Hungary Offers a Blueprint of Survival for American Conservatives

Hungary Offers a Blueprint of Survival for American Conservatives
A U.S. flag at a U.S. Embassy building, in a file photo. (Adek Berry/AFP via Getty Images)
Chadwick Hagan
5/7/2024
Updated:
5/12/2024
0:00
Commentary

“When necessary, they will employ state apparatus against us—just as my American allies articulate, ‘weaponizing state institutions.’ We Hungarians regularly face this in Brussels. This is currently unfolding for President Trump in America, and we support his pursuit of his own truth in both the electoral and judicial arenas,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.

It is a historical fact that after World War I colonial powers helped the Arab states colonize the Middle East, even installing a royal family, the Hashemite dynasty, which continues to rule the country of Jordan. Pro-Palestine protesters screaming for decolonization are simply too uneducated to realize that colonial powers were responsible for Arab colonization in the Middle East.

The rhetoric of decolonizing America to fix “structural racism” while paving the way for progressive or Islamo-Leftism dominance only proposes a new form of colonization. It also empowers professional activists and agitators, who would have the world descend into one big chaotic bonfire if they had the chance. We are witnessing a troubling phase in U.S. history. It’s a definitive low point and a highwater mark of incoherent psychobabble.

This sort of backward logic is proof enough that the United States needs better guiding principles, especially within politics and culture. A viable path forward requires pragmatic conservatives to initiate a robust counter-revolution. The hard reality is that any and all counter-revolutions need to continue indefinitely.

A noteworthy case study is Hungary, which has successfully transitioned from a communist past to a unified nation underpinned by democratic and parliamentary principles.

Hungary was a communist state from 1947 until 1989. After World War II, it came under the dominion of the Soviet Union. The Soviet era brought in the nationalization of industries, the collectivization of farms, and the stifling of political dissent. It was a disaster. The soul of Hungary was destroyed. The communist structure was maintained until the end of the Cold War. Now Hungary is a great success story. The only reason the mainstream media fails to report on Hungary’s success is because they do not want America to break free of the stranglehold.

Hungary’s trajectory into a prosperous state, characterized by strong state services and cohesive center-right unity, offers a blueprint for survival for American conservatives.

Much of Hungary’s resurgence can be attributed to Viktor Orban, who, after initially becoming prime minister in 1998, guided his party from the political left to the center-right. Mr. Orban has championed Christian democratic values, a strong national identity, and a cautious stance on European integration.

Mr. Orban’s governance, notably his substantial control over state institutions including the judiciary and electoral systems, could serve as a model for American conservatives. Potential strategies might include advocating for reforms that empower key political appointments and reconfigure regulatory and judicial frameworks to better reflect conservative ideologies. Leveraging state-aligned and private media to shape public opinion could be another tactic worth considering, such as defunding National Public Radio and cracking down on the monopoly of leftist media.

In promoting traditional values, Hungary has prioritized Christian principles and family-centric policies, such as tax incentives for families, while navigating issues related to LGBT rights carefully. By the way, it is worth noting that discrimination based on sexual orientation is illegal in Hungary—just something to remember the next time the mainstream media tells you that Hungary operates with inhumane policies.

Mr. Orban’s economic protectionism, which benefits Hungarian businesses and workers, might inspire U.S. policies that favor domestic industries. In 2015, Hungary’s economy saw exports exceed $100 billion, with a significant trade surplus. Predominantly private, more than 80 percent of Hungary’s economy thrives under private ownership, supported by a comprehensive welfare system with a total taxation rate of 39.1 percent.

Hungary has a high taxation rate and funds quite a bit of welfare, and that should make the most liberal Americans happy.

Similar strategies could be applied to the U.S. educational sector, influencing content to better reflect national history and conservative principles, ensuring that future generations are logical, well-educated citizens. This is desperately needed in the United States.

Concerning the current U.S. bureaucratic workforce, often labeled as “the deep state,” sources close to former President Donald Trump say he plans to reinstate his “Schedule F” executive order if he wins reelection. Schedule F was a maneuver designed to make it easier to hire and fire permanent state employees. The fact remains that the majority of permanent government employees in America are liberals, and they are not politically neutral. Signed in 2020, President Joe Biden abolished this order soon after assuming office in 2021. Should this reinstatement proceed, it could affect up to 50,000 federal employees, significantly altering the structure of the U.S. administrative state.

Such a step would echo tactics seen in Viktor Orban’s governance. Bolstering national cohesion is essential, and these measures are not extreme but rather vital necessities that the United States must not overlook. We must emphasize the importance of a proactive approach—over a reactive stance—in national strategy to ensure sustained prosperity and unity.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Chad is a financier, author, and columnist. He has managed businesses and investments in global markets for over two decades. He is the host of the podcast “Deep Dive Inside,” which discusses Western society. His latest book is “The Myth of California: How Big Government Destroyed The Golden State” (2024).
twitter