one of the most westernized nations, along with the Czech Republic and people from more eastern European nations always said this to me. The recent events have made me wonder how westernized Hungary really has become and if they have lost their dedication to higher principles.