Victor Orban is the Prime Minister of Hungary. He controls the newspapers. He is anti-immigrant. He has taken steps to eliminate an independent judiciary. He has no respect for democratic values.
Last November the State Department announced a minor $700,000 grant program to nurture independent media outlets in rural Hungary, part of an attempt to foster free speech. Finalists were identified. Then, last month, the State Department announced that the money would be spent in other countries.
Orban’s flacks are treating this as a victory. The Hungarian ambassador to the U.S. said, “This sends a message that Hungary is O.K., that Hungary is a democracy.”
Orban, by the way, has cultivated close ties with Putin. He has paid lobbyists $2.5 million to increase support among U.S. congressmen, and he seems to have been successful with the Tea Party caucus. He is a would be dictator and Trump loves him.
I remember when we were on the side of freedom loving people. That was so yesterday.
For the full story, see <https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/15/world/europe/hungary-us-orban-trump.html>.
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